Farming: Inferential statistics can be used in farming to make decisions based on
data analysis and to test hypotheses related to agricultural practices.
THE PARAMETRIC TEST
Parametric tests are statistical tests that are based on assumptions about the
underlying distribution of the data. These assumptions typically include
the normality (i.e., bell-shaped) of the distribution and the equality
of variances between groups.
Parametric
tests are useful when the data meet the assumptions, as they tend to
have higher statistical power (i.e., ability to detect true differences
or relationships) compared to non-parametric tests. Some common examples
of parametric tests include t-tests, ANOVA (analysis of variance), and
linear regression.
Here's a brief explanation of a few commonly used parametric tests:
1.
Student's t-test: This test is used to compare the means of two groups
when the sample sizes are small (typically less than 30) and the
population standard deviations are unknown. There are two types of
t-tests: one-sample t-test (to compare a sample mean to a known
population mean) and independent-samples t-test (to compare the means of
two independent samples).
2.
Analysis of Variance (ANOVA): This test is used to compare the means of
three or more groups. There are several types of ANOVA tests, including
one-way ANOVA (when there is only one independent variable) and
factorial ANOVA (when there are multiple independent variables).
3.
Linear Regression: This test is used to examine the relationship
between two continuous variables. It involves fitting a line to the data
and assessing the significance of the slope of the line. Multiple
linear regression can be used when there are multiple independent
variables.
SAMPLE PROBLEMS
Problem 1:
A
local coffee shop wants to determine if there is a significant
difference in the amount of coffee that customers purchase on weekdays
versus weekends. They randomly select 50 customers and record the amount
of coffee they purchase on a weekday and the amount of coffee they
purchase on a weekend. The mean amount of coffee purchased on weekdays
is 12 ounces with a standard deviation of 2 ounces, and the mean amount
of coffee purchased on weekends is 14 ounces with a standard deviation
of 3 ounces. Is there a significant difference in the amount of coffee
purchased on weekdays versus weekends at this coffee shop?
Solution:
Step 1: Hypotheses
We
need to set up the null and alternative hypotheses. The null hypothesis
(H0) is that there is no significant difference in the amount of coffee
purchased on weekdays versus weekends. The alternative hypothesis (Ha)
is that there is a significant difference in the amount of coffee
purchased on weekdays versus weekends.
H0: μweekday = μweekend
Ha: μweekday ≠ μweekend
Step 2: Level of Significance
We
need to determine the level of significance, which is the probability
of rejecting the null hypothesis when it is actually true. Let's choose a
level of significance of 0.05, which is a commonly used level in statistical testing.
@ α = 0.05
Step 3: Test Statistic
We will use a two-sample t-test to
determine if there is a significant difference in the amount of coffee
purchased on weekdays versus weekends. The test statistic is calculated
as:
t-test formula:

where:
x̄ = 12-14= -2 ; the sample mean
; the sample variance
; the sample variance
n = 50; the sample size
Using the values given in the problem, we get:
}={\color{Red} -2.23})
therefore: t = -2.23
Step 4: p-value
We
need to calculate the p-value, which is the probability of obtaining a
test statistic as extreme or more extreme than the one we calculated,
assuming the null hypothesis is true. We will use a two-tailed test,
since the alternative hypothesis is that the means are not equal.
Using
a t-distribution table or calculator with degrees of freedom (df) =
n1 + n2 - 2 = 98, we find that the p-value for a t-statistic
of -2.23 is 0.027. This means that if the null hypothesis is true
(i.e., there is no significant difference in the amount of coffee
purchased on weekdays versus weekends), there is a 2.7% chance of
obtaining a test statistic as extreme or more extreme than the one we
calculated.
Step 5: Conclusion
Since
the p-value (0.027) is less than the level of significance (0.05), we
reject the null hypothesis and conclude that there is a significant
difference in the amount of coffee purchased on weekdays versus weekends
at this coffee shop. We can interpret the results to mean that, on
average, customers purchase more coffee on weekends than on weekdays at
this coffee shop.
_________________________________________________________________
Problem 2:
A company produces light bulbs and claims that the average lifespan of their bulbs is 1200 hours with a standard deviation of 150 hours. A sample of 25 bulbs is randomly selected and tested, and the mean lifespan is found to be 1250 hours. Conduct a hypothesis test to determine if there is evidence to suggest that the company's claim is incorrect.
Solution:
This problem involves testing a hypothesis about a population mean using a sample mean and standard deviation. The null hypothesis in this case is that the population mean lifespan is equal to the claimed value of 1200 hours, and the alternative hypothesis is that it is greater than 1200 hours.
To test this hypothesis, we can use a t-test for a single sample. We will calculate the t-value using the formula:
 }{\frac{s}{\sqrt{n}}})
where:
x̄ is the sample mean,
μ is the hypothesized population mean,
s is the sample standard deviation, and
n is the sample size.
Plugging in the values from the problem, we get:
 }{\frac{s}{\sqrt{n}}}=\frac{1250-1200}{\frac{150}{\sqrt{25}}}=\ {\color{Red} 2.5})
Using a t-table with 24 degrees of freedom (n - 1), we can find the p-value associated with a t-value of 2.5. Assuming a significance level of 0.05, the p-value would need to be less than 0.05 for us to reject the null hypothesis.
Looking at the t-table, we can see that the closest value to 2.5 with 24 degrees of freedom is 2.492. The corresponding p-value is 0.016, which is less than 0.05. Therefore, we can reject the null hypothesis and conclude that there is evidence to suggest that the average lifespan of the company's light bulbs is greater than the claimed value of 1200 hours.
_______________________________________________________________
Problem 3:
A bakery claims that the average weight of their croissants is 4 ounces with a standard deviation of 0.2 ounces. A random sample of 50 croissants is taken and the average weight is found to be 3.8 ounces. Conduct a hypothesis test to determine if there is evidence to suggest that the bakery's claim is incorrect at a significance level of 0.01.
Solution:
This problem involves testing a hypothesis about a population mean using a sample mean and standard deviation. The null hypothesis in this case is that the population mean weight of croissants is equal to the claimed value of 4 ounces, and the alternative hypothesis is that it is less than 4 ounces.
To test this hypothesis, we can use a z-test for a single sample. We will calculate the z-value using the formula:
where:
x̄ is the sample mean,
μ is the hypothesized population mean,
σ is the population standard deviation (since we know it), and
n is the sample size.
Plugging in the values from the problem, we get:
Using a z-table, we can find the p-value associated with a z-value of -2.236. Assuming a significance level of 0.01, the p-value would need to be less than 0.01 for us to reject the null hypothesis.
Looking at the z-table, we can see that the closest value to -2.236 is -2.24. The corresponding p-value is 0.0129, which is less than 0.01. Therefore, we can reject the null hypothesis and conclude that there is evidence to suggest that the average weight of the bakery's croissants is less than the claimed value of 4 ounces.
_______________________________________________________________
Problem 4:
A manufacturer of light bulbs claims that the mean life of their bulbs is 800 hours. To test this claim, a sample of 50 bulbs is selected and their mean life is found to be 775 hours with a standard deviation of 50 hours.
a) Is there evidence to suggest that the mean life of the bulbs is different from 800 hours?
b) What is the p-value for the test?
c) What is the 95% confidence interval for the mean life of the bulbs?
Solution:
a) Hypothesis Testing:
We will use a two-tailed t-test to determine if there is evidence to suggest that the mean life of the bulbs is different from 800 hours. The null hypothesis is that the mean life of the bulbs is equal to 800 hours, while the alternative hypothesis is that the mean life of the bulbs is different from 800 hours.
Null hypothesis: H0: μ = 800
Alternative hypothesis: H1: μ ≠ 800
We will use a significance level of α = 0.05.
The formula for calculating the t-value is:
Where:
x̄ = sample mean
μ = population mean
s = sample standard deviation
n = sample size
Substituting the values in the formula, we get:

Therefore, t = -3.54
The degrees of freedom (df) for the t-test is (n-1), which is 49 in this case. Using a t-distribution table or a calculator, we find that the p-value is less than 0.001.
Since the p-value is less than the significance level of 0.05, we reject the null hypothesis. There is sufficient evidence to suggest that the mean life of the bulbs is different from 800 hours.
b) Calculation of p-value:
The p-value is the probability of obtaining a test statistic as extreme or more extreme than the one observed, assuming that the null hypothesis is true. Since this is a two-tailed test, the p-value is the area under the t-distribution curve to the left of -3.54 and to the right of 3.54.
Using a t-distribution table or a calculator, we find that the area to the left of -3.54 is approximately 0.0003 and the area to the right of 3.54 is also approximately 0.0003. Therefore, the p-value is the sum of these two areas, which is 0.0006.
c) Calculation of 95% Confidence Interval:
We can calculate the 95% confidence interval for the mean life of the bulbs using the formula:
CI = x̄ ± tα/2 (s / √n)
Where:
x̄ = sample mean
tα/2 = the t-value from the t-distribution table with a degree of freedom of (n-1) and a significance level of α/2
s = sample standard deviation
n = sample size
Substituting the values in the formula, we get:
CI = 775 ± 2.01 (50 / √50)
CI = (757.46, 792.54)
Therefore, we can say with 95% confidence that the mean life of the bulbs is between 757.46 and 792.54 hours.
Conclusion:
Based on the results of the t-test, we can conclude that there is sufficient evidence to suggest that the mean life of the bulbs is different from 800 hours. The p-value for the test is 0.0006, which is less than the significance
TRY IT YOURSELF
A manufacturer claims that their product has a mean weight of 500 grams with a standard deviation of 20 grams. A sample of 25 products is taken and the mean weight is found to be 490 grams. Test the hypothesis that the mean weight of the products is less than 500 grams at a significance level of 0.05.
A survey of 500 people found that 280 of them support a particular political candidate. Test the hypothesis that the proportion of people who support the candidate is different from 0.5 at a significance level of 0.01.
A researcher claims that the mean IQ score for a population is at least 110 with a standard deviation of 10. A sample of 36 people is taken and the mean IQ score is found to be 105. Test the hypothesis that the mean IQ score is less than 110 at a significance level of 0.1.
A short story about success
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Sarah's journey through statistics was not just about academic success; it was a testament to the power of perseverance and resilience. It taught her valuable lessons about the importance of seeking help when needed and the rewards of pushing through challenges. Armed with these insights, she emerged stronger and more confident, ready to tackle whatever obstacles lay ahead in her academic and personal journey.
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