E = row total × column total / grand total, df = (r − 1)(c − 1)
Critical values (α = 0.05)
df 1: 3.841, 2: 5.991, 3: 7.815, 4: 9.488
Decision
reject H0 if χ² > χ²crit
2Practice problems
1.Normal distributionMedium
The IQ scores are normally distributed with mean 100 points and standard deviation 15 points. What fraction lies between 85.75 and 115.75 points? Give P as a decimal.
μ = 100σ = 15x1 = 85.75x2 = 115.75
P =
2.Normal distributionHard
The mass X of a product from line 1 and Y from line 2 are independent and normal: X has mean 500 g and standard deviation 8 g, Y has mean 490 g and standard deviation 6 g. Find the probability P that X is greater than Y. Round z to two decimals.
μX = 500 g, σX = 8 gμY = 490 g, σY = 6 g
P =
3.Confidence intervalsMedium
The blood pressure of 8 patients is measured before and after a treatment. The differences d = before − after (mmHg) have mean 2.1 and standard deviation 0.5. Find the upper limit of the 95% confidence interval for the mean difference.
n = 8d̄ = 2.1sd = 0.595%t(7) = 2.365
upper limit = mmHg
4.Confidence intervalsHard
A pilot study suggests that about 0.1 of products are defective. How many products n must be inspected so that a 90% confidence interval for the proportion has a margin of error of at most 0.01?
p ≈ 0.1E = 0.0190%
n =
5.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervalsMedium
Two teaching methods are compared. Group 1: 14 students, mean score 64.5, standard deviation 3.5. Group 2: 8 students, mean score 67.6, standard deviation 3.5. Assume equal population variances and use the pooled two-sample t test. Find the test statistic t for H₀: μ₁ = μ₂, taking the difference as x̄₁ − x̄₂ (group 1 minus group 2).
n₁ = 14x̄₁ = 64.5s₁ = 3.5n₂ = 8x̄₂ = 67.6s₂ = 3.5
t =
6.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervalsHard
A sample of 64 measurements has mean 48.5. The population standard deviation is 4. Find the lower limit L of the 90% confidence interval for the mean.
x̄ = 48.5σ = 4n = 6490%
L =
7.Linear regression & correlationMedium
The table gives 6 paired observations of x = advertising spend in k€ and y = sales in k€. Find Pearson's correlation coefficient r.
n = 6
r =
8.Linear regression & correlationHard
The table gives 6 paired observations of x = hours studied and y = exam score. Use the least-squares line ŷ = a + b·x. For which value x does the line predict ŷ = 60?
n = 6ŷ = 60
x =
9.Chi-square testsMedium
The contingency table shows observed counts. Compute the chi-square statistic χ² for the test of independence between the row and column variables. Do not use a continuity correction.
N = 1802 × 3
χ² =
10.Chi-square testsHard
A chi-square goodness-of-fit test compares observed counts in 10 categories with fully specified expected proportions (no parameters are estimated from the data). Using the table, find the critical value χ²crit at significance level α = 0.05.
α = 0.05
χ²crit =
3Solutions
1.Normal distribution
Answer: P = 0.6821
Normal distribution: convert a value x to a z-score, z = (x − μ)/σ, which counts standard deviations from the mean. A z-table (or Φ(z)) gives the area to the left of z, which is P(X < x). The area to the right is 1 − Φ(z), and the area between two values is the difference of their two areas.
z-scores
z₁ = (85.75 − 100)/15 = −0.95
z₂ = (115.75 − 100)/15 = 1.05
Area between
P = Φ(1.05) − Φ(−0.95) = 0.8531 − 0.1711 = 0.6821
Answer
P = 0.6821
2.Normal distribution
Answer: P = 0.8413
Sums and differences of normal variables: if X and Y are independent and normal, X + Y and X − Y are normal too. Means add or subtract: E(X ± Y) = μX ± μY. Variances always add, also for a difference: Var(X ± Y) = σX² + σY², so σ = √(σX² + σY²). Standard deviations never add directly. The total of n independent items with the same distribution has mean n·μ and standard deviation σ·√n. Then standardise as usual: z = (x − mean)/σ and read Φ(z).
Distribution of the difference
μ = 500 − 490 = 10 g, σ = 10 g
Standardise
z = (0 − 10)/10 = −1
Probability
P = 1 − Φ(−1) = 0.8413
Answer
P = 0.8413
3.Confidence intervals
Answer: upper limit = 2.518 mmHg
Interval for a difference: estimate ± critical value × standard error. For two independent means with known σ: SE = √(σ₁²/n₁ + σ₂²/n₂) and z. With equal unknown variances: pooled s_p and t with n₁ + n₂ − 2 degrees of freedom. For paired data, work with the differences: d̄ ± t·s_d/√n.
Critical value
df = 7, t = 2.365
Margin of error
E = 2.365·0.5/√8 = 0.4181
Interval
2.1 ± 0.4181 → [1.682, 2.518]
Answer
upper limit = 2.518 mmHg
4.Confidence intervals
Answer: n = 2436
Confidence interval for a proportion: p̂ ± z·√(p̂(1 − p̂)/n), where p̂ = x/n. To reach a margin E you need n ≥ z²·p(1 − p)/E², rounded up; without a prior estimate use p = 0.5, which gives the largest n.
Solve for n
n = 1.645²·0.1·0.9/0.01² = 2435
Round up
n = 2436
Answer
n = 2436
5.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervals
Answer: t = −1.998
Hypothesis test: the test statistic = (estimate − value under H₀)/(standard error under H₀). The p-value is the probability, assuming H₀ is true, of a statistic at least as extreme as the one observed: the area in one tail for a one-sided H₁, twice the tail area for a two-sided H₁. Reject H₀ when p ≤ α.
Pooled variance
sp² = (13·3.5² + 7·3.5²)/20 = 12.25
sp = 3.5
Standard error
SE = 3.5·√(1/14 + 1/8) = 1.551
Test statistic
t = (64.5 − 67.6)/1.551 = −1.998
Answer
t = −1.998
With df = 20, the two-sided 5% critical value is 2.086; |t| is smaller, so H₀ is not rejected.
6.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervals
Answer: L = 47.68
Testing a mean: the test statistic measures how many standard errors the sample mean lies from the value claimed in H₀: z = (x̄ − μ₀)/(σ/√n) when σ is known, t = (x̄ − μ₀)/(s/√n) when it is estimated from the sample. A confidence interval is x̄ ± (critical value)·(standard error).
Margin of error
E = 1.645·4/√64 = 0.8225
Interval limit
L = 48.5 − 0.8225 = 47.68
Answer
L = 47.68
7.Linear regression & correlation
Answer: r = 0.9897
Least-squares regression: with x̄ and ȳ the means, Sxx = Σ(x − x̄)², Syy = Σ(y − ȳ)² and Sxy = Σ(x − x̄)(y − ȳ), the line ŷ = a + b·x has slope b = Sxy/Sxx and intercept a = ȳ − b·x̄, so it always passes through (x̄, ȳ). Pearson's correlation coefficient r = Sxy/√(Sxx·Syy) lies between −1 and 1; r² is the fraction of the variation in y explained by the line.
Means
x̄ = 42/6 = 7
ȳ = 330/6 = 55
Sums of squares and products
Sxx = Σ(x − x̄)² = 70
Sxy = Σ(x − x̄)(y − ȳ) = 260
Syy = Σ(y − ȳ)² = 986
Correlation coefficient
r = 260/√(70·986) = 0.9897
Answer
r = 0.9897
8.Linear regression & correlation
Answer: x = 2.49
Least-squares regression: with x̄ and ȳ the means, Sxx = Σ(x − x̄)², Syy = Σ(y − ȳ)² and Sxy = Σ(x − x̄)(y − ȳ), the line ŷ = a + b·x has slope b = Sxy/Sxx and intercept a = ȳ − b·x̄, so it always passes through (x̄, ȳ). Pearson's correlation coefficient r = Sxy/√(Sxx·Syy) lies between −1 and 1; r² is the fraction of the variation in y explained by the line.
Means
x̄ = 21/6 = 3.5
ȳ = 396/6 = 66
Sums of squares and products
Sxx = Σ(x − x̄)² = 17.5
Sxy = Σ(x − x̄)(y − ȳ) = 104
Regression line
b = 104/17.5 = 5.943
a = 66 − 5.943·3.5 = 45.2
ŷ = 45.2 + 5.943·x
Solve for x
x = (60 − 45.2)/5.943 = 2.49
Answer
x = 2.49
9.Chi-square tests
Answer: χ² = 25.32
Chi-square tests: compare observed counts O with the counts E expected under H₀ using χ² = Σ(O − E)²/E. Goodness of fit: E = n·p for each category, df = k − 1 (minus one more for each parameter estimated from the data). Independence in an r × c table: E = row total × column total / grand total, df = (r − 1)(c − 1). Reject H₀ when χ² exceeds the critical value for the chosen α.
df = 2. At α = 0.05 the critical value is 5.991, so H₀ (independence) is rejected.
10.Chi-square tests
Answer: χ²crit = 16.92
Chi-square tests: compare observed counts O with the counts E expected under H₀ using χ² = Σ(O − E)²/E. Goodness of fit: E = n·p for each category, df = k − 1 (minus one more for each parameter estimated from the data). Independence in an r × c table: E = row total × column total / grand total, df = (r − 1)(c − 1). Reject H₀ when χ² exceeds the critical value for the chosen α.
Degrees of freedom
df = 10 − 1 = 9
Table
χ²crit(df = 9, α = 0.05) = 16.919
Answer
χ²crit = 16.919
Reject H₀ if the computed χ² is larger than this value.