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 60.5 and 85.5 points? Give P as a decimal.
μ = 65σ = 10x1 = 60.5x2 = 85.5
P =
2.Normal distributionHard
The exam scores are normally distributed with mean 65 points and standard deviation 10 points. Drag the cut-off so the shaded top 20% is to the right of it. Find the cut-off x.
μ = 65 pointsσ = 10 points20%
x = points
3.Confidence intervalsMedium
The blood pressure of 10 patients is measured before and after a treatment. The differences d = before − after (mmHg) have mean 7.2 and standard deviation 7.6. Find the upper limit of the 95% confidence interval for the mean difference.
n = 10d̄ = 7.2sd = 7.695%t(9) = 2.262
upper limit = mmHg
4.Confidence intervalsHard
The population standard deviation is 16. How large a sample n do you need so that a 90% confidence interval for the mean has a margin of error of at most 2.5?
σ = 16E = 2.590%
n =
5.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervalsMedium
A sample of 16 students has a mean score of 500.9 and a sample standard deviation of 5. Find the test statistic t for H₀: μ = 500.
μ₀ = 500x̄ = 500.9s = 5n = 16
t =
6.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervalsHard
How large must a sample be so that the 90% confidence interval for a mean has a margin of error of at most 1.5? The standard deviation is 12. Find the smallest sample size n.
σ = 12E = 1.590%
n =
7.Linear regression & correlationMedium
The table gives 5 paired observations of x = load in kN and y = extension in mm. Their sums are given. Find Pearson's correlation coefficient r from these sums.
n = 5Σx = 30Σy = 75Σx² = 220Σy² = 1375Σxy = 548
r =
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 (6, 57) is made. Find its residual e = y − ŷ.
n = 5(6, 57)
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 = 1402 × 2
χ² =
10.Chi-square testsHard
A chi-square test of independence is carried out on a contingency table with 2 rows and 4 columns (not counting the totals). How many degrees of freedom df does the test have?
2 × 4
df =
3Solutions
1.Normal distribution
Answer: P = 0.6535
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 = (60.5 − 65)/10 = −0.45
z₂ = (85.5 − 65)/10 = 2.05
Area between
P = Φ(2.05) − Φ(−0.45) = 0.9798 − 0.3264 = 0.6535
Answer
P = 0.6535
2.Normal distribution
Answer: x = 73.4 points
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
Φ(z) = 0.8
z from the table
z ≈ 0.84
Back to the original units
x = 65 + 0.84·10 = 73.4 points
Answer
x = 73.4 points
3.Confidence intervals
Answer: upper limit = 12.64 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 = 2.262·7.6/√10 = 5.436
Interval
7.2 ± 5.436 → [1.764, 12.64]
Answer
upper limit = 12.64 mmHg
4.Confidence intervals
Answer: n = 111
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 = (1.645·16/2.5)² = 110.8
Round up
A sample size is a whole number, and rounding down would make the margin too large.
n = 111
Answer
n = 111
5.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervals
Answer: t = 0.72
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 = 5/√16 = 5/4 = 1.25
Test statistic
t = (500.9 − 500)/1.25 = 0.72
Answer
t = 0.72
t0.025; df = 15 = 2.131
|t| < 2.131, so H₀ is not rejected at the 5% level (two-sided).
6.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervals
Answer: n = 174
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).
Solve for n
n = (1.645·12/1.5)² = 173.2
Round up
n = 174
Answer
n = 174
7.Linear regression & correlation
Answer: r = 0.98
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 = 548 − 30·75/5 = 98
Sxx = 220 − 30²/5 = 40
Syy = 1375 − 75²/5 = 250
Correlation coefficient
r = 98/√(40·250) = 0.98
Answer
r = 0.98
8.Linear regression & correlation
Answer: e = −5.35
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 = 25/5 = 5
ȳ = 295/5 = 59
Sums of squares and products
Sxx = Σ(x − x̄)² = 40
Sxy = Σ(x − x̄)(y − ȳ) = 134
Regression line
b = 134/40 = 3.35
a = 59 − 3.35·5 = 42.25
ŷ = 42.25 + 3.35·x
Predicted value
ŷ = 42.25 + 3.35·6 = 62.35
Residual
e = 57 − 62.35 = −5.35
Answer
e = −5.35
The point lies below the line.
9.Chi-square tests
Answer: χ² = 0.6667
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 = 1. At α = 0.05 the critical value is 3.841, so H₀ (independence) is not rejected.
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.