[APPLET] A weight loss program claims that program participants have a mean weight loss of at least 10.5 pounds after 1 month. The weight losses after 1 month (in pounds) of a random sample of 40 program participants are listed below. At α=0.01, is there enough evidence to reject the program’s claim?
Table of contents
- 1. Intro to Stats and Collecting Data1h 14m
- 2. Describing Data with Tables and Graphs1h 55m
- 3. Describing Data Numerically2h 5m
- 4. Probability2h 16m
- 5. Binomial Distribution & Discrete Random Variables3h 6m
- 6. Normal Distribution and Continuous Random Variables2h 11m
- 7. Sampling Distributions & Confidence Intervals: Mean3h 23m
- Sampling Distribution of the Sample Mean and Central Limit Theorem19m
- Distribution of Sample Mean - Excel23m
- Introduction to Confidence Intervals15m
- Confidence Intervals for Population Mean1h 18m
- Determining the Minimum Sample Size Required12m
- Finding Probabilities and T Critical Values - Excel28m
- Confidence Intervals for Population Means - Excel25m
- 8. Sampling Distributions & Confidence Intervals: Proportion1h 25m
- 9. Hypothesis Testing for One Sample3h 29m
- 10. Hypothesis Testing for Two Samples4h 50m
- Two Proportions1h 13m
- Two Proportions Hypothesis Test - Excel28m
- Two Means - Unknown, Unequal Variance1h 3m
- Two Means - Unknown Variances Hypothesis Test - Excel12m
- Two Means - Unknown, Equal Variance15m
- Two Means - Unknown, Equal Variances Hypothesis Test - Excel9m
- Two Means - Known Variance12m
- Two Means - Sigma Known Hypothesis Test - Excel21m
- Two Means - Matched Pairs (Dependent Samples)42m
- Matched Pairs Hypothesis Test - Excel12m
- 11. Correlation1h 24m
- 12. Regression1h 50m
- 13. Chi-Square Tests & Goodness of Fit2h 21m
- 14. ANOVA1h 57m
9. Hypothesis Testing for One Sample
Performing Hypothesis Tests: Means
Problem 7.T.7
Textbook Question
[APPLET] A researcher claims that the mean age of the residents of a small town is more than 38 years. The ages (in years) of a random sample of 30 residents are listed below. At α=0.10, is there enough evidence to support the researcher’s claim? Assume the population standard deviation is 9 years.

Verified step by step guidance1
Step 1: Formulate the null and alternative hypotheses. The null hypothesis (H₀) is that the mean age of the residents is 38 years (μ = 38). The alternative hypothesis (H₁) is that the mean age of the residents is greater than 38 years (μ > 38).
Step 2: Calculate the sample mean (x̄). Add all the ages provided in the sample and divide by the total number of residents (n = 30). Use the formula: .
Step 3: Compute the test statistic using the z-test formula for a population mean. The formula is: , where μ = 38, σ = 9, and n = 30.
Step 4: Determine the critical value for α = 0.10 in a one-tailed z-test. Look up the z-value corresponding to a significance level of 0.10 in a z-table. This critical value will help decide whether to reject or fail to reject the null hypothesis.
Step 5: Compare the calculated z-test statistic to the critical value. If the test statistic is greater than the critical value, reject the null hypothesis and conclude that there is enough evidence to support the researcher’s claim. Otherwise, fail to reject the null hypothesis.
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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 a population based on sample data. It involves formulating a null hypothesis (H0) and an alternative hypothesis (H1). In this case, the null hypothesis states that the mean age is 38 years or less, while the alternative hypothesis posits that it is greater than 38 years. The goal is to determine if there is enough evidence to reject the null hypothesis at a specified significance level.
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Step 1: Write Hypotheses
Significance Level (α)
The significance level, denoted as α, is the probability of rejecting the null hypothesis when it is actually true, also known as a Type I error. In this scenario, α is set at 0.10, meaning there is a 10% risk of concluding that the mean age is greater than 38 years when it is not. This threshold helps researchers decide how strong the evidence must be to support the alternative hypothesis.
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Z-Test for Means
A Z-test for means is a statistical test used to determine if there is a significant difference between the sample mean and a known population mean when the population standard deviation is known. In this case, the sample of 30 residents' ages will be analyzed using the Z-test to compare the sample mean against the hypothesized mean of 38 years, utilizing the provided population standard deviation of 9 years to calculate the Z-score.
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Difference in Means: Hypothesis Tests
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