A Statistics Professor at a Large University Hypothesizes That Students

question 9

Multiple Choice

A statistics professor at a large university hypothesizes that students who take statistics in the morning typically do better than those who take it in the afternoon. He takes a random sample of 36 students who took a morning class and, independently, another random sample of 36 students who took an afternoon class. He finds that the morning group scored an average of 74 with a standard deviation of 8, while the evening group scored an average of 68 with a standard deviation of 10. The population standard deviation of scores is unknown but is assumed to be equal for morning and evening classes. Let µ₁ and µ₂ represent the population mean final exam scores of statistics' courses offered in the morning and the afternoon, respectively. Which of the following hypotheses will test the professor's claim?

• A) H₀: µ₁ - µ₂ ≤ 0, H_A: µ₁ - µ₂ > 0
• B) H₀: µ₁ - µ₂ ≥ 0, H_A: µ₁ - µ₂ < 0
• C) H₀: µ₁ - µ₂ > 0, H_A: µ₁ - µ₂ ≤ 0
• D) H₀: µ₁ - µ₂ = 0, H_A: µ₁ - µ₂ ≠ 0

---

Definitions:

Phenylketonuria (PKU)

A genetic disorder characterized by an inability to metabolize the amino acid phenylalanine, leading to intellectual disability if untreated.

Tyrosine

An amino acid that is important in the synthesis of proteins and neurotransmitters.

Suffix

A word part that comes at the end of a medical term that alters the meaning of the term.

Prefix

A word part that comes at the beginning of a medical term that alters the meaning of the term.