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 under the standard normal curve, to the right of z, is 0.1357. Find z to two decimals.
A = 0.1357
z =
2.Normal distributionHard
Runner A's lap time X and runner B's lap time Y are independent and normal: X has mean 52 s and standard deviation 4 s, Y has mean 48 s and standard deviation 3 s. Find the probability P that X is greater than Y. Round z to two decimals.
μX = 52 s, σX = 4 sμY = 48 s, σY = 3 s
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 and standard deviation 6.3. Find the lower limit of the 95% confidence interval for the mean difference.
n = 8d̄ = −2sd = 6.395%t(7) = 2.365
lower limit = mmHg
4.Confidence intervalsHard
The population standard deviation is 35. 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 2?
σ = 35E = 290%
n =
5.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervalsMedium
A sample of 100 students has a mean score of 120.6 and a sample standard deviation of 5. Find the test statistic t for H₀: μ = 120.
μ₀ = 120x̄ = 120.6s = 5n = 100
t =
6.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervalsHard
In a trial, 53 of 150 patients on treatment A recover, and 87 of 300 patients on treatment B. Using the pooled proportion, find the test statistic z for H₀: p₁ = p₂.
x₁ = 53n₁ = 150x₂ = 87n₂ = 300
z =
7.Linear regression & correlationMedium
The table gives 5 paired observations of x = advertising spend in k€ and y = sales in k€. Find the coefficient of determination r² of the least-squares line.
n = 5
r² =
8.Linear regression & correlationHard
The table gives 5 paired observations of x = temperature in °C and y = ice creams sold. Use the least-squares line ŷ = a + b·x. Predict ŷ for x = 22.
n = 5x = 22
ŷ =
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 × 2
χ² =
10.Chi-square testsHard
A chi-square goodness-of-fit test compares observed counts in 9 categories with fully specified expected proportions (no parameters are estimated from the data). How many degrees of freedom df does the test have?
k = 9
df =
3Solutions
1.Normal distribution
Answer: z = 1.1
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 − 0.1357 = 0.8643
Read the z-table backwards
Find 0.8643 inside the table and read off z.
z = 1.10
Answer
z = 1.10
2.Normal distribution
Answer: P = 0.7881
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 = 52 − 48 = 4 s, σ = 5 s
Standardise
z = (0 − 4)/5 = −0.8
Probability
P = 1 − Φ(−0.8) = 0.7881
Answer
P = 0.7881
3.Confidence intervals
Answer: lower limit = −7.268 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 = 2.365·6.3/√8 = 5.268
Interval
−2 ± 5.268 → [−7.268, 3.268]
Answer
lower limit = −7.268 mmHg
4.Confidence intervals
Answer: n = 829
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 = (1.645·35/2)² = 828.7
Round up
A sample size is a whole number, and rounding down would make the margin too large.
n = 829
Answer
n = 829
5.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervals
Answer: t = 1.2
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 = 5/√100 = 5/10 = 0.5
Test statistic
t = (120.6 − 120)/0.5 = 1.2
Answer
t = 1.2
t0.025; df = 99 = 1.984
|t| < 1.984, so H₀ is not rejected at the 5% level (two-sided).
6.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervals
Answer: z = 1.368
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.
Sample proportions
p̂₁ = 53/150 = 0.3533
p̂₂ = 87/300 = 0.29
p̂ = 140/450 = 0.3111
Standard error under H₀
SE = √(0.3111·0.6889·(1/150 + 1/300)) = 0.04629
Test statistic
z = (0.3533 − 0.29)/0.04629 = 1.368
Answer
z = 1.368
|z| < 1.96, so H₀ is not rejected at the 5% level (two-sided).
7.Linear regression & correlation
Answer: r² = 0.919
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 = 267/5 = 53.4
Sums of squares and products
Sxx = Σ(x − x̄)² = 10
Sxy = Σ(x − x̄)(y − ȳ) = 43
Syy = Σ(y − ȳ)² = 201.2
Coefficient of determination
r² = 43²/(10·201.2) = 0.919
Answer
r² = 0.919
About 91.9% of the variation in y is explained by the line.
8.Linear regression & correlation
Answer: ŷ = 63.1
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 = 95/5 = 19
ȳ = 269/5 = 53.8
Sums of squares and products
Sxx = Σ(x − x̄)² = 40
Sxy = Σ(x − x̄)(y − ȳ) = 124
Regression line
b = 124/40 = 3.1
a = 53.8 − 3.1·19 = −5.1
ŷ = −5.1 + 3.1·x
Prediction
ŷ = −5.1 + 3.1·22 = 63.1
Answer
ŷ = 63.1
9.Chi-square tests
Answer: χ² = 5.279
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 = 1. At α = 0.05 the critical value is 3.841, so H₀ (independence) is rejected.
10.Chi-square tests
Answer: df = 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.