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
Drag z so that the shaded area between −z and z under the standard normal curve is 0.2886. Find z to two decimals.
A = 0.2886
z =
2.Normal distributionHard
The heights of adult men are normally distributed with mean 178 cm and standard deviation 7 cm. Drag the cut-off so the shaded bottom 10% is to the left of it. Find the cut-off x.
μ = 178 cmσ = 7 cm10%
x = cm
3.Confidence intervalsMedium
The blood pressure of 13 patients is measured before and after a treatment. The differences d = before − after (mmHg) have mean 3.5 and standard deviation 2.7. Find the upper limit of the 99% confidence interval for the mean difference.
n = 13d̄ = 3.5sd = 2.799%t(12) = 3.055
upper limit = mmHg
4.Confidence intervalsHard
Two fertilisers are tested. Plot group 1: 6 plots, mean yield 58 kg, standard deviation 6 kg. Plot group 2: 16 plots, mean 69.5 kg, standard deviation 5.5 kg. Assume equal variances (pooled t, df = n₁ + n₂ − 2). Find the lower limit of the 99% confidence interval for μ₁ − μ₂.
7 employees take a typing test before and after a training course. For each person the difference d = after − before (words per minute) is recorded. The mean difference is 0.54 and the standard deviation of the differences is 1.3. Find the paired test statistic t for H₀: μd = 0.
n = 7d̄ = 0.54sd = 1.3
t =
6.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervalsHard
A sample of 36 measurements has mean 50.3. The population standard deviation is 4. Find the lower limit L of the 90% confidence interval for the mean.
x̄ = 50.3σ = 4n = 3690%
L =
7.Linear regression & correlationMedium
The table gives 6 paired observations of x = hours studied and y = exam score. Their sums are given. Find Pearson's correlation coefficient r from these sums.
The table gives 6 paired observations of x = advertising spend in k€ and y = sales in k€. Use the least-squares line ŷ = a + b·x. For which value x does the line predict ŷ = 54?
n = 6ŷ = 54
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 = 2402 × 3
χ² =
10.Chi-square testsHard
A chi-square goodness-of-fit test checks whether counts in 9 categories follow a Poisson distribution whose mean is estimated from the same data. How many degrees of freedom df does the test have?
k = 9
df =
3Solutions
1.Normal distribution
Answer: z = 0.37
From an area back to z: Φ(z) is the area to the left of z. For a left-tail area A, find z with Φ(z) = A in the table. A right-tail area A means Φ(z) = 1 − A. A central area A between −z and z leaves (1 − A)/2 in each tail, so Φ(z) = (1 + A)/2. For a value x, use x = μ + zσ.
Area to the left of z
Φ(z) = (1 + 0.2886)/2 = 0.6443
Read the z-table backwards
Find 0.6443 inside the table and read off z.
z = 0.37
Answer
z = 0.37
2.Normal distribution
Answer: x = 169 cm
From an area back to z: Φ(z) is the area to the left of z. For a left-tail area A, find z with Φ(z) = A in the table. A right-tail area A means Φ(z) = 1 − A. A central area A between −z and z leaves (1 − A)/2 in each tail, so Φ(z) = (1 + A)/2. For a value x, use x = μ + zσ.
Area to the left
Φ(z) = 0.1
z from the table
z ≈ −1.28
Back to the original units
x = 178 − 1.28·7 = 169 cm
Answer
x = 169 cm
3.Confidence intervals
Answer: upper limit = 5.788 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 = 12, t = 3.055
Margin of error
E = 3.055·2.7/√13 = 2.288
Interval
3.5 ± 2.288 → [1.212, 5.788]
Answer
upper limit = 5.788 mmHg
4.Confidence intervals
Answer: lower limit = −19.17 kg
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.
Pooled standard deviation
sp² = (5·6² + 15·5.5²)/20 = 31.69
sp = 5.629
Margin of error
E = 2.845·5.629·√(1/6 + 1/16) = 7.667
Interval
−11.5 ± 7.667 → [−19.17, −3.833]
Answer
lower limit = −19.17 kg
5.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervals
Answer: t = 1.099
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).
Standard error of the mean difference
SE = 1.3/√7 = 0.4914
Test statistic
t = 0.54/0.4914 = 1.099
Answer
t = 1.099
With df = 6, the two-sided 5% critical value is 2.447; |t| is smaller, so H₀ is not rejected.
6.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervals
Answer: L = 49.2
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/√36 = 1.097
Interval limit
L = 50.3 − 1.097 = 49.2
Answer
L = 49.2
7.Linear regression & correlation
Answer: r = 0.9977
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.
Centred sums
Sxy = 3754 − 36·540/6 = 514
Sxx = 286 − 36²/6 = 70
Syy = 52392 − 540²/6 = 3792
Correlation coefficient
r = 514/√(70·3792) = 0.9977
Answer
r = 0.9977
8.Linear regression & correlation
Answer: x = 3.42
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 = 33/6 = 5.5
ȳ = 375/6 = 62.5
Sums of squares and products
Sxx = Σ(x − x̄)² = 17.5
Sxy = Σ(x − x̄)(y − ȳ) = 71.5
Regression line
b = 71.5/17.5 = 4.086
a = 62.5 − 4.086·5.5 = 40.03
ŷ = 40.03 + 4.086·x
Solve for x
x = (54 − 40.03)/4.086 = 3.42
Answer
x = 3.42
9.Chi-square tests
Answer: χ² = 10.13
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: df = 7
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.