Standard Practice for Calculating Sample Size to Estimate, With a Specified Tolerable Error, the Average for Characteristic of a Lot or Process

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
This practice is intended for use in determining the sample size required to estimate, with specified precision, a measure of quality of a lot or process. The practice applies when quality is expressed as either the lot average for a given property, or as the lot fraction not conforming to prescribed standards. The level of a characteristic may often be taken as an indication of the quality of a material. If so, an estimate of the average value of that characteristic or of the fraction of the observed values that do not conform to a specification for that characteristic becomes a measure of quality with respect to that characteristic. This practice is intended for use in determining the sample size required to estimate, with specified precision, such a measure of the quality of a lot or process either as an average value or as a fraction not conforming to a specified value.
SCOPE
1.1 This practice covers simple methods for calculating how many units to include in a random sample in order to estimate with a prescribed precision, a measure of quality for all the units of a lot of material, or produced by a process. This practice will clearly indicate the sample size required to estimate the average value of some property or the fraction of nonconforming items produced by a production process during the time interval covered by the random sample. If the process is not in a state of statistical control, the result will not have predictive value for immediate (future) production. The practice treats the common situation where the sampling units can be considered to exhibit a single (overall) source of variability; it does not treat multi-level sources of variability.

General Information

Status
Historical
Publication Date
09-Oct-2000
Technical Committee
Current Stage
Ref Project

Relations

Buy Standard

Standard
ASTM E122-00 - Standard Practice for Calculating Sample Size to Estimate, With a Specified Tolerable Error, the Average for Characteristic of a Lot or Process
English language
5 pages
sale 15% off
Preview
sale 15% off
Preview

Standards Content (Sample)

NOTICE: This standard has either been superseded and replaced by a new version or withdrawn.
Contact ASTM International (www.astm.org) for the latest information
An American National Standard
Designation: E 122 – 00
Standard Practice for
Calculating Sample Size to Estimate, With a Specified
Tolerable Error, the Average for a Characteristic of a Lot or
1
Process
This standard is issued under the fixed designation E122; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision.Anumber in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval.A
superscript epsilon (e) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
This standard has been approved for use by agencies of the Department of Defense.
1. Scope
µ = lot or process mean or expected value of X, the result
of measuring all the units in the lot or process.
1.1 Thispracticecoverssimplemethodsforcalculatinghow
µ = an advance estimate of µ.
many units to include in a random sample in order to estimate 0
N = size of the lot.
with a prescribed precision, a measure of quality for all the
n = size of the sample taken from a lot or process.
units of a lot of material, or produced by a process. This
n = size of sample j.
j
practice will clearly indicate the sample size required to
n = size of the sample from a finite lot (7.4).
L
estimate the average value of some property or the fraction of
p8 = fraction of a lot or process whose units have the
nonconformingitemsproducedbyaproductionprocessduring
nonconforming characteristic under investigation.
the time interval covered by the random sample. If the process
p = an advance estimate of p8.
0
is not in a state of statistical control, the result will not have
p = fraction nonconforming in the sample.
predictive value for immediate (future) production. The prac-
R = range of a set of sampling values. The largest minus
tice treats the common situation where the sampling units can
the smallest observation.
beconsideredtoexhibitasingle(overall)sourceofvariability;
R = range of sample j.
j
k
it does not treat multi-level sources of variability. ¯
R =
R/k, average of the range of k samples, all of the
(
j
j 51
2. Referenced Documents
same size (8.2.2).
2.1 ASTM Standards:
s = lot or process standard deviation of X, the result of
2
E456 Definitions ofTerms Relating to Statistical Methods
measuring all of the units of a finite lot or process.
s = an advance estimate of s.
0
3. Terminology
n
s =
2 1/2
[ (X − X¯) /(n−1)] , an estimate of the standard
(
3.1 Definitions—Unless otherwise noted, all statistical i
i 51
terms are defined in Definitions E456.
deviation s from n observation, X, i=1 to n.
i
k
3.2 Symbols:
s¯ =
S/k,average sfrom ksamplesallofthesamesize
(
j
j 51
(8.2.1).
E = maximum tolerable error for the sample average, that
s = pooled(weightedaverage)sfromksamples,notallof
p
is, the maximum acceptable difference between true
the same size (8.2).
average and the sample average.
s = standard derivation of sample j.
j
e = E/µ, maximum allowable sampling error expressed as
t = a factor (the 99.865th percentile of the Student’s
a fraction of µ.
distribution) corresponding to the degrees of freedom
k = the total number of samples available from the same
f of an advance estimate s (5.1).
o o
or similar lots.
V = s/µ, the coefficient of variation of the lot or process.
V = an advance estimate of V (8.3.1).
o
¯
v = s/ X, the coefficient of variation estimated from the
1
sample.
ThispracticeisunderthejurisdictionofASTMCommitteeE11onQualityand
Statistics and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee E11.10 on Sampling. v = coefficient of variation from sample j.
j
Current edition approved Oct. 10, 2000. Published January 2001. Originally
X = numerical value of the characteristic of an individual
published as E122–89. Last previous edition E122–99.
unit being measured.
2
Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 14.02.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959, United States.
1

---------------------- Page: 1 ----------------------
E122–00
n
¯ deviation, E, can be tolerated between the estimate to be made
X =
X/n average of n observations, X,i=1 to n.
(
i i i from the sample and the result that would be obtained by
i 51
measuring every unit in the lot or process.
4. Significance and Use
6.2 Insomecases,themaximumallowablesamplingerroris
4.1 This practice is intended for use in determining the
expressed as a proportion, e, or a percentage, 100 e. For
sample size required to estimate, with prescribed precision, a
example, one may wish to make an estimate of the sulfur
measure of quality of a lot or process. The practice applies
content of coal with maximum allowable error of 1%, or e
when quality is expressed as either the lot average for a given
=0.01.
property, or as the lot fraction not conforming to prescribed
standards.Thelevelofacharacteristicmayoftenbetakenasan
7. Equations
...

Questions, Comments and Discussion

Ask us and Technical Secretary will try to provide an answer. You can facilitate discussion about the standard in here.