Lesson 7

The t – Distribution

Statistics and Probability

Core Subject – Senior High School
 At the end of the lesson, you should be able to do the
following:

1. Illustrate the T-distribution

Learning (M11/12SP-IIIg-2).
Competen 2. Identify percentiles using the
cies T-table (M11/12SP-IIIg-5).

2
 At the end of the lesson, I should be able to:
1. describe a -distribution and the
degrees of freedom.
2. appropriately identify the
conditions in using the -
Learning distribution.
Objectives 3. accurately compute for the -
value.
4. locate the -value in the -
distribution table.
5. compute for the area under the
curve of -distribution.
3
 t-distribution (or Student’s -
1 distribution)
a probability distribution that is
used to estimate population
parameters when the sample size
is small (). It can also be used
when the population is unknown.
The -
distributio
n
4
 Degrees of freedom ()
1
2 the number of independent pieces of
information needed to calculate
something. This term also refers to the
number of free choices left after a
sample statistic such as is calculated.

for a single group; or

The -
distributio for two groups,
n
where , , are the sample sizes.
6
 Example 1: What is the degrees
of freedom of a sample of 15?
Solution:
The degrees of freedom in the study
of a single group is given by .
Therefore, the degrees of freedom in
Degrees the study is

of
Freedom
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 Example 2: Two sample sizes were
taken for a research study: 21 for the
experimental group and 18 for the
control group. If -distribution is to be
used, what degrees of freedom should
be used by the researcher?
Solution:
In a -distribution with two sample
Degrees sizes, the degrees of freedom is
given by
of
Freedom
8
 Example 2: Two sample sizes were
taken for a research study: 21 for the
experimental group and 18 for the
control group. If -distribution is to be
used, what degrees of freedom should
be used by the researcher?
Solution:
Substituting the given sample sizes,
Degrees
of
Freedom
9
 Characteristics of a -
1
2 Distribution
1.The -distribution is bell-
shaped and symmetric
about .
2.The total area under a -
The - curve is 1.
distributio 3.The mean, median, and
mode of the -distribution
n
are all equal to zero.
10
 Characteristics of a -
1
2 Distribution
4. The variance of the -
distribution is equal to which
approaches 1 as increases
infinitely.
5. The -distribution is a family
The - of curves, each determined by
the degrees of freedom.
distributio 6. As the sample size gets
n larger, the -distribution gets
closer to the normal 11
 Conditions in Using the
1
3 -Distribution
1.The sample size is small
() and randomly selected.
2. The population standard
deviation is unknown.
The - 3. The parent population,
distributio the population from which
you are sampling, is
n
essentially normal.
12
 1
4 -Distribution
Table
contains the critical values
of the -distribution. The
column headers are the -
The -
distribution probabilities
distributio
(alpha). The row names are
n the degrees of freedom ().
13
 Using the -Distribution
1
5
Table
1.Locate the row
containing the degrees
of freedom.
2.From the row of the
The - indicated degrees of
distributio freedom, locate the
n computed -value.
3.Get the corresponding
14
 T-distribution and the
1
6
standard normal
distribution
• As the degrees of freedom
increases, the t-distribution
will get closer and closer to
The - matching the standard
distributio normal distribution, a.k.a.
n the z-distribution, until they
are almost identical.
15
 T-distribution and the
1
6
standard normal
distribution
• Above 30 degrees of
freedom, the t-distribution
roughly matches the z-
The - distribution. Therefore,
distributio the z-distribution can be
n used in place of the t-
distribution with large
16
 T-distribution and the
1
6
standard normal
distribution
• The z-distribution is preferable
over the t-distribution when it
comes to making statistical
The - estimates because it has a
known variance. It can make
distributio more precise estimates than
n the t-distribution, whose variance
is approximated using the 17
 Example 1: In a -distribution,
what is the area under the curve
that is to the right of and with ?

Let’s try
it!

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 Example 1: In a -distribution,
what is the area under the curve
that is to the right of and with ?

Let’s try By using the -distribution table,

it!
we will see that the area to the
right of and with is 0.025.

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 Example 2: A sample size of 25
was randomly selected from a
normally distributed population for
a statistical study. After using the -
statistic, the researcher found out
Let’s try that the area to the right of the -
it! value is 15%. What is the -value?

20
 Example 2: A sample size of 25 was randomly selected from a
normally distributed population for a statistical study. After
using the -statistic, the researcher found out that the area to
the right of the -value is 15%. What is the -value?

Solution:
Since the sample size is 25, then .
Let’s try
it!
Now, we need to look at the row
containing the and trace the -
value whose upper-tail probability
is 0.15.

21
 Example 2: A sample size of 25 was randomly selected from a
normally distributed population for a statistical study. After
using the -statistic, the researcher found out that the area to
the right of the -value is 15%. What is the -value?

Let’s try By using the -distribution table,

it! we will see that the -value is
1.059.

22
 Example 2: A sample size of 25 was randomly selected from a
normally distributed population for a statistical study. After
using the -statistic, the researcher found out that the area to
the right of the -value is 15%. What is the -value?

Let’s try
it!

23
 Example 3: Find a critical -value
for
α = 0.01 with for a left – tailed test?

Let’s try By using the -distribution

it! table, we will see that the -
value is
–2.508.

24
 Example 3: Find a critical -value
for
α = 0.01 with for a left – tailed test?

Let’s try
it!

25
 Example 4: Find the critical -value
for
α = 0.10 with for a two – tailed
t – test?

Let’s try By using the -distribution

it! table, we will see that the -
value is
–1.734 and 1.734.

26
 Constructing a
1
7
Confidence
Interval for the Mean
in t- distribution
Confidence level – the
probability that the interval
The - estimate will contain the true
distributio population parameter
n
27
 Constructing a
1
7
Confidence
Interval for the Mean
in t- distribution
Confidence interval – an
interval estimate of a
The - parameter that is constructed
distributio using a confidence level
n
28
 Constructing a
1
7
Confidence
Interval for the Mean
in t- distribution

statistics: sample size 𝑛,

1. Identify the following sample

The - sample mean, and sample

distributio standard deviation.

freedom 𝑑𝑓 and the level of

n 2. Identify the degrees of
29
 Constructing a
1
7
Confidence
Interval for the Mean
in t- distribution

critical value (from the 𝑡-

3. Calculate the corresponding

The - distribution table).

𝐸 = (), where has 𝑛 − 1 degrees

distributio 4. Find the margin of error
n
of freedom.
30
 Constructing a
1
7
Confidence
Interval for the Mean
in t- distribution
5. Find the left and right
endpoints and write down the
The - confidence interval as:
distributio () < < ()
n
31
 Example 5: Suppose you have to
construct an 80% confidence interval
for a research with a sample size 25.
What is the corresponding critical value
of ?
Let’s try
it!
freedom. The sample size is 𝑛 = 25.
1. Determine the degrees of

Thus, 𝑑𝑓 = 𝑛 − 1 = 24.

32
 Example 5: Suppose you have to
construct an 80% confidence interval
for a research with a sample size 25.
What is the corresponding critical value
of ?
Let’s try
it! 2. Determine . Since we need to

that our 𝛼 is 0.20. Henceforth, is

construct an 80% interval, it means

0.10.
33
 Example 5: Suppose you have to construct an 80%
confidence interval for a research with a sample size 25.
What is the corresponding critical value of ?

3. Locate the t-value on the t-

distribution table.
Let’s try
it!

34
 Example 6: A sample of 22 from a
normal population was randomly
selected. If the mean of these 22 scores
is 34 and the standard deviation is 2.9,
Let’s try construct an 80% confidence interval.
it!

35
 Example 6: A sample of 22 from a normal population was
randomly selected. If the mean of these 22 scores is 34 and
the standard deviation is 2.9, construct an 80% confidence
interval.

Let’s try
it!

36
 Example 7: From a normal
population of one village, a sample of 17
was randomly selected. If the mean of
the water consumption of the sample
Let’s try houses is 21.45 kL with a standard
it! deviation of 2.7, construct a 90%
confidence interval.

37
 Example 7: From a normal population of one village, a
sample of 17 was randomly selected. If the mean of the
water consumption of the sample houses is 21.45 kL with a
standard deviation of 2.7, construct a 90% confidence
interval.

Let’s try
it!

38
 Solve 2 among the 3 given problems.
1. A sample of 15 from a normal population was
randomly selected. If the mean of these 15
scores is 30 and the standard deviation is 7,
construct a 95% confidence interval.
Learnin 2. A sample of 29 from a normal population was
g randomly selected. If the mean of these 29
scores is 85 and the standard deviation is 5.8,
Activity construct a 99.8% confidence interval
estimate for the population mean.
3. If the mean and the standard deviation of 21
scores are 50 cm and 6.5, respectively,
construct a 99% confidence interval.
51
At the end of the lesson, I CAN:
1. describe a -distribution and the
degrees of freedom.
2. appropriately identify the
conditions in using the -distribution.
3. accurately compute for the -value.
4. locate the -value in the -distribution
table.
5. compute for the area under the
curve of -distribution.

52
END OF
LESSON 7

Thank you
for your participation!

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