Math Problem, Statistics
margin of error / confidence intervals
Project description
Candidates for election are often compared by the television commentators as winning or losing a recent poll or survey by a “plus or minus margin of error.”
Let’s say that Candidate Q is announced as ahead in the race by 49% with a plus or minus margin of error of 2 percentage points. The other candidate, Candidate Z, was shown to have 47% of the survey results with the same margin for error.
In another survey taken the same day in a different location, Candidate Z is shown as leading by 49% over Candidate Q, who has polled only 46% with a 3 percentage point margin of error.
Based on what you know about confidence intervals, which candidate do you believe is ahead in the race based on these results? Explain.