Significance tests involving the Normal Distribution.

To test the population mean, µ when the population variance, σ2, is

known.

x − µo
z=
σ
n

1. Each year trainees throughout the country sit a test. Over a period of
time it has been established that the marks can be modelled by a normal
distribution with mean 70 and standard deviation 6. This year it was
thought that trainees from a particular country did not perform as well
as expected. The marks of a random sample of 25 trainees from the
country were scrutinized and it was found that their mean mark was
67.3. Does this provide evidence, at the 5% significance level, that
trainees from this country did not perform well as expected?

Ho : µ = 70 (trainees perform as expected)

H1 : µ < 70 (trainees did not perform as expected)

Reject Ho if z < - 1.645

2
X ~ N(70,
6 ) Reject Ho if P( X ≤ 67.3) < 0.05
25 P( X ≤ 67.3)
67.3 - 70 67.3 - 70
z= = P(Z ≤ )
2
62 6
25 25

= −2.25 = P ( Z ≤ −2.25)

< −1.645 = 1 − 0.9878

= 0.0122
< 0.05

Reject Ho. There is evidence that the trainees from this country did not perform well as
expected.

2. The number of canned drinks sold in the canteen is normally distributed

with mean 420 and standard deviation 12. As a student you are not
 sure whether the claim made is true or not. You therefore selected a
sample of 100 days and found that the mean number of canned drinks
sold during the 100 days is 423. Is there evidence, at the 5% level of
significance, of a change in the mean number of canned drinks sold?

Ho: µ = 420 (the mean number of canned drinks sold has not changed)
H1: µ ≠ 420 (the mean number of canned drinks sold has changed)

Reject Ho if z < - 1.960 or if z > 1.960

Reject Ho if P( X ≥ 423) < 0.025
2
12 P( X ≥ 423)
X ~ N(420, )
100 423 - 420
= P(Z ≥ )
423 - 420 2
z= 12
12 2 100
100 = P ( Z ≥ 2.5)
= 2.5 = 1 − 0.9938
> 1.960 = 0.0062
< 0.025
Reject Ho. The mean number of cans has sold has changed

3. The management of a large hospital states that the mean age of its
patients is 45 years. Records of a random sample of 100 patients give a
mean of 48.4 years. Using a population standard deviation of 18 years,
test at the 5% significance level whether there is evidence that the mean
age of its patients is more than 45 years? State clearly your null and
alternative hypotheses.
Ho: µ = 45 (the mean age is 45 years)
H1: µ > 45 (the mean age is more than 45 years)

Reject Ho if z > 1.645 Reject Ho if P( X ≥ 48.4) < 0.025

2
18 P( X ≥ 48.4)
X ~ N(45, )
100 48.4 - 45
= P(Z ≥ )
48.4 - 45 2
z= 18
18 2 100
100 = P ( Z ≥ 1.889)
= 1.89 = 1 − 0.9759
> 1.645 = 0.0241
< 0.025

Reject Ho. The mean age is more

than 45 years.
4. A machine packs flour into bags. A random sample of eleven filled bags
were taken and the masses of the bags to the nearest 0.1 g were :
1506.8, 1506.6, 1506.7, 1507.2, 1506.9, 1506.8, 1506.6, 1507.0,
1507.5, 1506.3, 1506.4. Obtain the mean and the variance of this
 sample showing your working clearly. Filled bags are supposed to have a
mass of 1506.5 g. Assuming that the mass of a bag has normal
distribution with variance 0.16 g2, test whether the sample provides
significant evidence at the 5% level that the machines produce
overweight bags.
5. Solid fuel is packed in sacks which are then weighed on scales. It is
known that if the full sacks weigh µ kg the weight recorded by the
scales will be normally distributed with mean 35 kg and standard
deviation 0.36 kg. A particular full sack was weighed 4 times and the
weights recorded were 34.7, 34.4, 35.1 and 34.6 kg. Test whether the
sample provides significant evidence at the 5% level that the mean
weight has changed.
6. The length of string in the balls of string made by a manufacturer has
mean µ m and variance 27.4 m2. The manufacturer claims that µ =
300m. A random sample of 100 balls of string is taken and the
sample mean is found to be 299.2 m. Test whether this provide
significant evidence, at the 3% level, that the manufacturer is
overstating the value of µ.
7. It is claimed that the masses of components produced at a particular
workshop are normally distributed with mean mass of 6g and a standard
deviation of 0.8 g. If this claim is accepted, at the 5% level, on the basis
of the mean mass obtained from a random sample of 50 components,
between what values must the mean mass of the 50 components in the
sample lie?
8. Mass-produced washers have thicknesses which are normally distributed
with mean 3 mm and standard deviation 0.2 mm. During a check on the
manufacturing process a random sample of 25 washers is taken from
production and the mean thickness is calculated. Find the interval in
which the value of the mean thickness must lie in order that the
hypothesis that the production mean thickness is 3 mm will not be
rejected when the significance level is 5%.

Answer
4. x = 1506.8; s2= 0.109
z = 2.487 > 1.960, P( X ≥ 1506.8) = 0.0065 < 0.05
Reject Ho. The machines produce overweight bags
5. z = 2.487 > 1.960, P( X ≥ 1506.8) = 0.0065 < 0.05
Reject Ho. The machines produce overweight bags
6. z = -1.53 < -1.881; P( X ≤ 299.2) = 0.0633 < 0.03
Accept Ho. The manufacturer is not overstating the value of µ.
7. 5.78 < x < 6.22
8. 2.92 < x < 3.08
Textbook: Exercise 11a Page 522 - 524
Miscellaneous Exercise 11e Page 554 - 557

To test the population mean, µ when the population variance, σ2 ,is

unknown and sample size is large (n ≥ 30).
(In this case the population variance has to be estimated using the
unbiased estimator of the population variance).

x − µo
z=
σˆ
n

1. A manufacturer claims that the average life of his electric light bulbs is
2000 hours. A random sample of 64 bulbs is tested and the life, x, in
hours is recorded. The results obtained are as follows:

∑ x = 127808 ∑ ( x − x) 2
= 9694.6

Is there sufficient evidence to indicate that the manufacturer's claim is

true at the five percent level?

Ho: µ = 2000 (the manufacturer’s claim is true)

H1: µ ≠ 2000 (the manufacturer’s claim is not true)

∑ x = 127808 = 1997
x=
11 64

2 ∑ (x − x ) 2 9694.6
σˆ = = = 153.88
n −1 63

Reject Ho if z > 1.960 or z < -1.960

Reject Ho if P( X ≥ 1997) < 0.025
153.88
X ~ N(2000, ) P( X ≥ 1997)
64
1997 - 2000
1997 - 2000 = P(Z ≥ )
z= 153.88
153.88 64
64
= P ( Z ≥ −1.935)
= − 1.93
= 1 − 0.9734
> − 1.960
= 0.0266
> 0.025

Accept Ho. The manufacturer’s claim is true.

2. A certain type of battery for calculators is claimed to last for 12 months,

on average. A sample of 100 of these batteries was tested and the
following results were obtained: Σx = 1164.2 months, Σx2 = 13911.6
months. Test at the 1% level of significance whether the claim overstates
the value of µ .

Ho: µ = 12 (the manufacturer is not overstating the value of µ)

H1: µ < 12 (the manufacturer is overstating the value of µ)
 ∑ x = 1164.2 = 11.642
x=
11 100

1  ( ∑ x ) 2  = 1  (1164.2) 
2
2
σˆ = ∑ x2 − 13911.6 −  = 3.616
n −1 n  99  100 
   
Reject Ho if z < - 2.326
Reject Ho if P( X ≤ 11.642) < 0.01
3.616
X ~ N(12, ) P( X ≥11.642)
100
11.642 - 12
11.642 - 12 = P(Z ≤ )
z= 3.616
3.616 100
100
= P ( Z ≥ −1.883)
= − 1.88
= 1 − 0.9701
> − 2.326
= 0.0299
> 0.01

Accept Ho. The manufacturer is not overstating the value of µ.

3. An electronic device is advertised as being able to retain information

stored in it for “70 to 90 hours” after power has been switched off. In
experiments carried out to test this claim, the retention time, in hours,
X, was measured on 250 occasions, and the data obtained is
summarized by ∑ (x − 76) = 683 and ∑ ( x − 76) = 26,132 . The population
2

mean and variance of X are denoted by µ and σ2 respectively. Test the

hypothesis that µ = 80 against the alternative hypothesis that µ < 80
using a 5% significance level. Significant

∑ ( x − 76 ) 683
x= + 76 = + 76 = 78.732
n 250

1   ∑ ( x − 76) 2   2
  = 1  26132 − (683)  = 97.45
∑ ( x − 76) 2 − 
2
σˆ =
n − 1 n   249  250 
    

Ho: µ = 80
H1: µ < 80

Reject Ho if z < -1.645 78.732 - 80

z=
97.45 97.45
X ~ N(80, )
250 250
= −2.03
< −1.645
 78.732 - 80
= P(Z ≤ )
P( X ≥ 78.732) 97.45
250
= P ( Z ≤ −2.031)
= 1 − 0.9788
= 0.0212
< 0.05
Reject Ho. µ < 80

4. A normal distribution is thought to have a mean of 50. A random sample

of 100 gave a mean of 52.6 and a standard deviation of 14.5. Is there
evidence that the population mean has increased? Test at the 5% level.
5. A shopkeeper complains that the average weight of chocolate bars of a
certain type that he is buying from a wholesaler is less than the stated
value of 8.5 g. The shopkeeper weighed 100 bars from a large delivery
and found that their weights had a mean of 8.36 g and standard
deviation of 0.72 g. Using a 5% significance level, determine whether or
not the shopkeeper is justified in his complaint.
6. At an early stage in analyzing the marks scored by the large number of
candidates in an examination paper, the Examination Board takes a
random sample of 250 candidates and finds that the marks, x, of these
candidates give Σ x = 11872, Σ x2 = 646193. Using the figures obtained
in this sample, the null hypothesis µ = 49.5 is tested against the
alternative hypothesis µ < 49.5 at the α % significance level. Determine
the set of values of α for which the null hypothesis is rejected.
7. Salt is packed in bag which the manufacturer claims to contain 35 kg
each, on average. A random sample of 80 bags is examined and the
mass, x kg, of the contents of each bag is determined. It is found that
∑ (x − 25) = 27.2 and ∑ ( x − 25) 2 = 85.1 . Test at the 10% level whether the
manufacturer is understating the average mass of the contents of the
bag.

Textbook: Exercise 11a Page 522 - 524

Miscellaneous Exercise 11e Page 554 - 557

Answer
2 2
4. x = 52.6, σˆ 2 = ns = 100(14.5) = 212.37
n −1 99
z = 1.784 > 1.645; P( X ≥ 52.6) < 0.05 = 0.0371 < 0.05.

Reject Ho. The population mean has increased.

 2 2
5. x = 8.36 , σˆ 2 = ns = 100(0.72) = 0.5236
n −1 99
z = -1.935 < -1.645; P( X ≤ 8.36) = 0.0265 < 0.05
Reject Ho. The shopkeeper is justified in his complaint.

1   1  2
6. x = ∑ =
x 11872 2 ( ∑ x) 2
=  646193 − ( 11872 )  = 330.99
= 47.448 , σˆ = ∑ x2 −
11 250 n −1  n  249  250 
   
Therefore Ho is rejected if α > 4.01%
7. z = 3.103 > 1.282 reject Ho – understating (significant)