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SECOND SEMESTER
PROBABILITY AND STATISTICS

TEST ON POPULATION MEAN (test 𝛍 when 𝛔 is known/unknown)

Quarter 4 Module 3

Content Standard
The learner demonstrates understanding of key concepts of tests of hypotheses
on the population mean and population proportion

Performance Standard
The learner is able to perform appropriate tests of hypotheses involving the
population mean and population proportion to make inferences in real-life problems in
different disciplines.

Competencies
Identifies the appropriate rejection region for a given level of significance
when: (a) the population variance is assumed to be known; (b) the population
variance is assumed to be unknown; and (c) the Central Limit Theorem is to be
used.

The critical region

The critical region is the region of values that corresponds to the rejection of the null
hypothesis at some chosen probability level. The shaded area under the Student's t
distribution curve is equal to the level of significance. The critical values are
tabulated and thus obtained from the Student's t table or anther appropriate table. If
the absolute value of the t statistic is larger than the tabulated value, then t is in the
critical region.

One tailed and two tailed tests

The statistical tests used will be one tailed or two tailed depending on the nature of
the null hypothesis and the alternative hypothesis.
The following hypothesis applies to test for the mean:
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two tailed test:

Left-tailed test
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Right-tailed test

Example 1.
A researcher reports that the average salary of assistant professors is more
than 42,000. A sample of 30 assistant professors has a mean salary of 43,260. At α =
0.05, test the claim that assistant professors earn more than 42,000 per year. The
standard deviation of the population is 5230. Identify the region of rejection.

Solution.
Find the critical value.
Since α = 0.05 and the test is a right-tailed test, the critical value is z =
+1.65.

Example 2.
A researcher claims that the average cost of men’s athletic shoes is less than
80. He selects a random sample of 36 pairs of shoes from a catalog and finds the
following. Is there enough evidence to support the researcher’s claim at α = 0.10? .
Identify the region of rejection.

Assume σ = 19.2.
60 70 75 55 80 55 50 40 80 70 50
95 120 90 75 85 80 60 110 65 80 85
85 45 75 60 90 90 60 95
110 85 45 90 70 70
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Solution.
Find the critical value. Since α = 0.10 and the test is a left-tailed test, the critical
value is -1.28.

Example 3.
The Medical Rehabilitation Education Foundation reports that the average cost
of rehabilitation for stroke victims is 24,672. To see if the average cost of rehabilitation
is different at a particular hospital, a researcher selects a random sample of 35 stroke
victims at the hospital and finds that the average cost of their rehabilitation is 25,226.
The standard deviation of the population is 3251. At α = 0.01, can it be concluded that
the average cost of stroke rehabilitation at a particular hospital is different from
24,672? Identify the region of rejection.

Solution.
Since α = 0.01 and the test is a two-tailed test, the critical values are -2.58 and
+2.58.

Example 4.
Hospital Infections. A medical investigation claims that the average number of
infections per week at a hospital in southern Davao is 16.3. A random sample of 10
weeks had a mean number of 17.7 infections. The sample standard deviation is 1.8.
Is there enough evidence to reject the investigator’s claim at α = 0.05? Identify the
region of rejection.

Solution.
The critical values are +2.262 and -2.262 for a = 0.05 and df. = 9.
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Example 5.
Substitute Teachers’ Salaries. An educator claims that the average salary of
substitute teachers in school districts in DepEd, is less than 60 per day. A random
sample of eight school districts is selected, and the daily salaries are shown. Is there
enough evidence to support the educator’s claim at α = 0.10?
60 56 60 55 70 55 60 55

Solution: At α = 0.10 and df. = 7, the critical value is 1.415.

Activities
(For practice purposes only)

Draw the curve showing the critical region of rejection of the problems
below.

1. The government of an impoverished country reports the mean age at death

among those who have survived to adulthood as 66.2 years. A relief agency
examines 30 randomly selected deaths and obtains a mean of 62.3 years with
standard deviation 8.1 years. Test whether the agency’s data support the
alternative hypothesis, at the 1% level of significance, that the population mean
is less than 66.2.

2. In the past the average length of an outgoing telephone call from a business
office has been 143 seconds. A manager wishes to check whether that average
has decreased after the introduction of policy changes. A sample of 100
telephone calls produced a mean of 133 seconds, with a standard deviation of
35 seconds. Perform the relevant test at the 1% level of significance

3. Authors of a computer algebra system wish to compare the speed of a new

computational algorithm to the currently implemented algorithm. They apply the
new algorithm to 50 standard problems; it averages 8.16 seconds with standard
deviation 0.17 second. The current algorithm averages 8.21 seconds on such
problems. Test, at the 1% level of significance, the alternative hypothesis that
the new algorithm has a lower average time than the current algorithm.
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4. Walking with a Pedometer. An increase in walking has been shown to

contribute to a healthier life-style. A sedentary American takes an average of
5000 steps per day (and 65% of Americans are overweight). A group of health-
conscious employees of a large health care system volunteered to wear
pedometers for a month to record their steps. It was found that a random
sample of 40 walkers took an average of 5430 steps per day, and the population
standard deviation is 600 steps. At α = 0.05 can it be concluded that they walked
more than the mean number of 5000 steps per day?

5. Researchers wish to test the efficacy of a program intended to reduce the length
of labor in childbirth. The accepted mean labor time in the birth of a first child is
15.3 hours. The mean length of the labors of 13 first-time mothers in a pilot
program was 8.8 hours with standard deviation 3.1 hours. Assuming a normal
distribution in time of labor, test at the 10% level of significance test whether
the mean labor time for all women following this program is less than 15.3
hours.

ASSESSMENT
General Direction
In ½ crosswise answer the problem below. Please don’t forget to write your
name, grade level and section in the upper left part of your answer sheet.

Draw the curve showing the critical region of rejection of the problems
below.

1. A brand of powdered milk is advertised of having a net weight of 250 grams. A

curious consumer obtained the net weight of 10 randomly selected cans. The
values obtained are: 256, 248, 242, 245, 246, 248, 250, 255, 243 and 249
grams. Is there enough reason to believe that the average net weight of the
powdered milk cans is less than 250 grams at 10% level of significance?
Assume the net weight is normally distributed with unknown population
variance.

2. Six coins of the same type are discovered in an archaeological site. If their
weights on average are significantly different from 5.25 grams then it can be
assumed that their provenance is not the site itself. The coins are weighed and
have mean 4.73 g with sample standard deviation 0.18 g. Perform a relevant
test at 0.1% (1/10th of 1%) level of significance, assuming a normal distribution
of weights of all such coins.

3. A magazine publisher tells potential advertisers that the mean household

income of its regular readers is 61,500. An advertising agency wishes to test
this claim against the alternative that the mean is smaller. A sample of 40
randomly selected regular readers yields mean income 59,800 with standard
deviation 5,850. Perform the relevant test at the 1% level of significance.
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Rubrics (Criteria) for Checking

Score Description
The student has demonstrated a full and complete understanding of the
mathematical content and practices essential to this task. The student has
addressed the task in a mathematically sound manner. The response contains
5 evidence of the student’s competence in problem solving, reasoning, and/or
modeling to the full extent that these processes apply to the specified task. The
response may, however, contain minor flaws that do not detract from a
demonstration of full understanding.

The student has demonstrated a reasonable understanding of the mathematical

content and practices essential to this task. The student has addressed most of the
task in a mathematically sound manner. The response contains sufficient evidence
of the student’s competence in problem solving, reasoning, and/or modeling, but not
4 enough evidence to demonstrate a full understanding of the processes he or she
applies to the specified task. The response may contain errors that can be attributed
to misinterpretation of the prompt; errors attributed to insufficient, non-mathematical
knowledge; and errors attributed to careless execution of mathematical processes or
algorithms.

The student has demonstrated a partial understanding of the mathematical content

and practices essential to this task. The student’s response contains some of the
attributes of an appropriate response but lacks convincing evidence that the student
fully comprehends the essential mathematical ideas addressed by this task. Such
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deficits include evidence of insufficient mathematical knowledge; errors in
fundamental mathematical procedures; and other omissions or irregularities that
bring into question the student’s competence in problem solving, reasoning, and/or
modeling as applied to the specified task.

The student has demonstrated a limited understanding of the mathematical content

and practices essential to this task. The student’s response is incomplete and
exhibits many errors. Although the student’s response has addressed at least one of
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the conditions of the task, the student reached an inadequate conclusion and/or
demonstrated problem solving, reasoning, and/or modeling that was faulty or
incomplete as related to the specified task.

The student has demonstrated merely an acquaintance with the topic, or provided a
completely incorrect or uninterpretable response. The student’s response may be
associated with the task, but contains few attributes of an appropriate response.
1 There are significant omissions or irregularities that indicate a lack of comprehension
in regard to the mathematical content and practices essential to this task. No
evidence is present that demonstrates the student’s competence in problem solving,
reasoning, and/or modeling related to the specified task.

Reference:
https://portal.smarterbalanced.org/library/en/mathematics-general-rubrics.pdf

Prepared by:
Ace Angstrom V. Abanes
09305784890