Chapter 9: Problem 53
A hypothesis will be used to test that a population mean equals 10 against the alternative that the population mean is greater than 10 with unknown variance. What is the critical value for the test statistic \(T_{0}\) for the following significance levels? (a) \(\alpha=0.01\) and \(n=20\) (b) \(\alpha=0.05\) and \(n=12\) (c) \(\alpha=0.10\) and \(n=15\)
Short Answer
Step by step solution
Identify the Type of Test
Determine Degrees of Freedom
Consult the T-Distribution Table
Find Critical Value for \(\alpha=0.01\) and \(df=19\)
Find Critical Value for \(\alpha=0.05\) and \(df=11\)
Find Critical Value for \(\alpha=0.10\) and \(df=14\)
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
One-Sample T-Test
- Hypotheses Setup: Usually, we set up two hypotheses: the null hypothesis (\( H_0 \)), which represents the status quo (i.e., the population mean is equal to a specified value), and the alternative hypothesis (\( H_a \)), which suggests a deviation from this norm.
- T-Statistic Calculation: The t-statistic is calculated using the sample mean, hypothesized population mean, sample standard deviation, and sample size. It's given by the formula:\[T = \frac{\bar{X} - \mu}{S/\sqrt{n}}\]where \( \bar{X} \) is the sample mean, \( \mu \) is the population mean, \( S \) is the sample standard deviation, and \( n \) is the sample size.
- Decision-Making: By comparing the calculated t-value against the critical value from the t-distribution (given the specified significance level and degrees of freedom), we decide whether to reject or fail to reject the null hypothesis.
Critical Value
- Significance Level Relation: Cirtical values depend on the chosen alpha (\( \alpha \)) level, which is the probability of committing a Type I error—wrongly rejecting a true null hypothesis.
- Direction of Test: Since one-sample t-tests can be one-tailed (testing only one direction) or two-tailed (testing both directions), the critical value region can differ. Our exercise focuses on a one-tailed test, seeking whether the sample mean is greater than the hypothesized mean.
- Usage of t-Table: With the known degrees of freedom and chosen significance level, we look into t-tables to find the numerical critical value. This value is then used to gauge the meaningfulness of the computed t-statistic.
Significance Level
- Setting Alpha: Common significance levels are 0.01, 0.05, and 0.10. The value is chosen based on the context of the test and the stringency desired in decision-making. A smaller alpha means a stricter criterion for significance.
- Impact on Critical Value: A lower significance level results in a higher critical value, making it harder to reject the null hypothesis because more evidence from the data is required.
- Relation to P-Value: The significance level also interacts with the p-value, a more precise indicator of evidence against the null hypothesis. The null hypothesis is rejected only when the p-value is less than \( \alpha \).
Degrees of Freedom
- Calculation Method: In our one-sample t-test scenario, degrees of freedom are calculated as \( df = n - 1 \), where \( n \) is the sample size. It helps adjust for model complexity.
- Effect on Distribution: Degrees of freedom influence the shape of the t-distribution. As df increases, the t-distribution becomes more like a normal distribution. For smaller df, the tails of the t-distribution are heavier.
- Practical Application: When consulting t-tables to find critical values for hypothesis tests, knowing the degrees of freedom allows you to find the appropriate critical t-value needed for making decisions about the null hypothesis.