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 passengers with luggage are independent and normal with mean 85 kg and standard deviation 12 kg. Find the probability P that the total mass of 4 of them exceeds 364 kg. Round z to two decimals.
μ = 85 kgσ = 12 kgn = 4> 364 kg
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 16 patients is measured before and after a treatment. The differences d = before − after (mmHg) have mean 5 and standard deviation 3.1. Find the lower limit of the 90% confidence interval for the mean difference.
n = 16d̄ = 5sd = 3.190%t(15) = 1.753
lower limit = mmHg
4.Confidence intervalsHard
The population standard deviation is 16. How large a sample n do you need so that a 95% confidence interval for the mean has a margin of error of at most 1?
σ = 16E = 195%
n =
5.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervalsMedium
A sample of 25 students has a mean score of 46.48 and a sample standard deviation of 8. Find the test statistic t for H₀: μ = 50.
μ₀ = 50x̄ = 46.48s = 8n = 25
t =
6.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervalsHard
A sample of 100 measurements has mean 498.3. The population standard deviation is 12. Find the lower limit L of the 95% confidence interval for the mean.
x̄ = 498.3σ = 12n = 10095%
L =
7.Linear regression & correlationMedium
The table gives 5 paired observations of x = temperature in °C and y = ice creams sold. 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 = hours studied and y = exam score. Use the least-squares line ŷ = a + b·x. A new observation (3.5, 75) is made. Find its residual e = y − ŷ.
n = 5(3.5, 75)
e =
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, minor”.
row total = 107column total = 52N = 152
E =
10.Chi-square testsHard
A chi-square goodness-of-fit test compares observed counts in 8 categories with fully specified expected proportions (no parameters are estimated from the data). How many degrees of freedom df does the test have?
k = 8
df =
3Solutions
1.Normal distribution
Answer: P = 0.1587
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 = 340 kg, σT = 12·√4 = 24 kg
Standardise
z = (364 − 340)/24 = 1
Probability
P = 1 − Φ(1) = 0.1587
Answer
P = 0.1587
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: lower limit = 3.641 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 = 15, t = 1.753
Margin of error
E = 1.753·3.1/√16 = 1.359
Interval
5 ± 1.359 → [3.641, 6.359]
Answer
lower limit = 3.641 mmHg
4.Confidence intervals
Answer: n = 984
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 = (1.96·16/1)² = 983.4
Round up
A sample size is a whole number, and rounding down would make the margin too large.
n = 984
Answer
n = 984
5.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervals
Answer: t = −2.2
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 = 8/√25 = 8/5 = 1.6
Test statistic
t = (46.48 − 50)/1.6 = −2.2
Answer
t = −2.2
t0.025; df = 24 = 2.064
|t| > 2.064, so H₀ is rejected at the 5% level (two-sided).
6.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervals
Answer: L = 495.9
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).
Margin of error
E = 1.96·12/√100 = 2.352
Interval limit
L = 498.3 − 2.352 = 495.9
Answer
L = 495.9
7.Linear regression & correlation
Answer: r² = 0.9722
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 = 120/5 = 24
ȳ = 392/5 = 78.4
Sums of squares and products
Sxx = Σ(x − x̄)² = 90
Sxy = Σ(x − x̄)(y − ȳ) = 393
Syy = Σ(y − ȳ)² = 1765
Coefficient of determination
r² = 393²/(90·1765) = 0.9722
Answer
r² = 0.9722
About 97.22% of the variation in y is explained by the line.
8.Linear regression & correlation
Answer: e = 3.95
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 = 20/5 = 4
ȳ = 371/5 = 74.2
Sums of squares and products
Sxx = Σ(x − x̄)² = 10
Sxy = Σ(x − x̄)(y − ȳ) = 63
Regression line
b = 63/10 = 6.3
a = 74.2 − 6.3·4 = 49
ŷ = 49 + 6.3·x
Predicted value
ŷ = 49 + 6.3·3.5 = 71.05
Residual
e = 75 − 71.05 = 3.95
Answer
e = 3.95
The point lies above the line.
9.Chi-square tests
Answer: E = 36.61
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 = 107·52/152 = 36.61
Answer
E = 36.61
10.Chi-square tests
Answer: df = 7
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.