Math

Sampling distribution of a mean.

Definition

The probability distribution of all possible sample means from samples of a fixed size drawn from a population. By the Central Limit Theorem, this distribution is approximately normal for large sample sizes, centered at the population mean with standard deviation σ/√n.

Examples

Real-world.

  • 1 Taking many random samples of 30 students' test scores and plotting the average of each sample
  • 2 Measuring the mean weight of 50 apples repeatedly from a large orchard to see how the average varies
Key Fact

Standard error = σ / √n

Studied in

1 unit use this concept.