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 120 mm and standard deviation 0.3 mm; Y is independent and normal with mean 80 mm and standard deviation 0.4 mm. Find the probability P that X + Y is more than 200.4 mm. Round z to two decimals.
μX = 120, σX = 0.3μY = 80, σY = 0.4X + Y > 200.4 mm
P =
2.Normal distributionHard
The exam scores are normally distributed with mean 65 points and standard deviation 10 points. Drag the cut-off so the shaded top 60% is to the right of it. Find the cut-off x.
μ = 65 pointsσ = 10 points60%
x = points
3.Confidence intervalsMedium
A sample of 6 items has mean 117.5 and standard deviation s = 9.5. The population is roughly normal. Find the margin of error E of a 95% confidence interval for the mean.
n = 6x̄ = 117.5s = 9.595%t(5) = 2.571
E =
4.Confidence intervalsHard
The population standard deviation is 11. How large a sample n do you need so that a 95% confidence interval for the mean has a margin of error of at most 4?
σ = 11E = 495%
n =
5.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervalsMedium
A sample of 100 students has a mean score of 202.9 and a sample standard deviation of 10. Find the test statistic t for H₀: μ = 200.
μ₀ = 200x̄ = 202.9s = 10n = 100
t =
6.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervalsHard
A one-sided z test of H₀: μ = 100 against H₁: μ < 100 is done at α = 0.05 with a sample of 100; the standard deviation is known to be 30. In reality the mean is 95.8. Find the probability of a Type II error β in percent.
μ₀ = 100μ = 95.8σ = 30n = 100α = 0.05
β = %
7.Linear regression & correlationMedium
The table gives 5 paired observations of x = hours studied and y = exam score. Find the coefficient of determination r² of the least-squares line.
n = 5
r² =
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 = 53?
n = 6ŷ = 53
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 = 2202 × 3
χ² =
10.Chi-square testsHard
The table shows observed counts. Test at α = 0.01 whether the two variables are independent (no continuity correction). Compute the test statistic χ², then compare it with the critical value from the table.
N = 2003 × 2α = 0.01
χ² =
3Solutions
1.Normal distribution
Answer: P = 0.2119
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 = 200 mm, σ = √(0.3² + 0.4²) = 0.5 mm
Standardise
z = (200.4 − 200)/0.5 = 0.8
Upper tail
P = 1 − Φ(0.8) = 1 − 0.7881 = 0.2119
Answer
P = 0.2119
2.Normal distribution
Answer: x = 62.5 points
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) = 0.4
z from the table
z ≈ −0.25
Back to the original units
x = 65 − 0.25·10 = 62.5 points
Answer
x = 62.5 points
3.Confidence intervals
Answer: E = 9.971
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.
Critical value
df = n − 1 = 5, t = 2.571
Margin of error
E = 2.571·9.5/√6 = 9.971
Answer
E = 9.971
4.Confidence intervals
Answer: n = 30
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 = (1.96·11/4)² = 29.05
Round up
A sample size is a whole number, and rounding down would make the margin too large.
n = 30
Answer
n = 30
5.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervals
Answer: t = 2.9
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 = 10/√100 = 10/10 = 1
Test statistic
t = (202.9 − 200)/1 = 2.9
Answer
t = 2.9
t0.025; df = 99 = 1.984
|t| > 1.984, so H₀ is rejected at the 5% level (two-sided).
6.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervals
Answer: β = 59.68 %
Power of a test: power = 1 − β is the probability of rejecting H₀ when it is false. Find the cutoff x̄c from μ₀ and z_α, then compute the probability of landing beyond x̄c using the true mean: z = (x̄c − μ)/(σ/√n).
Critical sample mean
SE = 30/√100 = 3
x̄c = 100 − 1.645·3 = 95.06
z under the true mean
z = (95.06 − 95.8)/3 = −0.245
Type II error
power = P(Z < −0.245) = 40.32%
β = 100% − 40.32% = 59.68%
Answer
β = 59.68%
7.Linear regression & correlation
Answer: r² = 0.9992
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 = 25/5 = 5
ȳ = 343/5 = 68.6
Sums of squares and products
Sxx = Σ(x − x̄)² = 10
Sxy = Σ(x − x̄)(y − ȳ) = 63
Syy = Σ(y − ȳ)² = 397.2
Coefficient of determination
r² = 63²/(10·397.2) = 0.9992
Answer
r² = 0.9992
About 99.92% of the variation in y is explained by the line.
8.Linear regression & correlation
Answer: x = 3.667
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 = 27/6 = 4.5
ȳ = 333/6 = 55.5
Sums of squares and products
Sxx = Σ(x − x̄)² = 17.5
Sxy = Σ(x − x̄)(y − ȳ) = 52.5
Regression line
b = 52.5/17.5 = 3
a = 55.5 − 3·4.5 = 42
ŷ = 42 + 3·x
Solve for x
x = (53 − 42)/3 = 3.667
Answer
x = 3.667
9.Chi-square tests
Answer: χ² = 7.642
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: χ² = 13.13
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.