A university claims that the average SAT math score of its incoming freshmen is 600. A skeptical education researcher believes this might not be accurate. The researcher collects a random sample of 40 students and finds a sample mean SAT math score of 622. The population standard deviation is known to be 70. Using a significance level of = 0.05, test the researcher’s claim.
Table of contents
- 1. Intro to Stats and Collecting Data55m
- 2. Describing Data with Tables and Graphs1h 55m
- 3. Describing Data Numerically1h 45m
- 4. Probability2h 16m
- 5. Binomial Distribution & Discrete Random Variables2h 33m
- 6. Normal Distribution and Continuous Random Variables1h 38m
- 7. Sampling Distributions & Confidence Intervals: Mean1h 53m
- 8. Sampling Distributions & Confidence Intervals: Proportion1h 12m
- 9. Hypothesis Testing for One Sample2h 19m
- 10. Hypothesis Testing for Two Samples3h 22m
- 11. Correlation1h 6m
- 12. Regression1h 4m
- 13. Chi-Square Tests & Goodness of Fit1h 20m
- 14. ANOVA1h 0m
9. Hypothesis Testing for One Sample
Performing Hypothesis Tests: Means
Problem 6.2.41
Textbook Question
Tennis Ball Manufacturing A company manufactures tennis balls. When the balls are dropped onto a concrete surface from a height of 100 inches, the company wants the mean bounce height to be 55.5 inches. This average is maintained by periodically testing random samples of 25 tennis balls. If the t-value falls between and , then the company will be satisfied that it is manufacturing acceptable tennis balls. For a random sample, the mean bounce height of the sample is 56.0 inches and the standard deviation is 0.25 inch. Assume the bounce heights are approximately normally distributed. Is the company making acceptable tennis balls? Explain.

1
Step 1: Identify the null hypothesis (H₀) and the alternative hypothesis (H₁). The null hypothesis is that the mean bounce height is 55.5 inches (H₀: μ = 55.5), and the alternative hypothesis is that the mean bounce height is not 55.5 inches (H₁: μ ≠ 55.5).
Step 2: Calculate the test statistic (t-value) using the formula: , where x̄ is the sample mean (56.0), μ is the population mean (55.5), s is the sample standard deviation (0.25), and n is the sample size (25).
Step 3: Determine the degrees of freedom (df) for the t-distribution. The degrees of freedom are calculated as , where n is the sample size (25).
Step 4: Compare the calculated t-value to the critical t-values for the given significance level (not provided in the problem, but typically 0.05 for a two-tailed test). If the calculated t-value falls within the range of the critical t-values, the null hypothesis is not rejected, and the company is manufacturing acceptable tennis balls. Otherwise, the null hypothesis is rejected.
Step 5: Conclude whether the company is manufacturing acceptable tennis balls based on the comparison in Step 4. If the t-value is within the acceptable range, the company is meeting its quality standards; otherwise, it is not.

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Key Concepts
Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Sampling Distribution
The sampling distribution is the probability distribution of a statistic obtained from a larger population, formed by taking multiple samples. In this case, the mean bounce height of the tennis balls is calculated from random samples of 25 balls. Understanding this concept is crucial because it allows us to determine how sample means vary and how they relate to the population mean.
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Hypothesis Testing
Hypothesis testing is a statistical method used to make inferences about population parameters based on sample data. In this scenario, the company is likely testing a null hypothesis that the mean bounce height is equal to 55.5 inches against an alternative hypothesis. This process involves calculating a test statistic (like a t-value) and comparing it to critical values to decide whether to reject or fail to reject the null hypothesis.
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Guided course
Step 1: Write Hypotheses
Confidence Intervals
A confidence interval is a range of values, derived from sample statistics, that is likely to contain the population parameter with a specified level of confidence. In this context, the company can use the sample mean and standard deviation to construct a confidence interval for the mean bounce height. If this interval includes the target mean of 55.5 inches, it suggests that the tennis balls are acceptable.
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Introduction to Confidence Intervals
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