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 heights of adult men are normally distributed with mean 178 cm and standard deviation 7 cm. What fraction lies between 178 and 190.95 cm? Give P as a decimal.
μ = 178σ = 7x1 = 178x2 = 190.95
P =
2.Normal distributionHard
The delivery times are normally distributed with mean 32 min and standard deviation 6 min. Find the value x below which 90% of them lie (the 90th percentile).
μ = 32σ = 6P = 90%
x = min
3.Confidence intervalsMedium
The blood pressure of 6 patients is measured before and after a treatment. The differences d = before − after (mmHg) have mean 4.5 and standard deviation 7.1. Find the upper limit of the 99% confidence interval for the mean difference.
n = 6d̄ = 4.5sd = 7.199%t(5) = 4.032
upper limit = mmHg
4.Confidence intervalsHard
Two fertilisers are tested. Plot group 1: 13 plots, mean yield 30 kg, standard deviation 9.5 kg. Plot group 2: 9 plots, mean 35.5 kg, standard deviation 3.5 kg. Assume equal variances (pooled t, df = n₁ + n₂ − 2). Find the upper limit of the 90% confidence interval for μ₁ − μ₂.
6 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 9.31 and the standard deviation of the differences is 12. Find the paired test statistic t for H₀: μd = 0.
n = 6d̄ = 9.31sd = 12
t =
6.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervalsHard
A sample of 64 measurements has mean 201.5. The population standard deviation is 10. Find the upper limit U of the 99% confidence interval for the mean.
x̄ = 201.5σ = 10n = 6499%
U =
7.Linear regression & correlationMedium
The table gives 5 paired observations of x = car age in years and y = price in k€. Find Pearson's correlation coefficient r.
n = 5
r =
8.Linear regression & correlationHard
The table gives 6 paired observations of x = car age in years and y = price in k€. Use the least-squares line ŷ = a + b·x. Predict ŷ for x = 4.5.
n = 6x = 4.5
ŷ =
9.Chi-square testsMedium
The contingency table shows observed counts. For a chi-square test of independence, find the expected count E for the cell “day shift, major”.
row total = 62column total = 75N = 123
E =
10.Chi-square testsHard
A chi-square goodness-of-fit test checks whether counts in 4 categories follow a Poisson distribution whose mean is estimated from the same data. How many degrees of freedom df does the test have?
k = 4
df =
3Solutions
1.Normal distribution
Answer: P = 0.4678
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 = (178 − 178)/7 = 0
z₂ = (190.95 − 178)/7 = 1.85
Area between
P = Φ(1.85) − Φ(0) = 0.9678 − 0.5 = 0.4678
Answer
P = 0.4678
2.Normal distribution
Answer: x = 39.69 min
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 for the percentile
Φ(z) = 0.9 → z = 1.282
Back to x
x = 32 + 1.282·6 = 39.69 min
Answer
x = 39.69 min
3.Confidence intervals
Answer: upper limit = 16.19 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 = 5, t = 4.032
Margin of error
E = 4.032·7.1/√6 = 11.69
Interval
4.5 ± 11.69 → [−7.187, 16.19]
Answer
upper limit = 16.19 mmHg
4.Confidence intervals
Answer: upper limit = 0.248 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 = (12·9.5² + 8·3.5²)/20 = 59.05
sp = 7.684
Margin of error
E = 1.725·7.684·√(1/13 + 1/9) = 5.748
Interval
−5.5 ± 5.748 → [−11.25, 0.248]
Answer
upper limit = 0.248 kg
5.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervals
Answer: t = 1.9
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 of the mean difference
SE = 12/√6 = 4.899
Test statistic
t = 9.31/4.899 = 1.9
Answer
t = 1.9
With df = 5, the two-sided 5% critical value is 2.571; |t| is smaller, so H₀ is not rejected.
6.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervals
Answer: U = 204.7
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 = 2.576·10/√64 = 3.22
Interval limit
U = 201.5 + 3.22 = 204.7
Answer
U = 204.7
7.Linear regression & correlation
Answer: r = −0.9272
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 = 15/5 = 3
ȳ = 129/5 = 25.8
Sums of squares and products
Sxx = Σ(x − x̄)² = 10
Sxy = Σ(x − x̄)(y − ȳ) = −14
Syy = Σ(y − ȳ)² = 22.8
Correlation coefficient
r = −14/√(10·22.8) = −0.9272
Answer
r = −0.9272
8.Linear regression & correlation
Answer: ŷ = 22.03
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 = 143/6 = 23.83
Sums of squares and products
Sxx = Σ(x − x̄)² = 17.5
Sxy = Σ(x − x̄)(y − ȳ) = −31.5
Regression line
b = −31.5/17.5 = −1.8
a = 23.83 − (−1.8)·3.5 = 30.13
ŷ = 30.13 − 1.8·x
Prediction
ŷ = 30.13 + (−1.8)·4.5 = 22.03
Answer
ŷ = 22.03
9.Chi-square tests
Answer: E = 37.8
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.
Expected count
E = 62·75/123 = 37.8
Answer
E = 37.8
10.Chi-square tests
Answer: df = 2
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.