The Chi-Square Distribution

Read this chapter, which introduces you to the three major uses of the chi-squared distribution: the goodness-of-fit test, the test of independence, and the test of a single variance. Attempt the practice problems and homework at the end of the chapter.

Introduction

Figure 11.1 The chi-square distribution can be used to find relationships between two things, like grocery prices at differen


Figure 11.1 The chi-square distribution can be used to find relationships between two things, like grocery prices at different stores.

Have you ever wondered if lottery winning numbers were evenly distributed or if some numbers occurred with a greater frequency? How about if the types of movies people preferred were different across different age groups? What about if a coffee machine was dispensing approximately the same amount of coffee each time? You could answer these questions by conducting a hypothesis test.

You will now study a new distribution, one that is used to determine the answers to such questions. This distribution is called the chi-square distribution.

In this chapter, you will learn the three major applications of the chi-square distribution:

  1. the goodness-of-fit test, which determines if data fit a particular distribution, such as in the lottery example
  2. the test of independence, which determines if events are independent, such as in the movie example
  3. the test of a single variance, which tests variability, such as in the coffee example

Source: OpenStax, https://openstax.org/books/introductory-business-statistics/pages/11-introduction
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