Let x = age in years of a rural Quebec woman at thetime of her first marriage. In the year 1941, the populationvariance of x was approximately ?2 =5.1. Suppose a recent study of age at first marriage for a randomsample of 41 women in rural Quebec gave a sample variances2 = 2.6. Use a 5% level of significance totest the claim that the current variance is less than 5.1. Find a90% confidence interval for the population variance.
(a) What is the level of significance?
State the null and alternate hypotheses.
Ho: ?2 = 5.1;H1: ?2 >5.1Ho: ?2 < 5.1;H1: ?2 =5.1Â Â Â Â Ho:?2 = 5.1; H1:?2 ? 5.1Ho:?2 = 5.1; H1:?2 < 5.1
(b) Find the value of the chi-square statistic for the sample.(Round your answer to two decimal places.)
What are the degrees of freedom?
What assumptions are you making about the originaldistribution?
We assume a uniform population distribution.We assume a binomialpopulation distribution.    We assume aexponential population distribution.We assume a normal populationdistribution.
(c) Find or estimate the P-value of the sample teststatistic.
P-value > 0.1000.050 < P-value <0.100Â Â Â Â 0.025 < P-value <0.0500.010 < P-value < 0.0250.005 <P-value < 0.010P-value < 0.005
(d) Based on your answers in parts (a) to (c), will you reject orfail to reject the null hypothesis?
Since the P-value > ?, we fail to rejectthe null hypothesis.Since the P-value > ?, wereject the null hypothesis.    Since theP-value ? ?, we reject the null hypothesis.Sincethe P-value ? ?, we fail to reject the nullhypothesis.
(e) Interpret your conclusion in the context of theapplication.
At the 5% level of significance, there is insufficient evidenceto conclude that the variance of age at first marriage is less than5.1.At the 5% level of significance, there is sufficient evidenceto conclude that the that the variance of age at first marriage isless than 5.1.   Â
(f) Find the requested confidence interval for the populationvariance. (Round your answers to two decimal places.)
lower limit | |
upper limit    | |
Interpret the results in the context of the application.
We are 90% confident that ?2 lies outsidethis interval.We are 90% confident that ?2 liesabove this interval.    We are 90% confidentthat ?2 lies below this interval.We are 90%confident that ?2 lies within thisinterval.