Sampling distribution of the sample proportion

It collects p-hat from every sample of size n; it centers at p with standard deviation equal to the square root of p(1-p)/n.

Collect p^\hat{p} (p-hat, the sample proportion) from every possible sample of size nn and you have its sampling distribution, centered on the population proportion: μp^=p\mu_{\hat{p}} = p. Its spread is σp^=p(1p)n\sigma_{\hat{p}} = \sqrt{\frac{p(1-p)}{n}} (the square root of p times one minus p, all over n). With p=0.6p = 0.6 and n=150n = 150, that is 0.6(0.4)150=0.0016=0.04\sqrt{\frac{0.6(0.4)}{150}} = \sqrt{0.0016} = 0.04. The shape is close to normal when np10np \ge 10 and n(1p)10n(1-p) \ge 10, which holds here because np=90np = 90 and n(1p)=60n(1-p) = 60.

Where this comes up

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