Chapter 8: Problem 11
For Exercises 5 through \(20,\) assume that the variables are normally or approximately normally distributed. Use the traditional method of hypothesis testing unless otherwise specified. Tornado Deaths A researcher claims that the standard deviation of the number of deaths annually from tornadoes in the United States is less than \(35 .\) If a random sample of 11 years had a standard deviation of 32, is the claim believable? Use \(\alpha=0.05 .\)
Short Answer
Step by step solution
State the Hypotheses
Determine the Test Statistic
Calculate the Chi-Square Statistic
Determine the Critical Value
Make the Decision
Conclusion
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Chi-Square Distribution
- In hypothesis tests, specifically those about standard deviation, we use the chi-square statistic formula: \( \chi^2 = \frac{(n-1)s^2}{\sigma_0^2} \) where \(n\) is the sample size, \(s\) is the sample standard deviation, and \(\sigma_0\) is the population standard deviation under the null hypothesis.
- Chi-square values are compared to a critical value from a chi-square distribution table, specific to the confidence level and degrees of freedom.
- If the calculated chi-square statistic is greater than the critical value in a left-tailed test, we don't reject the null hypothesis, as seen in our exercise.
Statistical Evidence
- Statistical evidence is gathered by calculating a test statistic - in this case, a chi-square statistic - and comparing it to a critical value from a statistical table.
- The evidence is quantified in terms of the p-value, which measures the strength of the evidence against the null hypothesis. However, in this exercise, we primarily rely on critical values from chi-square distributions for the decision.
In our exercise, the computed chi-square statistic did not provide enough evidence to support the researcher's claim, emphasizing how evidence-based decisions are drawn in statistical testing.
Standard Deviation
- A low standard deviation indicates that data points tend to be close to the mean, while a high standard deviation indicates more spread out data.
- In our scenario, the researcher's claim is centered around whether the standard deviation of tornado-related deaths is less than 35. Calculating the sample standard deviation (32 in this case) gives us an initial idea of the dataset's variability.
- Our hypothesis test aims to see if the sample standard deviation significantly deviates from the hypothesized value under the null hypothesis.
Null Hypothesis
- In our exercise, the null hypothesis \( (H_0) \) suggests that the standard deviation of tornado deaths is equal to 35.
- This hypothesis is challenged by the alternative hypothesis \( (H_1) \) that claims the standard deviation is actually less than 35.
- Hypothesis testing involves using statistical methods to either reject or fail to reject \(H_0\), based on data evidence.
In conclusion, while the step-by-step solution in our exercise pointed out that the null hypothesis couldn't be rejected, it acts as a steady benchmark against which alternative claims are measured.