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 bags of cement are independent and normal with mean 25 kg and standard deviation 0.5 kg. Find the probability P that the total mass of 12 of them is below 298.3 kg. Round z to two decimals.
μ = 25 kgσ = 0.5 kgn = 12< 298.3 kg
P =
2.Normal distributionHard
The IQ scores are normally distributed with mean 100 points and standard deviation 15 points. Drag the cut-off so the shaded top 5% is to the right of it. Find the cut-off x.
μ = 100 pointsσ = 15 points5%
x = points
3.Confidence intervalsMedium
A sample of 11 items has mean 13.5 and standard deviation s = 12. The population is roughly normal. Find the upper limit of the 99% confidence interval for the mean.
n = 11x̄ = 13.5s = 1299%t(10) = 3.169
upper limit =
4.Confidence intervalsHard
The population standard deviation is 24. 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 2.5?
σ = 24E = 2.595%
n =
5.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervalsMedium
13 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 1.41 and the standard deviation of the differences is 3.9. Find the paired test statistic t for H₀: μd = 0.
n = 13d̄ = 1.41sd = 3.9
t =
6.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervalsHard
In a trial, 24 of 80 patients on treatment A recover, and 38 of 150 patients on treatment B. Using the pooled proportion, find the test statistic z for H₀: p₁ = p₂.
x₁ = 24n₁ = 80x₂ = 38n₂ = 150
z =
7.Linear regression & correlationMedium
The table gives 5 paired observations of x = advertising spend in k€ and y = sales in k€. Find the coefficient of determination r² of the least-squares line.
n = 5
r² =
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. Predict ŷ for x = 10.
n = 6x = 10
ŷ =
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 = 1602 × 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 = 2803 × 2α = 0.01
χ² =
3Solutions
1.Normal distribution
Answer: P = 0.1635
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 = 300 kg, σT = 0.5·√12 = 1.732 kg
Standardise
z = (298.3 − 300)/1.732 = −0.98
Probability
P = Φ(−0.98) = 0.1635
Answer
P = 0.1635
2.Normal distribution
Answer: x = 124.6 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) = 0.95
z from the table
z ≈ 1.64
Back to the original units
x = 100 + 1.64·15 = 124.6 points
Answer
x = 124.6 points
3.Confidence intervals
Answer: upper limit = 24.97
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 = 10, t = 3.169
Margin of error
E = 3.169·12/√11 = 11.47
Interval
13.5 ± 11.47 → [2.034, 24.97]
Answer
upper limit = 24.97
4.Confidence intervals
Answer: n = 355
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 = (1.96·24/2.5)² = 354
Round up
A sample size is a whole number, and rounding down would make the margin too large.
n = 355
Answer
n = 355
5.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervals
Answer: t = 1.304
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 = 3.9/√13 = 1.082
Test statistic
t = 1.41/1.082 = 1.304
Answer
t = 1.304
With df = 12, the two-sided 5% critical value is 2.179; |t| is smaller, so H₀ is not rejected.
6.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervals
Answer: z = 0.7596
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.
Sample proportions
p̂₁ = 24/80 = 0.3
p̂₂ = 38/150 = 0.2533
p̂ = 62/230 = 0.2696
Standard error under H₀
SE = √(0.2696·0.7304·(1/80 + 1/150)) = 0.06143
Test statistic
z = (0.3 − 0.2533)/0.06143 = 0.7596
Answer
z = 0.7596
|z| < 1.96, so H₀ is not rejected at the 5% level (two-sided).
7.Linear regression & correlation
Answer: r² = 0.9653
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 = 248/5 = 49.6
Sums of squares and products
Sxx = Σ(x − x̄)² = 40
Sxy = Σ(x − x̄)(y − ȳ) = 92
Syy = Σ(y − ȳ)² = 219.2
Coefficient of determination
r² = 92²/(40·219.2) = 0.9653
Answer
r² = 0.9653
About 96.53% of the variation in y is explained by the line.
8.Linear regression & correlation
Answer: ŷ = 69.3
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 = 48/6 = 8
ȳ = 381/6 = 63.5
Sums of squares and products
Sxx = Σ(x − x̄)² = 70
Sxy = Σ(x − x̄)(y − ȳ) = 203
Regression line
b = 203/70 = 2.9
a = 63.5 − 2.9·8 = 40.3
ŷ = 40.3 + 2.9·x
Prediction
ŷ = 40.3 + 2.9·10 = 69.3
Answer
ŷ = 69.3
9.Chi-square tests
Answer: χ² = 5.074
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 = 46.96
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.