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 0.9306. Find z to two decimals.
A = 0.9306
z =
2.Normal distributionHard
Hole diameters D are normal with mean 25.02 mm and standard deviation 0.015 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 = 0.015 mmshaft: μ = 25 mm, σ = 0.01 mm
P =
3.Confidence intervalsMedium
The blood pressure of 10 patients is measured before and after a treatment. The differences d = before − after (mmHg) have mean 7.9 and standard deviation 6.5. Find the margin of error E of the 95% confidence interval for the mean difference.
n = 10d̄ = 7.9sd = 6.595%t(9) = 2.262
E = mmHg
4.Confidence intervalsHard
The population standard deviation is 23. How large a sample n do you need so that a 99% confidence interval for the mean has a margin of error of at most 2.5?
σ = 23E = 2.599%
n =
5.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervalsMedium
A sample of 16 students has a mean score of 191.8 and a sample standard deviation of 15. Find the test statistic t for H₀: μ = 200.
μ₀ = 200x̄ = 191.8s = 15n = 16
t =
6.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervalsHard
In a trial, 50 of 200 patients on treatment A recover, and 24 of 200 patients on treatment B. Using the pooled proportion, find the test statistic z for H₀: p₁ = p₂.
x₁ = 50n₁ = 200x₂ = 24n₂ = 200
z =
7.Linear regression & correlationMedium
The table gives 6 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 = temperature in °C and y = ice creams sold. Use the least-squares line ŷ = a + b·x. Predict ŷ for x = 16.
n = 6x = 16
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 = 1402 × 3
χ² =
10.Chi-square testsHard
A chi-square goodness-of-fit test checks whether counts in 8 categories follow a Poisson distribution whose mean is estimated from the same data. How many degrees of freedom df does the test have?
k = 8
df =
3Solutions
1.Normal distribution
Answer: z = −1.48
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 − 0.9306 = 0.0694
Read the z-table backwards
Find 0.0694 inside the table and read off z.
z = −1.48
Answer
z = −1.48
2.Normal distribution
Answer: P = 0.8665
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 = 0.01803 mm
Standardise
z = (0 − 0.02)/0.01803 = −1.11
Probability
P = 1 − Φ(−1.11) = 0.8665
Answer
P = 0.8665
3.Confidence intervals
Answer: E = 4.649 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 = 9, t = 2.262
Margin of error
E = 2.262·6.5/√10 = 4.649
Answer
E = 4.649 mmHg
4.Confidence intervals
Answer: n = 562
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 = (2.576·23/2.5)² = 561.7
Round up
A sample size is a whole number, and rounding down would make the margin too large.
n = 562
Answer
n = 562
5.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervals
Answer: t = −2.187
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 = 15/√16 = 15/4 = 3.75
Test statistic
t = (191.8 − 200)/3.75 = −2.187
Answer
t = −2.187
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: z = 3.348
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 = 50/200 = 0.25
p̂₂ = 24/200 = 0.12
p̂ = 74/400 = 0.185
Standard error under H₀
SE = √(0.185·0.815·(1/200 + 1/200)) = 0.03883
Test statistic
z = (0.25 − 0.12)/0.03883 = 3.348
Answer
z = 3.348
|z| > 1.96, so H₀ is rejected at the 5% level (two-sided).
7.Linear regression & correlation
Answer: r = 0.9838
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 = 1987 − 36·289/6 = 253
Sxx = 286 − 36²/6 = 70
Syy = 14865 − 289²/6 = 944.8
Correlation coefficient
r = 253/√(70·944.8) = 0.9838
Answer
r = 0.9838
8.Linear regression & correlation
Answer: ŷ = 67.18
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 = 120/6 = 20
ȳ = 509/6 = 84.83
Sums of squares and products
Sxx = Σ(x − x̄)² = 70
Sxy = Σ(x − x̄)(y − ȳ) = 309
Regression line
b = 309/70 = 4.414
a = 84.83 − 4.414·20 = −3.452
ŷ = −3.452 + 4.414·x
Prediction
ŷ = −3.452 + 4.414·16 = 67.18
Answer
ŷ = 67.18
9.Chi-square tests
Answer: χ² = 26.1
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: df = 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.