McGraw Hill Glencoe Algebra 2, 2012
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McGraw Hill Glencoe Algebra 2, 2012 View details
1. Trigonometric Functions in Right Triangles
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Exercise 64 Page 798

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.

H_0: μ ≥ 15
H_a: μ < 15
Claim: μ ≥ 15

Practice makes perfect

A hypothesis test is used to asses a specific claim about the mean of a population.

Typical Claims About the Mean
The mean is equal to a specific value. The mean is greater than a specific value. The mean is less than a specific value.

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.

Mrs. Thomas takes at least 15 minutes to prepare a cake.

Notice that the claim is a statement that includes the 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 greater than or equal to 15 minutes (claim)
H_0:μ ≥ 15
The mean is less than 15 minutes
H_a:μ < 15