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 IQ scores are normally distributed with mean 100 points and standard deviation 15 points. What fraction lies between 70 and 112.75 points? Give P as a decimal.
μ = 100σ = 15x1 = 70x2 = 112.75
P =
2.Normal distributionHard
The bag weights are normally distributed with mean 250 g and standard deviation 5 g. Drag the cut-off so the shaded bottom 5% is to the left of it. Find the cut-off x.
μ = 250 gσ = 5 g5%
x = g
3.Confidence intervalsMedium
A sample of 12 items has mean 48 and standard deviation s = 5.5. The population is roughly normal. Find the upper limit of the 99% confidence interval for the mean.
n = 12x̄ = 48s = 5.599%t(11) = 3.106
upper limit =
4.Confidence intervalsHard
The population standard deviation is 14. How large a sample n do you need so that a 99% confidence interval for the mean has a margin of error of at most 1?
σ = 14E = 199%
n =
5.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervalsMedium
A sample of 100 students has a mean score of 54.8 and a sample standard deviation of 20. Find the test statistic t for H₀: μ = 50.
μ₀ = 50x̄ = 54.8s = 20n = 100
t =
6.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervalsHard
In a trial, 16 of 80 patients on treatment A recover, and 8 of 100 patients on treatment B. Using the pooled proportion, find the test statistic z for H₀: p₁ = p₂.
x₁ = 16n₁ = 80x₂ = 8n₂ = 100
z =
7.Linear regression & correlationMedium
The table gives 6 paired observations of x = advertising spend in k€ and y = sales in k€. Find Pearson's correlation coefficient r.
n = 6
r =
8.Linear regression & correlationHard
The table gives 6 paired observations of x = advertising spend in k€ and y = sales in k€. Use the least-squares line ŷ = a + b·x. For which value x does the line predict ŷ = 37?
n = 6ŷ = 37
x =
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 “students, bike”.
row total = 70column total = 27N = 116
E =
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 = 2003 × 2α = 0.01
χ² =
3Solutions
1.Normal distribution
Answer: P = 0.7796
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 = (70 − 100)/15 = −2
z₂ = (112.75 − 100)/15 = 0.85
Area between
P = Φ(0.85) − Φ(−2) = 0.8023 − 0.02275 = 0.7796
Answer
P = 0.7796
2.Normal distribution
Answer: x = 241.8 g
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) = 0.05
z from the table
z ≈ −1.64
Back to the original units
x = 250 − 1.64·5 = 241.8 g
Answer
x = 241.8 g
3.Confidence intervals
Answer: upper limit = 52.93
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 = 11, t = 3.106
Margin of error
E = 3.106·5.5/√12 = 4.931
Interval
48 ± 4.931 → [43.07, 52.93]
Answer
upper limit = 52.93
4.Confidence intervals
Answer: n = 1301
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 = (2.576·14/1)² = 1301
Round up
A sample size is a whole number, and rounding down would make the margin too large.
n = 1301
Answer
n = 1301
5.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervals
Answer: t = 2.4
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 = 20/√100 = 20/10 = 2
Test statistic
t = (54.8 − 50)/2 = 2.4
Answer
t = 2.4
t0.025; df = 99 = 1.984
|t| > 1.984, so H₀ is rejected at the 5% level (two-sided).
6.Hypothesis tests & confidence intervals
Answer: z = 2.353
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 = 16/80 = 0.2
p̂₂ = 8/100 = 0.08
p̂ = 24/180 = 0.1333
Standard error under H₀
SE = √(0.1333·0.8667·(1/80 + 1/100)) = 0.05099
Test statistic
z = (0.2 − 0.08)/0.05099 = 2.353
Answer
z = 2.353
|z| > 1.96, so H₀ is rejected at the 5% level (two-sided).
7.Linear regression & correlation
Answer: r = 0.7547
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 = 189/6 = 31.5
Sums of squares and products
Sxx = Σ(x − x̄)² = 17.5
Sxy = Σ(x − x̄)(y − ȳ) = 28.5
Syy = Σ(y − ȳ)² = 81.5
Correlation coefficient
r = 28.5/√(17.5·81.5) = 0.7547
Answer
r = 0.7547
8.Linear regression & correlation
Answer: x = 1.999
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 = 36/6 = 6
ȳ = 341/6 = 56.83
Sums of squares and products
Sxx = Σ(x − x̄)² = 70
Sxy = Σ(x − x̄)(y − ȳ) = 347
Regression line
b = 347/70 = 4.957
a = 56.83 − 4.957·6 = 27.09
ŷ = 27.09 + 4.957·x
Solve for x
x = (37 − 27.09)/4.957 = 1.999
Answer
x = 1.999
9.Chi-square tests
Answer: E = 16.29
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 = 70·27/116 = 16.29
Answer
E = 16.29
10.Chi-square tests
Answer: χ² = 42.11
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.