Skip to Content

Car Battery Lifespan Hypothesis Testing

Home | Probability and Statistics | Hypothesis Testing One Sample | Car Battery Lifespan Hypothesis Testing

A company manufactures car batteries with an average lifespan of two or more years. An engineer believes this value to be less. Using 10 samples, he measures the average lifespan to be 1.8 years with a standard deviation of 0.5. Part A: State the null and alternative hypotheses.

In this problem, we encounter a common scenario in statistics where we need to validate a claim about a population mean. Here, the engineer is questioning the manufacturer's claim of the average lifespan of car batteries being two or more years. This forms the basis for hypothesis testing, a fundamental method in statistical inference. Hypothesis testing allows us to make decisions about a population parameter based on sample data.

The first step involves setting up the null and alternative hypotheses. The null hypothesis is a statement of no effect or no difference, and it is what we seek to test against. In this case, the null hypothesis would be that the average lifespan of the car batteries is two years or more, which is what the company claims. The alternative hypothesis, on the other hand, represents the engineer’s belief that the average lifespan is less than two years. It is crucial to clearly define both these hypotheses as they guide the test procedure and the interpretation of results.

This problem also touches on the concepts of sampling and variability. With a sample size of 10 and a standard deviation provided, the challenge is to determine whether the observed sample mean of 1.8 years provides sufficient evidence to refute the null hypothesis in favor of the alternative. Understanding how sample size, variability, and the standard deviation of the sample influence the strength of our conclusions is vital. This knowledge helps in determining the critical values and constructing the confidence interval, which are essential steps in hypothesis testing.

Posted by Gregory a day ago

Related Problems

Using the critical value approach to hypothesis testing, given an alpha level of 0.05, find the critical value on the standardized normal distribution curve where 5% of the area is in the tail.

A survey showed that the average male baby in the UK weighs 7 pounds 12 ounces at birth. A midwife in a Birmingham hospital suspects the birth weight may have increased in recent years and collects data to find out. Define the null and alternative hypotheses.

A researcher is interested in finding out whether the average lifetime of females in the US is different from 75 years. For this, he takes a sample of 100 females with a sample mean of 76 and a sample standard deviation of 7. State the null and alternative hypotheses at a 95% confidence level. Is there enough evidence to reject the null hypothesis?

A researcher is interested in finding out whether the average regular gasoline price is higher than $2.45 in the Midwest region. The sample analyzed consists of 25 observations, a sample mean of 2.65, and a sample standard deviation of 0.35. State the norm and alternative hypotheses and, at a 99% confidence level, is there enough evidence to discard the null hypothesis?