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
X is normal with mean 12 min and standard deviation 1.5 min; Y is independent and normal with mean 20 min and standard deviation 2 min. Find the probability P that X + Y is more than 30.8 min. Round z to two decimals.
μX = 12, σX = 1.5μY = 20, σY = 2X + Y > 30.8 min
P =
2.Normal distributionHard
Hole diameters D are normal with mean 25.02 mm and standard deviation 0.01 mm. Shaft diameters d are independent and normal with mean 25 mm and standard deviation 0.01 mm. A randomly chosen shaft fits when D − d > 0. Find the probability P that it fits. Round z to two decimals.
hole: μ = 25.02 mm, σ = 0.01 mmshaft: μ = 25 mm, σ = 0.01 mm
P =
3.Confidence intervalsMedium
The blood pressure of 20 patients is measured before and after a treatment. The differences d = before − after (mmHg) have mean −1 and standard deviation 5.1. Find the upper limit of the 90% confidence interval for the mean difference.
n = 20d̄ = −1sd = 5.190%t(19) = 1.729
upper limit = mmHg
4.Confidence intervalsHard
The population standard deviation is 19. How large a sample n do you need so that a 90% confidence interval for the mean has a margin of error of at most 4?
σ = 19E = 490%
n =
5.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervalsMedium
A sample of 16 students has a mean score of 497.8 and a sample standard deviation of 4. Find the test statistic t for H₀: μ = 500.
μ₀ = 500x̄ = 497.8s = 4n = 16
t =
6.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervalsHard
A sample of 25 measurements has mean 96.4. The population standard deviation is 10. Find the lower limit L of the 95% confidence interval for the mean.
x̄ = 96.4σ = 10n = 2595%
L =
7.Linear regression & correlationMedium
The table gives 5 paired observations of x = temperature in °C and y = ice creams sold. 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 = 51?
n = 6ŷ = 51
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 = 1602 × 3
χ² =
10.Chi-square testsHard
A chi-square test of independence is carried out on a contingency table with 3 rows and 6 columns (not counting the totals). Using the table, find the critical value χ²crit at significance level α = 0.01.
α = 0.01
χ²crit =
3Solutions
1.Normal distribution
Answer: P = 0.6844
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 sum
μ = 32 min, σ = √(1.5² + 2²) = 2.5 min
Standardise
z = (30.8 − 32)/2.5 = −0.48
Upper tail
P = 1 − Φ(−0.48) = 1 − 0.3156 = 0.6844
Answer
P = 0.6844
2.Normal distribution
Answer: P = 0.9207
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 = 25.02 − 25 = 0.02 mm, σ = 0.01414 mm
Standardise
z = (0 − 0.02)/0.01414 = −1.41
Probability
P = 1 − Φ(−1.41) = 0.9207
Answer
P = 0.9207
3.Confidence intervals
Answer: upper limit = 0.9717 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 = 19, t = 1.729
Margin of error
E = 1.729·5.1/√20 = 1.972
Interval
−1 ± 1.972 → [−2.972, 0.9717]
Answer
upper limit = 0.9717 mmHg
4.Confidence intervals
Answer: n = 62
Confidence interval for a mean: x̄ ± margin of error. With a known population σ the margin is z·σ/√n; with only the sample standard deviation s, use t with n − 1 degrees of freedom: t·s/√n. Critical values: z = 1.645 (90%), 1.96 (95%), 2.576 (99%). To get a margin E or smaller, you need n ≥ (z·σ/E)², rounded up.
Solve for n
n = (1.645·19/4)² = 61.05
Round up
A sample size is a whole number, and rounding down would make the margin too large.
n = 62
Answer
n = 62
5.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervals
Answer: t = −2.2
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).
Standard error
SE = 4/√16 = 4/4 = 1
Test statistic
t = (497.8 − 500)/1 = −2.2
Answer
t = −2.2
t0.025; df = 15 = 2.131
|t| > 2.131, so H₀ is rejected at the 5% level (two-sided).
6.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervals
Answer: L = 92.48
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 = 1.96·10/√25 = 3.92
Interval limit
L = 96.4 − 3.92 = 92.48
Answer
L = 92.48
7.Linear regression & correlation
Answer: r = 0.9863
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 = 16236 − 120·656/5 = 492
Sxx = 2970 − 120²/5 = 90
Syy = 88832 − 656²/5 = 2765
Correlation coefficient
r = 492/√(90·2765) = 0.9863
Answer
r = 0.9863
8.Linear regression & correlation
Answer: x = 3.409
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 = 325/6 = 54.17
Sums of squares and products
Sxx = Σ(x − x̄)² = 17.5
Sxy = Σ(x − x̄)(y − ȳ) = 26.5
Regression line
b = 26.5/17.5 = 1.514
a = 54.17 − 1.514·5.5 = 45.84
ŷ = 45.84 + 1.514·x
Solve for x
x = (51 − 45.84)/1.514 = 3.409
Answer
x = 3.409
9.Chi-square tests
Answer: χ² = 21.6
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 = 23.21
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 = (3 − 1)·(6 − 1) = 10
Table
χ²crit(df = 10, α = 0.01) = 23.209
Answer
χ²crit = 23.209
Reject H₀ if the computed χ² is larger than this value.