The Test of a Population

Mean

DOMINGO T. PEROCHO, JR.

Camalaniugan National High School
February 7, 2017
The Test of Population Mean
• In this kind of test, we would like to
know if
• a population characteristic has
significantly changed as measured by
the mean.
Problem 1. Average Life of Electric Bulbs
The manufacturer of electric bulbs has established that the average life of the
bulbs that his firm produces is 1450 hours with a standard deviation of 150
hours. The production of bulbs are closely monitored so that the bulb’s lifetime
are maintained close to the average. The manufacturer would not want the bulb
lifetimes to fall too much below the average as this affects the quality. Neither
does he want the lifetime to be much higher as this will reduce sales.
Occasionally, he takes a random sample of bulbs to see if the average lifetime
may be significantly changed ( that is, higher or lower than the average). On one
particular occasion, he took a sample of 100 bulbs and found the average to be
1390 hours. At 5% level of significance, does the manufacturer have reason to
believe that the average lifetime of bulbs manufactured by this company has
changed?
Solution
••  Given:

– Population mean,
– Population Standard Deviation,
– Sample mean,
– Sample size, n = 100
– Level of significance = 5 %
The Four-step Solution
• NOTE:
•  

• The problem involves a large sample,

n
– What test statistic will this problem require?
– What ( directional )test will this require?
Step 1. State the Null & the Alternative
Hypotheses
•  The null hypothesis:
• That the average life of bulbs manufactured has not changed.
• In symbols:
–
 • The alternative hypothesis:
• That the average life of bulbs manufactured has changed.
• In symbols:
–
 2. Determine the tabular value
••  The tabular value is :

• This is based-on 5% level of significance; two-

tailed test.
 3. Determine the computed value
• The computed value is :
•  

 
• =
= = =-4
4. CONCLUSION
•  NOTE:

– The absolute value of the is greater

than the absolute value of .

  If

( accept )
STATE THE CONCLUSION
 • Since theabsolute value of the is greater than the absolute value
of then we have to reject Ho and accept Ha.

Ha: The average life of manufactured bulbs has changed.

If possible, state the impact on the policies
of the organization.
• The manufacturer needs to look into the
manufacturing process s certain aspects of the
process may not be implemented properly. He has to
look particularly into what the machine operators
are doing, as they may not be applying procedures
correctly. He also have to look into the materials
being used.
Problem 2. The Entrance Examination
A college within a university used to give entrance examinations to incoming
freshmen. Students whose scores were equal to or better than the cut-off score
were accepted. The rest were turned down. The average score of first year
students in the entrance examination, when it was being administered, was
established to be 80%. Due to a dwindling population, however, the entrance
examinations were suspended for the past 3 years. Because of the suspension,
one would think that the “quality” of first year students who are being accepted
has diminished. However, the Dean has observed that the college continues to
attract quite a number of students with good grades from good high schools, due
in part to the college’s continued commitment to quality instruction and
facilities.
Problem 2. The Entrance Examination
The Dean is curious as to whether the “quality” of freshmen
students has changed (either improved or deteriorated) compared to
the years when entrance examinations were being administered. To
test this hypothesis, he takes a small random sample of 15 freshmen
students and administers the same entrance to them. He finds that
their average score is 83 % with a standard deviation of 5 percentage
points. Using 1 % level of significance, has the quality of the
freshmen students changed, based on the result of test scores of the
examination that was just administered?
Solution
••  Given:

– Population mean,
– Population Standard Deviation,
– Sample mean,
– Sample size, n = 15
– Level of significance = 1 %
The Four-step Solution
• NOTE:
•  

• The problem involves a small sample,

n
– What test statistic will this problem require?
– What (directional )test will this require?
Step 1. State the Null & the Alternative
Hypotheses
•  The null hypothesis:
• That the “quality” of freshmen students has not changed.
• In symbols:
–
 • The alternative hypothesis:
• That the “quality” of freshmen students has changed.
• In symbols:
–
 2. Determine the tabular value
••  The tabular value is :

• This is based-on:
1% level of significance;
Two-tailed test;
Degree of freedom, df = n - 1= 15 -1 = 14
 3. Determine the computed value
• The computed value is :
•  

 
• =
= = = 2.32
 4. CONCLUSION
•  NOTE:

– The computed value of the =2.32 is less

than the tabular value of = 2.997.

  If (reject )
STATE THE CONCLUSION
 • Since theabsolute value of the is less than the absolute value of
then we have to accept Ho and reject Ha.

Ho:
The quality of freshmen students
has not changed.
If possible, state the impact on the policies
of the organization.
• In the absence of an entrance examination, the
expectation is that the quality of freshmen students
is bound to decline. However, it would seem that
the college’s commitment to quality education, in
terms of quality instruction and facilities, continues
to attract good students and therefore, tends to offset
the reduced quality by the acceptance of less
intellectually endowed students.
Problem 3. The Flashlight Batteries
The manufacturing sector for flashlight batteries produces
batteries with an average life of 35 hours. One manufacturer
claims that the average life of his batteries exceeds the
established standard of 35 hours. A mining firm would like to buy
a fairly large quantity of batteries from the manufacturer if his
claim is tested to be true. A random sample of 100 flashlight
batteries are tested. It is found the average life of the sample
batteries is 38 hours with a standard deviation of 5 hours. At 1%
level of significance, do you think that the mining firm will decide
to buy from the said manufacturer?
Solution
••  Given:

– Population mean,
– Sample mean,
– Sample size, n = 100
– Level of significance = 1 %
The Four-step Solution
• NOTE:
•  

• The problem involves a large sample, n

– What test statistic will this problem require?
– What ( directional )test will this require?
Furthermore, the population standard deviation is NOT
known, the sample standard deviation will be used in the
formula as an estimate of the population standard
deviation.
Step 1. State the Null & the Alternative
Hypotheses
• The
  null hypothesis:
• That the average life of the manufacturers’ batteries is not different from the
established population standard of 35 hours.
• In symbols:
–
 • The alternative hypothesis:
• That the average life of the manufacturers’ batteries exceeds the established population
standard of 35 hours.
• In symbols:
–
 2. Determine the tabular value
••  The tabular value is :

• This is based-on
– 1% level of significance;
– One-tailed test.
 3. Determine the computed value
• The computed value is :
•  

 
• =
= = =6
4. CONCLUSION
• NOTE:
– The computed value of Z of 6 is greater than the
tabular value of 2.33.
 
If (Accept )
This implies that the computed value falls within the rejection region.
Therefore:

Ha: The average life of the manufacturer’s batteries is greater than

the established average of 35 hours.
Quiz
• The average score in a simple English proficiency test for OFWs has been
computed to be 60%. With this average, there were no complaints about
Filipino workers’ use of English. Lately, a recruiter of Filipino workers for
firms in the Middle East and South East Asia has been receiving some
complaints that managers abroad are finding it more difficult to communicate
with workers in English. The labor recruiter decides to test the hypothesis that
the use of English by Filipino workers abroad has been deteriorating. He
takes a small sample of 15 Filipino applicant workers and gives them the
English proficiency test. He finds the average of the sample to be 57% with a
standard deviation of 7%. At 5% level of significance, are the complaints
about OFWs in regard to their use of English, sufficiently widespread as to
put Filipino workers at a disadvantage?