[APPLET] A weight loss program claims that program participants have a mean weight loss of at least 10.5 pounds after 1 month. The weight losses after 1 month (in pounds) of a random sample of 40 program participants are listed below. At α=0.01, is there enough evidence to reject the program’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 7.T.7
Textbook Question
[APPLET] A researcher claims that the mean age of the residents of a small town is more than 38 years. The ages (in years) of a random sample of 30 residents are listed below. At α=0.10, is there enough evidence to support the researcher’s claim? Assume the population standard deviation is 9 years.


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Step 1: Formulate the null and alternative hypotheses. The null hypothesis (H₀) is that the mean age of the residents is 38 years (μ = 38). The alternative hypothesis (H₁) is that the mean age of the residents is greater than 38 years (μ > 38).
Step 2: Calculate the sample mean (x̄). Add all the ages provided in the sample and divide by the total number of residents (n = 30). Use the formula: .
Step 3: Compute the test statistic using the z-test formula for a population mean. The formula is: , where μ = 38, σ = 9, and n = 30.
Step 4: Determine the critical value for α = 0.10 in a one-tailed z-test. Look up the z-value corresponding to a significance level of 0.10 in a z-table. This critical value will help decide whether to reject or fail to reject the null hypothesis.
Step 5: Compare the calculated z-test statistic to the critical value. If the test statistic is greater than the critical value, reject the null hypothesis and conclude that there is enough evidence to support the researcher’s claim. Otherwise, fail to reject the null hypothesis.

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Key Concepts
Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Hypothesis Testing
Hypothesis testing is a statistical method used to make decisions about a population based on sample data. It involves formulating a null hypothesis (H0) and an alternative hypothesis (H1). In this case, the null hypothesis states that the mean age is 38 years or less, while the alternative hypothesis posits that it is greater than 38 years. The goal is to determine if there is enough evidence to reject the null hypothesis at a specified significance level.
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Step 1: Write Hypotheses
Significance Level (α)
The significance level, denoted as α, is the probability of rejecting the null hypothesis when it is actually true, also known as a Type I error. In this scenario, α is set at 0.10, meaning there is a 10% risk of concluding that the mean age is greater than 38 years when it is not. This threshold helps researchers decide how strong the evidence must be to support the alternative hypothesis.
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Z-Test for Means
A Z-test for means is a statistical test used to determine if there is a significant difference between the sample mean and a known population mean when the population standard deviation is known. In this case, the sample of 30 residents' ages will be analyzed using the Z-test to compare the sample mean against the hypothesized mean of 38 years, utilizing the provided population standard deviation of 9 years to calculate the Z-score.
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Difference in Means: Hypothesis Tests
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