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 exam scores are normally distributed with mean 65 points and standard deviation 10 points. What fraction lies between 50 and 85.5 points? Give P as a decimal.
μ = 65σ = 10x1 = 50x2 = 85.5
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 20% of them lie (the 20th percentile).
μ = 32σ = 6P = 20%
x = min
3.Confidence intervalsMedium
A sample of 6 items has mean 70.5 and standard deviation s = 16. The population is roughly normal. Find the lower limit of the 99% confidence interval for the mean.
n = 6x̄ = 70.5s = 1699%t(5) = 4.032
lower limit =
4.Confidence intervalsHard
A pilot study suggests that about 0.6 of products are defective. How many products n must be inspected so that a 99% confidence interval for the proportion has a margin of error of at most 0.05?
p ≈ 0.6E = 0.0599%
n =
5.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervalsMedium
Two production lines make the same part. Line 1: a sample of 40 parts has mean length 80 mm, and the line's known standard deviation is 4 mm. Line 2: a sample of 40 parts has mean 75.7 mm, known standard deviation 19 mm. Find the test statistic z for H₀: μ₁ = μ₂, taking the difference as x̄₁ − x̄₂ (line 1 minus line 2).
A sample of 36 measurements has mean 196.3. The population standard deviation is 15. Find the lower limit L of the 99% confidence interval for the mean.
x̄ = 196.3σ = 15n = 3699%
L =
7.Linear regression & correlationMedium
The table gives 5 paired observations of x = car age in years and y = price in k€. Their sums are given. Find Pearson's correlation coefficient r from these sums.
n = 5Σx = 15Σy = 103Σx² = 55Σy² = 2149Σxy = 293
r =
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. For which value x does the line predict ŷ = 107?
n = 5ŷ = 107
x =
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 = 1603 × 2α = 0.01
χ² =
3Solutions
1.Normal distribution
Answer: P = 0.913
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-scores
z₁ = (50 − 65)/10 = −1.5
z₂ = (85.5 − 65)/10 = 2.05
Area between
P = Φ(2.05) − Φ(−1.5) = 0.9798 − 0.06681 = 0.913
Answer
P = 0.913
2.Normal distribution
Answer: x = 26.95 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) = 0.2 → z = −0.8416
Back to x
x = 32 + −0.8416·6 = 26.95 min
Answer
x = 26.95 min
3.Confidence intervals
Answer: lower limit = 44.16
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 = 5, t = 4.032
Margin of error
E = 4.032·16/√6 = 26.34
Interval
70.5 ± 26.34 → [44.16, 96.84]
Answer
lower limit = 44.16
4.Confidence intervals
Answer: n = 638
Confidence interval for a proportion: p̂ ± z·√(p̂(1 − p̂)/n), where p̂ = x/n. To reach a margin E you need n ≥ z²·p(1 − p)/E², rounded up; without a prior estimate use p = 0.5, which gives the largest n.
Solve for n
n = 2.576²·0.6·0.4/0.05² = 637
Round up
n = 638
Answer
n = 638
5.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervals
Answer: z = 1.401
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.
Standard error of the difference
SE = √(4²/40 + 19²/40) = √9.425 = 3.07
Test statistic
z = (80 − 75.7)/3.07 = 1.401
Answer
z = 1.401
|z| < 1.96, so H₀ is not rejected at the 5% level (two-sided).
6.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervals
Answer: L = 189.9
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 = 2.576·15/√36 = 6.44
Interval limit
L = 196.3 − 6.44 = 189.9
Answer
L = 189.9
7.Linear regression & correlation
Answer: r = −0.9701
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 = 293 − 15·103/5 = −16
Sxx = 55 − 15²/5 = 10
Syy = 2149 − 103²/5 = 27.2
Correlation coefficient
r = −16/√(10·27.2) = −0.9701
Answer
r = −0.9701
8.Linear regression & correlation
Answer: x = 22.05
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 = 439/5 = 87.8
Sums of squares and products
Sxx = Σ(x − x̄)² = 40
Sxy = Σ(x − x̄)(y − ȳ) = 252
Regression line
b = 252/40 = 6.3
a = 87.8 − 6.3·19 = −31.9
ŷ = −31.9 + 6.3·x
Solve for x
x = (107 − (−31.9))/6.3 = 22.05
Answer
x = 22.05
9.Chi-square tests
Answer: χ² = 25.63
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: χ² = 10.36
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.