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 masses of boxes are independent and normal with mean 12 kg and standard deviation 0.8 kg. Find the probability P that the total mass of 5 of them exceeds 62.7 kg. Round z to two decimals.
μ = 12 kgσ = 0.8 kgn = 5> 62.7 kg
P =
2.Normal distributionHard
The exam scores are normally distributed with mean 65 points and standard deviation 10 points. Find the value x below which 5% of them lie (the 5th percentile).
μ = 65σ = 10P = 5%
x = points
3.Confidence intervalsMedium
A sample of 7 items has mean 82.5 and standard deviation s = 7.5. The population is roughly normal. Find the upper limit of the 95% confidence interval for the mean.
n = 7x̄ = 82.5s = 7.595%t(6) = 2.447
upper limit =
4.Confidence intervalsHard
The population standard deviation is 40. 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 1.5?
σ = 40E = 1.599%
n =
5.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervalsMedium
A sample of 25 students has a mean score of 501.4 and a sample standard deviation of 4. Find the test statistic t for H₀: μ = 500.
μ₀ = 500x̄ = 501.4s = 4n = 25
t =
6.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervalsHard
A one-sided z test of H₀: μ = 200 against H₁: μ < 200 is done at α = 0.05 with a sample of 25; the standard deviation is known to be 12.5. In reality the mean is 197. Find the power 1 − β of the test in percent.
μ₀ = 200μ = 197σ = 12.5n = 25α = 0.05
1 − β = %
7.Linear regression & correlationMedium
The table gives 5 paired observations of x = load in kN and y = extension in mm. Find Pearson's correlation coefficient r.
n = 5
r =
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. A new observation (11, 104) is made. Find its residual e = y − ŷ.
n = 6(11, 104)
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 = 1202 × 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 = 2203 × 2α = 0.01
χ² =
3Solutions
1.Normal distribution
Answer: P = 0.06552
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 total
μT = 60 kg, σT = 0.8·√5 = 1.789 kg
Standardise
z = (62.7 − 60)/1.789 = 1.51
Probability
P = 1 − Φ(1.51) = 0.06552
Answer
P = 0.06552
2.Normal distribution
Answer: x = 48.55 points
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) = 0.05 → z = −1.645
Back to x
x = 65 + −1.645·10 = 48.55 points
Answer
x = 48.55 points
3.Confidence intervals
Answer: upper limit = 89.44
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 = 6, t = 2.447
Margin of error
E = 2.447·7.5/√7 = 6.937
Interval
82.5 ± 6.937 → [75.56, 89.44]
Answer
upper limit = 89.44
4.Confidence intervals
Answer: n = 4719
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 = (2.576·40/1.5)² = 4719
Round up
A sample size is a whole number, and rounding down would make the margin too large.
n = 4719
Answer
n = 4719
5.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervals
Answer: t = 1.75
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 = 4/√25 = 4/5 = 0.8
Test statistic
t = (501.4 − 500)/0.8 = 1.75
Answer
t = 1.75
t0.025; df = 24 = 2.064
|t| < 2.064, so H₀ is not rejected at the 5% level (two-sided).
6.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervals
Answer: 1 − β = 32.82 %
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 = 12.5/√25 = 2.5
x̄c = 200 − 1.645·2.5 = 195.9
z under the true mean
z = (195.9 − 197)/2.5 = −0.445
Power
power = P(Z < −0.445) = 32.82%
1 − β = 32.82%
Answer
1 − β = 32.82%
7.Linear regression & correlation
Answer: r = 0.9737
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 = 30/5 = 6
ȳ = 53/5 = 10.6
Sums of squares and products
Sxx = Σ(x − x̄)² = 40
Sxy = Σ(x − x̄)(y − ȳ) = 70
Syy = Σ(y − ȳ)² = 129.2
Correlation coefficient
r = 70/√(40·129.2) = 0.9737
Answer
r = 0.9737
8.Linear regression & correlation
Answer: e = −2.286
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 = 42/6 = 7
ȳ = 480/6 = 80
Sums of squares and products
Sxx = Σ(x − x̄)² = 70
Sxy = Σ(x − x̄)(y − ȳ) = 460
Regression line
b = 460/70 = 6.571
a = 80 − 6.571·7 = 34
ŷ = 34 + 6.571·x
Predicted value
ŷ = 34 + 6.571·11 = 106.3
Residual
e = 104 − 106.3 = −2.286
Answer
e = −2.286
The point lies below the line.
9.Chi-square tests
Answer: χ² = 1.046
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 = 43.83
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.