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Ch. 8 - Hypothesis Testing with Two Samples
Larson - Elementary Statistics: Picturing the World 8th Edition
Larson8th EditionElementary Statistics: Picturing the WorldISBN: 9780137493470Not the one you use?Change textbook
Chapter 8, Problem 8.2.11

Test the claim about the difference between two population means and at the level of significance α. Assume the samples are random and independent, and the populations are normally distributed.
Claim: μ1≤μ2, α=0.05, Assume (σ1)^2≠(σ2)^2
Sample statistics:
x̅1=2410, s1=175, n1=13 and x̅2=2305, s2=52, n2=10

Verified step by step guidance
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Step 1: Identify the null and alternative hypotheses. The claim is μ1 ≤ μ2, which translates to the null hypothesis H₀: μ1 - μ2 ≤ 0. The alternative hypothesis H₁: μ1 - μ2 > 0 (this is a one-tailed test).
Step 2: Determine the test statistic to use. Since the population variances are not equal (σ1² ≠ σ2²), use the two-sample t-test for unequal variances (also known as Welch's t-test). The test statistic formula is: t = (x̅1 - x̅2) / √((s1²/n1) + (s2²/n2)).
Step 3: Calculate the degrees of freedom using the Welch-Satterthwaite equation: df = ((s1²/n1 + s2²/n2)²) / (((s1²/n1)² / (n1 - 1)) + ((s2²/n2)² / (n2 - 1))). This will give you the approximate degrees of freedom for the t-distribution.
Step 4: Determine the critical value for the t-distribution at the significance level α = 0.05 for a one-tailed test. Use the degrees of freedom calculated in Step 3 to find the critical t-value from a t-table or statistical software.
Step 5: Compare the calculated t-statistic from Step 2 to the critical t-value from Step 4. If the t-statistic is greater than the critical t-value, reject the null hypothesis H₀. Otherwise, fail to reject H₀. Interpret the result in the context of the claim.

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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 population parameters based on sample data. It involves formulating a null hypothesis (H0) and an alternative hypothesis (H1), then using sample statistics to determine whether to reject H0 in favor of H1. In this case, the null hypothesis is that the mean of population 1 is less than or equal to the mean of population 2.
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Significance Level (α)

The significance level, denoted as α, is the threshold for determining whether a result is statistically significant. It represents the probability of rejecting the null hypothesis when it is actually true (Type I error). In this scenario, α is set at 0.05, meaning there is a 5% risk of concluding that a difference exists when there is none.
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Independent Samples t-test

An independent samples t-test is used to compare the means of two independent groups to see if there is a statistically significant difference between them. This test is appropriate when the populations are normally distributed and the variances are unequal, as indicated by the assumption (σ1)^2≠(σ2)^2. The test calculates a t-statistic based on the sample means, standard deviations, and sizes to assess the claim.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question

Test the claim about the difference between two population means and at the level of significance α. Assume the samples are random and independent, and the populations are normally distributed.

Claim: μ1>μ2, α=0.01, Assume (σ1)^2≠(σ2)^2 

Sample statistics:

x̅1=52, s1=4.8, n1=32 and x̅2=50, s2=1.2, n2=40

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Textbook Question

Testing a Difference Other Than Zero Sometimes a researcher is interested in testing a difference in means other than zero. In Exercises 27 and 28, you will test the difference between two means using a null hypothesis of Ho: μ1-μ2=k, Ho: μ1-μ2>=k or Ho: μ1-μ2<=k . The standardized test statistic is still

Software Engineer Salaries Is the difference between the mean annual salaries of entry level software engineers in Santa Clara, California, and Greenwich, Connecticut, more than \(4000? To decide, you select a random sample of entry level software engineers from each city. The results of each survey are shown in the figure at the left. Assume the population standard deviations are σ1=\)14,060 and σ2=\$13,050 . At α=0.05, what should you conclude? (Adapted from Salary.com)

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Textbook Question

Constructing Confidence Intervals for μ1-μ2. You can construct a confidence interval for the difference between two population means μ1-μ2 , as shown below, when both population standard deviations are known, and either both populations are normally distributed or both n1>= 30 and n2>=30 . Also, the samples must be randomly selected and independent.

In Exercises 29 and 30, construct the indicated confidence interval for μ1-μ2 .


Architect Salaries Construct a 99% confidence interval for the difference between the mean annual salaries of entry level architects in Denver, Colorado, and Lincoln, Nebraska, using the data from Exercise 28.

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Textbook Question

Testing the Difference Between Two Means, (a) identify the claim and state H0 and Ha , (b) find the critical value(s) and identify the rejection region(s), (c) find the standardized test statistic t, (d) decide whether to reject or fail to reject the null hypothesis, and (e) interpret the decision in the context of the original claim. Assume the samples are random and independent, and the populations are normally distributed.

Pet Food

A pet association claims that the mean annual costs of food for dogs and cats are the same. The results for samples of the two types of pets are shown at the left. At , α=0.10 can you reject the pet association’s claim? Assume the population variances are equal. (Adapted from American Pet Products Association)

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Textbook Question

Testing a Difference Other Than Zero Sometimes a researcher is interested in testing a difference in means other than zero. In Exercises 27 and 28, you will test the difference between two means using a null hypothesis of Ho: μ1-μ2=k, Ho: μ1-μ2>=k or Ho: μ1-μ2<=k . The standardized test statistic is still

Architect Salaries Is the difference between the mean annual salaries of entry level architects in Denver, Colorado, and Lincoln, Nebraska, equal to \(9000? To decide, you select a random sample of entry level architects from each city. The results of each survey are shown in the figure. Assume the population standard deviations are σ1=\)6560 and σ2=\$6100 . At α=0.01 what should you conclude? (Adapted from Salary.com)

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Textbook Question

In Exercises 3–6, determine whether a normal sampling distribution can be used. If it can be used, test the claim about the difference between two population proportions and at the level of significance . Assume the samples are random and independent.


Claim: p1≠p2, α=0.01


Sample statistics: x1=35, n1=70, and x2=36, n2=60

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