Testing Hypotheses about Means and Proportions

In summary, the problem is testing a claim that fewer than 30% of Thunder Bay households have home delivery of the newspaper. With a sample of 390 households, only 95 get the paper delivered. Using an alpha value of 0.01, the null hypothesis is that P=0.3 and the alternative hypothesis is that P is not equal to 0.3. The test statistic to use is z = (p^ - 0.3)/sqrt(0.3*0.7/390), where p^ represents the observed proportion of households with newspaper delivery. The critical threshold is determined to keep the probability of incorrectly rejecting the null hypothesis low.
  • #1
Sharp005
6
0

Homework Statement


Hello Everyone!

I am having trouble with one of my questions it goes:

It is claimed that fewer than 30% of Thunder Bay households have home delivery of the newspaper. To test this claim, a random sample of 390 Thunder Bay households reveals that only 95 get the paper delivered. Using an alpha value of 0.01, what conclusion can be reached about the claim? (Test Statistic z* or t*)

Homework Equations


t* or z*= x-Mu/S/sqrt(n)

The Attempt at a Solution


I think:
H0: P=0.3
H1: P not equal to 0.3

I am pretty sure I am doing t* because the sample size is greater than 30, but the formula we are to us is x-Mu/S/sqrt(n)
x=95
Mu=0.3
S=?
n=390 (I'm not sure if those are right either)
I don't know how to find the standard deviation (s) I tried using S= sqrt[(np)(1-p)] where n=390 and p=30% (0.3) but my final answer is 9.05, and when I plug it into the first formula I get a large number 206.7 and I don't think that is right.

I just don't know how to find standard deviation for this equation and what to do after I solve the equation
Thanks!
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
Sharp005 said:

Homework Statement


Hello Everyone!

I am having trouble with one of my questions it goes:

It is claimed that fewer than 30% of Thunder Bay households have home delivery of the newspaper. To test this claim, a random sample of 390 Thunder Bay households reveals that only 95 get the paper delivered. Using an alpha value of 0.01, what conclusion can be reached about the claim? (Test Statistic z* or t*)

Homework Equations


t* or z*= x-Mu/S/sqrt(n)
You need parentheses. The right side you wrote isn't what you meant, and would be interpreted as
$$x - \frac{\frac{\mu}{S}}{\sqrt{n}}$$
Sharp005 said:

The Attempt at a Solution


I think:
H0: P=0.3
H1: P not equal to 0.3
No. From your problem description, the claim is that "fewer than 30% of Thunder Bay households" get the newspaper at their home.
How should you write H0 and H1 to account for that?
Getting the null and alternate hypotheses right will also help you determine whether to use a one-tailed test or two-tailed test.
Sharp005 said:
I am pretty sure I am doing t* because the sample size is greater than 30, but the formula we are to us is x-Mu/S/sqrt(n)
x=95
Mu=0.3
S=?
n=390 (I'm not sure if those are right either)
I don't know how to find the standard deviation (s) I tried using S= sqrt[(np)(1-p)] where n=390 and p=30% (0.3) but my final answer is 9.05, and when I plug it into the first formula I get a large number 206.7 and I don't think that is right.

I just don't know how to find standard deviation for this equation and what to do after I solve the equation
Thanks!
 
  • #3
Sharp005 said:

Homework Statement


Hello Everyone!

I am having trouble with one of my questions it goes:

It is claimed that fewer than 30% of Thunder Bay households have home delivery of the newspaper. To test this claim, a random sample of 390 Thunder Bay households reveals that only 95 get the paper delivered. Using an alpha value of 0.01, what conclusion can be reached about the claim? (Test Statistic z* or t*)

Homework Equations


t* or z*= x-Mu/S/sqrt(n)

The Attempt at a Solution


I think:
H0: P=0.3
H1: P not equal to 0.3

I am pretty sure I am doing t* because the sample size is greater than 30, but the formula we are to us is x-Mu/S/sqrt(n)
x=95
Mu=0.3
S=?
n=390 (I'm not sure if those are right either)
I don't know how to find the standard deviation (s) I tried using S= sqrt[(np)(1-p)] where n=390 and p=30% (0.3) but my final answer is 9.05, and when I plug it into the first formula I get a large number 206.7 and I don't think that is right.

I just don't know how to find standard deviation for this equation and what to do after I solve the equation
Thanks!

The test statistic is

[tex] z = \frac{\hat{p} - p_0}{\sqrt{\frac{p_0\,(1-p_0)}{n} }} [/tex]
(See, eg., https://onlinecourses.science.psu.edu/stat200/node/53 ) Here, ##p_0## is the ##p## value in the null hypothesis, ##\hat{p}## is the observed ##p## and ##n## is the sample size: ##p_0 = 0.3, n = 390## in your case.

Note: you are trying to test against the alternative that ##p > 0.3##, so the null hypotheses is that ##p = 0.3##. If the observed ##p## is ##\leq 0.3## you do not want to reject the null hyposthesis, and if the observed ##p## is only slightly greater than 0.3, you still want to accept the null hypothesis (since random fluctuations could take an true ##p## slightly less than 0.3 into an observed ##p## slightly more than 0.3---no surpises there). However, if the observed ##p## is substantially greater than 0.3 you would be inclined to say the true ##p## is also, probably, greater than 0.3. So, you devise a critical threshold ##p_c## and reject the null hypothesis if the observed ##p## is ##\hat{p} > p_c##. You want to keep the probability of incorrectly rejecting the null hypothesis low.
 
  • #4
Ray Vickson said:
The test statistic is

[tex] z = \frac{\hat{p} - p_0}{\sqrt{\frac{p_0\,(1-p_0)}{n} }} [/tex]
(See, eg., https://onlinecourses.science.psu.edu/stat200/node/53 ) Here, ##p_0## is the ##p## value in the null hypothesis, ##\hat{p}## is the observed ##p## and ##n## is the sample size: ##p_0 = 0.3, n = 390## in your case.

Note: you are trying to test against the alternative that ##p > 0.3##, so the null hypotheses is that ##p = 0.3##. If the observed ##p## is ##\leq 0.3## you do not want to reject the null hyposthesis, and if the observed ##p## is only slightly greater than 0.3, you still want to accept the null hypothesis (since random fluctuations could take an true ##p## slightly less than 0.3 into an observed ##p## slightly more than 0.3---no surpises there). However, if the observed ##p## is substantially greater than 0.3 you would be inclined to say the true ##p## is also, probably, greater than 0.3. So, you devise a critical threshold ##p_c## and reject the null hypothesis if the observed ##p## is ##\hat{p} > p_c##. You want to keep the probability of incorrectly rejecting the null hypothesis low.
Thanks, I looked on the site you provided, and I understand everything more! I am still unsure how to find the p^ for the equation, is it 95?
equation
 
  • #5
Sharp005 said:
Thanks, I looked on the site you provided, and I understand everything more! I am still unsure how to find the p^ for the equation, is it 95?
equation

You tell me. I purposely did not tell you what it is in your case; just remember: it is a proportion.
 
  • #6
Ray Vickson said:
You tell me. I purposely did not tell you what it is in your case; just remember: it is a proportion.
Oh! ok I think I got it, I divided 95 by 390 to find my p^ and got ~0.244 and my final answer was -2.14 and on the Z table it is 0.4920
thanks for your help!
 
  • #7
Ray Vickson said:
You tell me. I purposely did not tell you what it is in your case; just remember: it is a proportion.

Now would I accept the null or is there another step I am missing?
 
  • #8
Sharp005 said:
Now would I accept the null or is there another step I am missing?
What do you have for your null and alternate hypotheses? They were wrong in your first post. Also what is your calculation for z?
 
  • #9
Mark44 said:
What do you have for your null and alternate hypotheses? They were wrong in your first post. Also what is your calculation for z?

Ho: P=>0.3
H1: P<0.3
 
  • #10
Sharp005 said:
It is claimed that fewer than 30% of Thunder Bay households have home delivery of the newspaper.

Sharp005 said:
Ho: P=>0.3
H1: P<0.3
You have them backwards. "Fewer than" means strictly less than. The first sentence I quoted is the null hypothesis.
 
  • #11
Mark44 said:
You have them backwards. "Fewer than" means strictly less than. The first sentence I quoted is the null hypothesis.

Ok so
Ho: P<0.3 and H1: P=>0.3
 
  • #12
Sharp005 said:
Ok so
Ho: P<0.3 and H1: P=>0.3

It is not usual in statistics to deal with a "composite" null hypothesis, such as H0: p <= 0.3. The problem is that you have no idea what number <= 0.3 you are supposed to use in the test quantity z (or whatever). That is why a null hypothesis would almost always be stated as a single value, such as H0: p = 0.3. Of course, the alternative H1: p > 0.3 is certainly composite in this case.
 

Related to Testing Hypotheses about Means and Proportions

What is the purpose of testing hypotheses about means and proportions?

The purpose of testing hypotheses about means and proportions is to determine if there is a significant difference between two or more groups or populations. This is done by collecting data and using statistical methods to analyze the data and make inferences about the underlying population.

What is the difference between a null hypothesis and an alternative hypothesis?

A null hypothesis is a statement that assumes there is no significant difference between two or more groups or populations. An alternative hypothesis, on the other hand, is a statement that assumes there is a significant difference between the groups or populations being compared.

What is a p-value and how is it used in hypothesis testing?

A p-value is the probability of obtaining the observed results of a statistical test, assuming the null hypothesis is true. It is used in hypothesis testing to determine the significance of the results. If the p-value is less than a predetermined significance level (usually 0.05), the null hypothesis is rejected and the alternative hypothesis is accepted.

What is a Type I error and how does it relate to hypothesis testing?

A Type I error occurs when the null hypothesis is rejected when it is actually true. This means that the researcher concludes there is a significant difference between the groups or populations when in reality there is not. This is related to hypothesis testing because it is a potential error that can occur when interpreting the results and making conclusions.

What are some assumptions that must be met in order to conduct hypothesis testing?

Some assumptions that must be met in order to conduct hypothesis testing include:

  1. The data must be collected from a random sample of the population
  2. The data must be normally distributed
  3. The variances of the groups being compared must be equal (for means)
  4. The data must be independent
If these assumptions are not met, alternative statistical methods may need to be used.

Similar threads

  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
3
Views
761
  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
4
Views
1K
  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
1
Views
2K
  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
8
Views
1K
  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
5
Views
2K
  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
2
Views
1K
  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
2
Views
1K
  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
8
Views
1K
  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
2
Views
1K
  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
1
Views
931
Back
Top