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 8 of them is below 629.1 kg. Round z to two decimals.
μ = 85 kgσ = 12 kgn = 8< 629.1 kg
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 99% of them lie (the 99th percentile).
μ = 65σ = 10P = 99%
x = points
3.Confidence intervalsMedium
The blood pressure of 12 patients is measured before and after a treatment. The differences d = before − after (mmHg) have mean 7.1 and standard deviation 1.5. Find the margin of error E of the 99% confidence interval for the mean difference.
n = 12d̄ = 7.1sd = 1.599%t(11) = 3.106
E = mmHg
4.Confidence intervalsHard
Nothing is known in advance about the proportion of defective products. How many products n must be inspected so that a 95% confidence interval for the proportion has a margin of error of at most 0.025?
p = 0.5E = 0.02595%
n =
5.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervalsMedium
A sample of 81 students has a mean score of 501.3 and a sample standard deviation of 5. Find the test statistic t for H₀: μ = 500.
μ₀ = 500x̄ = 501.3s = 5n = 81
t =
6.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervalsHard
A sample of 49 measurements has mean 78.4. The population standard deviation is 15. Find the upper limit U of the 95% confidence interval for the mean.
x̄ = 78.4σ = 15n = 4995%
U =
7.Linear regression & correlationMedium
The table gives 6 paired observations of x = advertising spend in k€ and y = sales in k€. Their sums are given. Find Pearson's correlation coefficient r from these sums.
The table gives 5 paired observations of x = hours studied and y = exam score. Use the least-squares line ŷ = a + b·x. Predict ŷ for x = 5.5.
n = 5x = 5.5
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 = 802 × 3
χ² =
10.Chi-square testsHard
A chi-square goodness-of-fit test checks whether counts in 5 categories follow a Poisson distribution whose mean is estimated from the same data. How many degrees of freedom df does the test have?
k = 5
df =
3Solutions
1.Normal distribution
Answer: P = 0.06681
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 = 680 kg, σT = 12·√8 = 33.94 kg
Standardise
z = (629.1 − 680)/33.94 = −1.5
Probability
P = Φ(−1.5) = 0.06681
Answer
P = 0.06681
2.Normal distribution
Answer: x = 88.26 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) = 0.99 → z = 2.326
Back to x
x = 65 + 2.326·10 = 88.26 points
Answer
x = 88.26 points
3.Confidence intervals
Answer: E = 1.345 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 = 11, t = 3.106
Margin of error
E = 3.106·1.5/√12 = 1.345
Answer
E = 1.345 mmHg
4.Confidence intervals
Answer: n = 1537
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 = 1.96²·0.5·0.5/0.025² = 1537
Round up
n = 1537
Answer
n = 1537
5.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervals
Answer: t = 2.34
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/√81 = 5/9 = 0.5556
Test statistic
t = (501.3 − 500)/0.5556 = 2.34
Answer
t = 2.34
t0.025; df = 80 = 1.99
|t| > 1.99, so H₀ is rejected at the 5% level (two-sided).
6.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervals
Answer: U = 82.6
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 = 1.96·15/√49 = 4.2
Interval limit
U = 78.4 + 4.2 = 82.6
Answer
U = 82.6
7.Linear regression & correlation
Answer: r = 0.9843
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 = 3114 − 48·356/6 = 266
Sxx = 454 − 48²/6 = 70
Syy = 22166 − 356²/6 = 1043
Correlation coefficient
r = 266/√(70·1043) = 0.9843
Answer
r = 0.9843
8.Linear regression & correlation
Answer: ŷ = 61.85
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 = 302/5 = 60.4
Sums of squares and products
Sxx = Σ(x − x̄)² = 10
Sxy = Σ(x − x̄)(y − ȳ) = 29
Regression line
b = 29/10 = 2.9
a = 60.4 − 2.9·5 = 45.9
ŷ = 45.9 + 2.9·x
Prediction
ŷ = 45.9 + 2.9·5.5 = 61.85
Answer
ŷ = 61.85
9.Chi-square tests
Answer: χ² = 13.6
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: 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.