The null hypothesis is a statement of equality to be tested. The alternative hypothesis is a statement of inequality that is the complement of the null hypothesis.
There are two parts to a hypothesis test — the null hypothesis and the alternative hypothesis.
The null hypothesis H_0 is a statement of equality to be tested.
The alternative hypothesis H_a is a statement of inequality that is the complement of the null hypothesis.
A claim can be part of the null or alternative hypothesis. With the above facts in mind, let's consider the given statement.
A restaurant owner says that each milk shake contains 5 strawberries.
Notice that the restaurant's owner's claim is a statement of equality. Therefore, we can relate the claim with the null hypothesis. Consequently, the alternative hypothesis is the complement.
Null Hypothesis
Alternative Hypothesis
The mean is equal to 5 strawberries (claim) H_0:μ = 5
The mean is different from 5 strawberries H_a:μ ≠5
