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
X is normal with mean 60 s and standard deviation 5 s; Y is independent and normal with mean 45 s and standard deviation 4 s. Find the probability P that X + Y is more than 108.2 s. Round z to two decimals.
μX = 60, σX = 5μY = 45, σY = 4X + Y > 108.2 s
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 90% of them lie (the 90th percentile).
μ = 65σ = 10P = 90%
x = points
3.Confidence intervalsMedium
The battery life of two phone models is compared. Model 1: 60 phones, mean 121 h, known standard deviation 7 h. Model 2: 40 phones, mean 133.5 h, known standard deviation 9 h. Find the lower limit of the 90% confidence interval for μ₁ − μ₂.
Nothing is known in advance about the proportion of defective products. 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 = 0.5E = 0.0599%
n =
5.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervalsMedium
9 employees take a typing test before and after a training course. For each person the difference d = after − before (words per minute) is recorded. The mean difference is −7.73 and the standard deviation of the differences is 8. Find the paired test statistic t for H₀: μd = 0.
n = 9d̄ = −7.73sd = 8
t =
6.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervalsHard
A sample of 16 measurements has mean 73.6. The population standard deviation is 5. Find the upper limit U of the 99% confidence interval for the mean.
x̄ = 73.6σ = 5n = 1699%
U =
7.Linear regression & correlationMedium
The table gives 6 paired observations of x = car age in years and y = price in k€. Find Pearson's correlation coefficient r.
n = 6
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. Predict ŷ for x = 17.
n = 5x = 17
ŷ =
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 “urban, high”.
row total = 79column total = 54N = 142
E =
10.Chi-square testsHard
A chi-square goodness-of-fit test compares observed counts in 4 categories with fully specified expected proportions (no parameters are estimated from the data). How many degrees of freedom df does the test have?
k = 4
df =
3Solutions
1.Normal distribution
Answer: P = 0.3085
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 sum
μ = 105 s, σ = √(5² + 4²) = 6.403 s
Standardise
z = (108.2 − 105)/6.403 = 0.5
Upper tail
P = 1 − Φ(0.5) = 1 − 0.6915 = 0.3085
Answer
P = 0.3085
2.Normal distribution
Answer: x = 77.82 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) = 0.9 → z = 1.282
Back to x
x = 65 + 1.282·10 = 77.82 points
Answer
x = 77.82 points
3.Confidence intervals
Answer: lower limit = −15.27 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 = 121 − 133.5 = −12.5
Standard error
SE = √(7²/60 + 9²/40) = 1.686
Margin of error
E = 1.645·1.686 = 2.773
Interval
−12.5 ± 2.773 → [−15.27, −9.727]
Answer
lower limit = −15.27 h
The interval does not contain 0, so the means differ significantly.
4.Confidence intervals
Answer: n = 664
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 = 2.576²·0.5·0.5/0.05² = 663.6
Round up
n = 664
Answer
n = 664
5.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervals
Answer: t = −2.899
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 of the mean difference
SE = 8/√9 = 2.667
Test statistic
t = −7.73/2.667 = −2.899
Answer
t = −2.899
With df = 8, the two-sided 5% critical value is 2.306; |t| is larger, so H₀ is rejected.
6.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervals
Answer: U = 76.82
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 = 2.576·5/√16 = 3.22
Interval limit
U = 73.6 + 3.22 = 76.82
Answer
U = 76.82
7.Linear regression & correlation
Answer: r = −0.9652
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 = 100/6 = 16.67
Sums of squares and products
Sxx = Σ(x − x̄)² = 17.5
Sxy = Σ(x − x̄)(y − ȳ) = −50
Syy = Σ(y − ȳ)² = 153.3
Correlation coefficient
r = −50/√(17.5·153.3) = −0.9652
Answer
r = −0.9652
8.Linear regression & correlation
Answer: ŷ = 45.75
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 = 90/5 = 18
ȳ = 242/5 = 48.4
Sums of squares and products
Sxx = Σ(x − x̄)² = 40
Sxy = Σ(x − x̄)(y − ȳ) = 106
Regression line
b = 106/40 = 2.65
a = 48.4 − 2.65·18 = 0.7
ŷ = 0.7 + 2.65·x
Prediction
ŷ = 0.7 + 2.65·17 = 45.75
Answer
ŷ = 45.75
9.Chi-square tests
Answer: E = 30.04
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 = 79·54/142 = 30.04
Answer
E = 30.04
10.Chi-square tests
Answer: df = 3
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.