One-tail z-test (lower tail)

Test whether the population mean has decreased (H₁: μ < μ₀), using a one-tail test with negative critical value.

16 questions · Standard +0.1

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CAIE S2 2022 June Q3
9 marks Standard +0.3
3 Batteries of type \(A\) are known to have a mean life of 150 hours. It is required to test whether a new type of battery, type \(B\), has a shorter mean life than type \(A\) batteries.
  1. Give a reason for using a sample rather than the whole population in carrying out this test.
    A random sample of 120 type \(B\) batteries are tested and it is found that their mean life is 147 hours, and an unbiased estimate of the population variance is 225 hours \(^ { 2 }\).
  2. Test, at the \(2 \%\) significance level, whether type \(B\) batteries have a shorter mean life than type \(A\) batteries.
  3. Calculate a \(94 \%\) confidence interval for the population mean life of type \(B\) batteries.
CAIE S2 2024 June Q6
9 marks Standard +0.3
6 The numbers of green sweets in 200 randomly chosen packets of Frutos are summarised in the table.
Number of green sweets0123\(> 3\)
Number of packets325097210
  1. Calculate an unbiased estimate for the population mean of the number of green sweets in a packet of Frutos, and show that an unbiased estimate of the population variance is 0.783 correct to 3 significant figures.
    The manufacturers of Frutos claim that the mean number of green sweets in a packet is 1.65 .
    Anji believes that the true value of the mean, \(\mu\), is less than 1.65 . She uses the results from the 200 randomly chosen packets to test the manufacturers’ claim.
  2. State suitable null and alternative hypotheses for the test. \includegraphics[max width=\textwidth, alt={}, center]{7c078a14-98f9-4292-ae76-a2642238176f-08_2714_37_143_2008}
  3. Show that the result of Anji's test is significant at the \(5 \%\) level but not at the \(1 \%\) level.
  4. It is given that Anji made a Type I error. Explain how this shows that the significance level that Anji used in her test was not \(1 \%\).
CAIE S2 2020 March Q3
8 marks Standard +0.3
3 In the past, the mean time taken by Freda for a particular daily journey was 39.2 minutes. Following the introduction of a one-way system, Freda wishes to test whether the mean time for the journey has decreased. She notes the times, \(t\) minutes, for 40 randomly chosen journeys and summarises the results as follows. $$n = 40 \quad \Sigma t = 1504 \quad \Sigma t ^ { 2 } = 57760$$
  1. Calculate unbiased estimates of the population mean and variance of the new journey time.
  2. Test, at the \(5 \%\) significance level, whether the population mean time has decreased.
CAIE S2 2017 June Q2
6 marks Moderate -0.3
2 Past experience has shown that the heights of a certain variety of plant have mean 64.0 cm and standard deviation 3.8 cm . During a particularly hot summer, it was expected that the heights of plants of this variety would be less than usual. In order to test whether this was the case, a botanist recorded the heights of a random sample of 100 plants and found that the value of the sample mean was 63.3 cm . Stating a necessary assumption, carry out the test at the \(2.5 \%\) significance level.
CAIE S2 2021 November Q4
7 marks Moderate -0.3
4 A certain kind of firework is supposed to last for 30 seconds, on average, after it is lit. An inspector suspects that the fireworks actually last a shorter time than this, on average. He takes a random sample of 100 fireworks of this kind. Each firework in the sample is lit and the time it lasts is noted.
  1. Give a reason why it is necessary to take a sample rather than testing all the fireworks of this kind.
    It is given that the population standard deviation of the times that fireworks of this kind last is 5 seconds.
  2. The mean time lasted by the 100 fireworks in the sample is found to be 29 seconds. Test the inspector's suspicion at the \(1 \%\) significance level.
  3. State with a reason whether the Central Limit theorem was needed in the solution to part (b).
CAIE S2 2022 November Q2
5 marks Moderate -0.8
2 In the past, the mean length of a particular variety of worm has been 10.3 cm , with standard deviation 2.6 cm . Following a change in the climate, it is thought that the mean length of this variety of worm has decreased. The lengths of a random sample of 100 worms of this variety are found and the mean of this sample is found to be 9.8 cm . Assuming that the standard deviation remains at 2.6 cm , carry out a test at the \(2 \%\) significance level of whether the mean length has decreased. \(31.6 \%\) of adults in a certain town ride a bicycle. A random sample of 200 adults from this town is selected.
  1. Use a suitable approximating distribution to find the probability that more than 3 of these adults ride a bicycle.
  2. Justify your approximating distribution.
CAIE S2 2009 June Q1
5 marks Moderate -0.3
1 In Europe the diameters of women's rings have mean 18.5 mm . Researchers claim that women in Jakarta have smaller fingers than women in Europe. The researchers took a random sample of 20 women in Jakarta and measured the diameters of their rings. The mean diameter was found to be 18.1 mm . Assuming that the diameters of women's rings in Jakarta have a normal distribution with standard deviation 1.1 mm , carry out a hypothesis test at the \(2 \frac { 1 } { 2 } \%\) level to determine whether the researchers' claim is justified.
CAIE S2 2013 June Q3
7 marks Standard +0.3
3 The heights of a certain variety of plant have been found to be normally distributed with mean 75.2 cm and standard deviation 5.7 cm . A biologist suspects that pollution in a certain region is causing the plants to be shorter than usual. He takes a random sample of \(n\) plants of this variety from this region and finds that their mean height is 73.1 cm . He then carries out an appropriate hypothesis test.
  1. He finds that the value of the test statistic \(z\) is - 1.563 , correct to 3 decimal places. Calculate the value of \(n\). State an assumption necessary for your calculation.
  2. Use this value of the test statistic to carry out the hypothesis test at the 6\% significance level.
CAIE S2 2019 June Q3
8 marks Standard +0.3
3 It is claimed that, on average, a particular train journey takes less than 1.9 hours. The times, \(t\) hours, taken for this journey on a random sample of 50 days were recorded. The results are summarised below. $$n = 50 \quad \Sigma t = 92.5 \quad \Sigma t ^ { 2 } = 175.25$$
  1. Calculate unbiased estimates of the population mean and variance.
  2. Test the claim at the \(5 \%\) significance level.
CAIE S2 2017 November Q3
8 marks Standard +0.3
3 The masses, \(m \mathrm {~kg}\), of packets of flour are normally distributed. The mean mass is supposed to be 1.01 kg . A quality control officer measures the masses of a random sample of 100 packets. The results are summarised below. $$n = 100 \quad \Sigma m = 98.2 \quad \Sigma m ^ { 2 } = 104.52$$
  1. Test at the \(5 \%\) significance level whether the population mean mass is less than 1.01 kg .
  2. Explain whether it was necessary to use the Central Limit theorem in your answer to part (i).
CAIE S2 2002 November Q3
7 marks Standard +0.3
3 From previous years' observations, the lengths of salmon in a river were found to be normally distributed with mean 65 cm . A researcher suspects that pollution in water is restricting growth. To test this theory, she measures the length \(x \mathrm {~cm}\) of a random sample of \(n\) salmon and calculates that \(\bar { x } = 64.3\) and \(s = 4.9\), where \(s ^ { 2 }\) is the unbiased estimate of the population variance. She then carries out an appropriate hypothesis test.
  1. Her test statistic \(z\) has a value of - 1.807 correct to 3 decimal places. Calculate the value of \(n\).
  2. Using this test statistic, carry out the hypothesis test at the \(5 \%\) level of significance and state what her conclusion should be.
OCR S2 Specimen Q5
10 marks Standard +0.3
5 The mean solubility rating of widgets inserted into beer cans is thought to be 84.0, in appropriate units. A random sample of 50 widgets is taken. The solubility ratings, \(x\), are summarised by $$n = 50 , \quad \Sigma x = 4070 , \quad \Sigma x ^ { 2 } = 336100$$ Test, at the \(5 \%\) significance level, whether the mean solubility rating is less than 84.0 .
OCR S2 2016 June Q8
13 marks Standard +0.3
8 It is known that the lifetime of a certain species of animal in the wild has mean 13.3 years. A zoologist reads a study of 50 randomly chosen animals of this species that have been kept in zoos. According to the study, for these 50 animals the sample mean lifetime is 12.48 years and the population variance is 12.25 years \(^ { 2 }\).
  1. Test at the \(5 \%\) significance level whether these results provide evidence that animals of this species that have been kept in zoos have a shorter expected lifetime than those in the wild.
  2. Subsequently the zoologist discovered that there had been a mistake in the study. The quoted variance of 12.25 years \({ } ^ { 2 }\) was in fact the sample variance. Determine whether this makes a difference to the conclusion of the test.
  3. Explain whether the Central Limit Theorem is needed in these tests.
Edexcel S4 2008 June Q7
8 marks Standard +0.3
  1. An engineering firm buys steel rods. The steel rods from its present supplier are known to have a mean tensile strength of \(230 \mathrm {~N} / \mathrm { mm } ^ { 2 }\).
A new supplier of steel rods offers to supply rods at a cheaper price than the present supplier. A random sample of ten rods from this new supplier gave tensile strengths, \(x \mathrm { N } / \mathrm { mm } ^ { 2 }\), which are summarised below.
Sample size\(\Sigma x\)\(\Sigma x ^ { 2 }\)
102283524079
  1. Stating your hypotheses clearly, and using a \(5 \%\) level of significance, test whether or not the rods from the new supplier have a tensile strength lower that the present supplier. (You may assume that the tensile strength is normally distributed).
  2. In the light of your conclusion to part (a) write down what you would recommend the engineering firm to do.
Edexcel S4 2009 June Q1
8 marks Standard +0.3
  1. A company manufactures bolts with a mean diameter of 5 mm . The company wishes to check that the diameter of the bolts has not decreased. A random sample of 10 bolts is taken and the diameters, \(x \mathrm {~mm}\), of the bolts are measured. The results are summarised below.
$$\sum x = 49.1 \quad \sum x ^ { 2 } = 241.2$$ Using a \(1 \%\) level of significance, test whether or not the mean diameter of the bolts is less than 5 mm .
(You may assume that the diameter of the bolts follows a normal distribution.)
Edexcel S4 Q7
9 marks Standard +0.3
  1. An engineering firm buys steel rods. The steel rods from its present supplier are known to have a mean tensile strength of \(230 \mathrm {~N} / \mathrm { mm } ^ { 2 }\).
A new supplier of steel rods offers to supply rods at a cheaper price than the present supplier. A random sample of ten rods from this new supplier gave tensile strengths, \(x \mathrm { N } / \mathrm { mm } ^ { 2 }\), which are summarised below. Turn over
  1. A company manufactures bolts with a mean diameter of 5 mm . The company wishes to check that the diameter of the bolts has not decreased. A random sample of 10 bolts is taken and the diameters, \(x \mathrm {~mm}\), of the bolts are measured. The results are summarised below.
$$\sum x = 49.1 \quad \sum x ^ { 2 } = 241.2$$ Using a \(1 \%\) level of significance, test whether or not the mean diameter of the bolts is less than 5 mm .
(You may assume that the diameter of the bolts follows a normal distribution.)
2. An emission-control device is tested to see if it reduces \(\mathrm { CO } _ { 2 }\) emissions from cars. The emissions from 6 randomly selected cars are measured with and without the device. The results are as follows. Turn over
advancing learning, changing lives
  1. A teacher wishes to test whether playing background music enables students to complete a task more quickly. The same task was completed by 15 students, divided at random into two groups. The first group had background music playing during the task and the second group had no background music playing.
    The times taken, in minutes, to complete the task are summarised below.
(d) Find the value of \(s\). The graph of the power function for the manager's test is shown in Figure 1. \begin{figure}[h]
\includegraphics[alt={},max width=\textwidth]{a1841cf5-93f3-4043-b6ed-651168b13b87-34_1157_1436_847_260} \captionsetup{labelformat=empty} \caption{Figure 1}
\end{figure} (e) On the same axes, draw the graph of the power function for the deputy's test.
(f) (i) State the value of \(p\) where these graphs intersect.
(ii) Compare the effectiveness of the two tests if \(p\) is greater than this value. The deputy suggests that they should use his sampling method rather than the manager's.
(g) Give a reason why the manager might not agree to this change.
  1. A random sample of 15 strawberries is taken from a large field and the weight \(x\) grams of each strawberry is recorded. The results are summarised below.
$$\sum x = 291 \quad \sum x ^ { 2 } = 5968$$ Assume that the weights of strawberries are normally distributed. Calculate a 95\% confidence interval for
(a) (i) the mean of the weights of the strawberries in the field,
(ii) the variance of the weights of the strawberries in the field. Strawberries weighing more than 23 g are considered to be less tasty.
(b) Use appropriate confidence limits from part (a) to find the highest estimate of the proportion of strawberries that are considered to be less tasty.
  1. A car manufacturer claims that, on a motorway, the mean number of miles per gallon for the Panther car is more than 70 . To test this claim a car magazine measures the number of miles per gallon, \(x\), of each of a random sample of 20 Panther cars and obtained the following statistics.
$$\bar { x } = 71.2 \quad s = 3.4$$ The number of miles per gallon may be assumed to be normally distributed.
(a) Stating your hypotheses clearly and using a \(5 \%\) level of significance, test the manufacturer's claim. The standard deviation of the number of miles per gallon for the Tiger car is 4 .
(b) Stating your hypotheses clearly, test, at the \(5 \%\) level of significance, whether or not there is evidence that the variance of the number of miles per gallon for the Panther car is different from that of the Tiger car.
  1. Faults occur in a roll of material at a rate of \(\lambda\) per \(\mathrm { m } ^ { 2 }\). To estimate \(\lambda\), three pieces of material of sizes \(3 \mathrm {~m} ^ { 2 } , 7 \mathrm {~m} ^ { 2 }\) and \(10 \mathrm {~m} ^ { 2 }\) are selected and the number of faults \(X _ { 1 } , X _ { 2 }\) and \(X _ { 3 }\) respectively are recorded.
The estimator \(\hat { \lambda }\), where $$\hat { \lambda } = k \left( X _ { 1 } + X _ { 2 } + X _ { 3 } \right)$$ is an unbiased estimator of \(\lambda\).
(a) Write down the distributions of \(X _ { 1 } , X _ { 2 }\) and \(X _ { 3 }\) and find the value of \(k\).
(b) Find \(\operatorname { Var } ( \hat { \lambda } )\). A random sample of \(n\) pieces of this material, each of size \(4 \mathrm {~m} ^ { 2 }\), was taken. The number of faults on each piece, \(Y\), was recorded.
(c) Show that \(\frac { 1 } { 4 } \bar { Y }\) is an unbiased estimator of \(\lambda\).
(d) Find \(\operatorname { Var } \left( \frac { 1 } { 4 } \bar { Y } \right)\).
(e) Find the minimum value of \(n\) for which \(\frac { 1 } { 4 } \bar { Y }\) becomes a better estimator of \(\lambda\) than \(\hat { \lambda }\).
Turn over
advancing learning, changing lives
  1. Find the value of the constant \(a\) such that
$$\mathrm { P } \left( a < F _ { 8,10 } < 3.07 \right) = 0.94$$ 2. Two independent random samples \(X _ { 1 } , X _ { 2 } , \ldots , X _ { 7 }\) and \(Y _ { 1 } , Y _ { 2 } , Y _ { 3 } , Y _ { 4 }\) were taken from different normal populations with a common standard deviation \(\sigma\). The following sample statistics were calculated. $$s _ { x } = 14.67 \quad s _ { y } = 12.07$$ Find the \(99 \%\) confidence interval for \(\sigma ^ { 2 }\) based on these two samples.
3. Manuel is planning to buy a new machine to squeeze oranges in his cafe and he has two models, at the same price, on trial. The manufacturers of machine \(B\) claim that their machine produces more juice from an orange than machine \(A\). To test this claim Manuel takes a random sample of 8 oranges, cuts them in half and puts one half in machine \(A\) and the other half in machine \(B\). The amount of juice, in ml , produced by each machine is given in the table below. \section*{Table 1} Figure 1 shows the graph of the power function of the test used by the consultant. \includegraphics[max width=\textwidth, alt={}, center]{a1841cf5-93f3-4043-b6ed-651168b13b87-48_1722_1671_657_132} \section*{Figure 1} (e) On Figure 1 draw the graph of the power function of the manager's test.
(2)
(f) State, giving your reasons, which test you would recommend.
(2)
  1. The weights of the contents of breakfast cereal boxes are normally distributed.
A manufacturer changes the style of the boxes but claims that the weight of the contents remains the same.
A random sample of 6 old style boxes had contents with the following weights (in grams). $$\begin{array} { l l l l l l } 512 & 503 & 514 & 506 & 509 & 515 \end{array}$$ The weights, \(y\) grams, of the contents of an independent random sample of 5 new style boxes gave $$\bar { y } = 504.8 \text { and } s _ { y } = 3.420$$ (a) Use a two-tail test to show, at the \(10 \%\) level of significance, that the variances of the weights of the contents of the old and new style boxes can be assumed to be equal. State your hypotheses clearly.
(b) Showing your working clearly, find a \(90 \%\) confidence interval for \(\mu _ { x } - \mu _ { y }\), where \(\mu _ { x }\) and \(\mu _ { y }\) are the mean weights of the contents of old and new style boxes respectively.
(c) With reference to your confidence interval comment on the manufacturer's claim. 6. A random sample \(X _ { 1 } , X _ { 2 } , \ldots , X _ { n }\) is taken from a population where each of the \(X _ { i }\) have a continuous uniform distribution over the interval \([ 0 , \beta ]\).
The random variable \(Y = \max \left\{ X _ { 1 } , X _ { 2 } , \ldots , X _ { n } \right\}\).
The probability density function of \(Y\) is given by $$\mathrm { f } ( y ) = \left\{ \begin{array} { c c } \frac { n } { \beta ^ { n } } y ^ { n - 1 } & 0 \leqslant y \leqslant \beta \\ 0 & \text { otherwise } \end{array} \right.$$ (a) Show that \(\mathrm { E } \left( Y ^ { m } \right) = \frac { n } { n + m } \beta ^ { m }\).
(b) Write down \(\mathrm { E } ( Y )\).
(c) Using your answers to parts (a) and (b), or otherwise, show that $$\operatorname { Var } ( Y ) = \frac { n } { ( n + 1 ) ^ { 2 } ( n + 2 ) } \beta ^ { 2 }$$ (d) State, giving your reasons, whether or not \(Y\) is a consistent estimator of \(\beta\). The random variables \(M = 2 \bar { X }\), where \(\bar { X } = \frac { 1 } { n } \left( X _ { 1 } + X _ { 2 } + \ldots + X _ { n } \right)\), and \(S = k Y\), where \(k\) is a constant, are both unbiased estimators of \(\beta\).
(e) Find the value of \(k\) in terms of \(n\).
(f) State, giving your reasons, which of \(M\) and \(S\) is the better estimator of \(\beta\) in this case. Five observations of \(X\) are: \(\quad \begin{array} { l l l l l } 8.5 & 6.3 & 5.4 & 9.1 & 7.6 \end{array}\) (g) Calculate the better estimate of \(\beta\). 7. A machine produces components whose lengths are normally distributed with mean 102.3 mm and standard deviation 2.8 mm . After the machine had been serviced, a random sample of 20 components were tested to see if the mean and standard deviation had changed. The lengths, \(x \mathrm {~mm}\), of each of these 20 components are summarised as $$\sum x = 2072 \quad \sum x ^ { 2 } = 214856$$ (a) Stating your hypotheses clearly, test, at the \(5 \%\) level of significance, whether or not there is evidence of a change in standard deviation.
(b) Stating your hypotheses clearly, test, at the \(5 \%\) level of significance, whether or not the mean length of the components has changed from the original value of 102.3 mm using
(i) a normal distribution,
(ii) a \(t\) distribution.
(c) Comment on the mean length of components produced after the service in the light of the tests from part (a) and part (b). Give a reason for your answer. Turn over
  1. A medical student is investigating whether there is a difference in a person's blood pressure when sitting down and after standing up. She takes a random sample of 12 people and measures their blood pressure, in mmHg , when sitting down and after standing up.
The results are shown below.