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 0.8557. Find z to two decimals.
A = 0.8557
z =
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
The battery life of two phone models is compared. Model 1: 60 phones, mean 75.5 h, known standard deviation 17 h. Model 2: 50 phones, mean 88.5 h, known standard deviation 18 h. Find the lower limit of the 95% confidence interval for μ₁ − μ₂.
The population standard deviation is 21. 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 5?
σ = 21E = 590%
n =
5.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervalsMedium
The mean of a population is claimed to be 50; the population standard deviation is known to be 5. A random sample of 25 observations has a mean of 48. Test H₀: μ = 50 against H₁: μ < 50. Find the p-value p.
μ₀ = 50σ = 5n = 25x̄ = 48H₁: μ < μ₀
p =
6.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervalsHard
In a trial, 42 of 120 patients on treatment A recover, and 32 of 80 patients on treatment B. Using the pooled proportion, find the test statistic z for H₀: p₁ = p₂.
x₁ = 42n₁ = 120x₂ = 32n₂ = 80
z =
7.Linear regression & correlationMedium
The table gives 5 paired observations of x = advertising spend in k€ and y = sales in k€. Their sums are given. Find Pearson's correlation coefficient r from these sums.
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. A new observation (3.5, 25) is made. Find its residual e = y − ŷ.
n = 6(3.5, 25)
e =
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 = 2002 × 3
χ² =
10.Chi-square testsHard
The table shows observed counts. Test at α = 0.05 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 = 0.05
χ² =
3Solutions
1.Normal distribution
Answer: z = 1.46
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 + 0.8557)/2 = 0.9279
Read the z-table backwards
Find 0.9279 inside the table and read off z.
z = 1.46
Answer
z = 1.46
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: lower limit = −19.59 h
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.
Point estimate
x̄₁ − x̄₂ = 75.5 − 88.5 = −13
Standard error
SE = √(17²/60 + 18²/50) = 3.361
Margin of error
E = 1.96·3.361 = 6.588
Interval
−13 ± 6.588 → [−19.59, −6.412]
Answer
lower limit = −19.59 h
The interval does not contain 0, so the means differ significantly.
4.Confidence intervals
Answer: n = 48
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 = (1.645·21/5)² = 47.73
Round up
A sample size is a whole number, and rounding down would make the margin too large.
n = 48
Answer
n = 48
5.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervals
Answer: p = 0.02275
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.
Test statistic
SE = σ/√n = 5/√25 = 1
z = (48 − 50)/1 = −2
Tail area
Φ(2) = 0.9772
1 − Φ(2) = 0.0228
p-value
p = 0.02275
Answer
p = 0.02275
p ≤ 0.05, so H₀ is rejected at the 5% level.
6.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervals
Answer: z = −0.7175
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 = 42/120 = 0.35
p̂₂ = 32/80 = 0.4
p̂ = 74/200 = 0.37
Standard error under H₀
SE = √(0.37·0.63·(1/120 + 1/80)) = 0.06969
Test statistic
z = (0.35 − 0.4)/0.06969 = −0.7175
Answer
z = −0.7175
|z| < 1.96, so H₀ is not rejected at the 5% level (two-sided).
7.Linear regression & correlation
Answer: r = 0.9519
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 = 1694 − 35·232/5 = 70
Sxx = 285 − 35²/5 = 40
Syy = 10900 − 232²/5 = 135.2
Correlation coefficient
r = 70/√(40·135.2) = 0.9519
Answer
r = 0.9519
8.Linear regression & correlation
Answer: e = 3.333
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 = 130/6 = 21.67
Sums of squares and products
Sxx = Σ(x − x̄)² = 17.5
Sxy = Σ(x − x̄)(y − ȳ) = −40
Regression line
b = −40/17.5 = −2.286
a = 21.67 − (−2.286)·3.5 = 29.67
ŷ = 29.67 − 2.286·x
Predicted value
ŷ = 29.67 + (−2.286)·3.5 = 21.67
Residual
e = 25 − 21.67 = 3.333
Answer
e = 3.333
The point lies above the line.
9.Chi-square tests
Answer: χ² = 4.54
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 not rejected.
10.Chi-square tests
Answer: χ² = 8.932
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.