Question

A medical researcher wants to compare the pulse rates of smokers and non-smokers. He believes that the pulse rate for smokers and non-smokers is different and wants to test this claim at the 0.02 level of significance. A sample of 56 smokers has a mean pulse rate of 88, and a sample of 39 non-smokers has a mean pulse rate of 86. The population standard deviation of the pulse rates is known to be 8 for smokers and 8 for non-smokers. Let μ1 be the true mean pulse rate for smokers and μ2 be the true mean pulse rate for non-smokers.

Step 1 of 5 : State the null and alternative hypotheses for the test.

Answer 1

Given:

For smokers

n1 = 56,  1 = 88, 1 = 8

n2 = 39,  2 = 86, ​​​​​​2 = 8

Let μ1 be the true mean pulse rate for smokers and

μ2 be the true mean pulse rate for non-smokers.

Hypothesis test:

The null and alternative hypothesis is

Ho: Ho:μ1​=μ2

Ha:μ1​≠μ2​

Significance level, = 0.02

Since p-value is a greater than significance level 0.02, we fail to reject null hypothesis.

Decision:

Fail to reject H0.

Conclusion: At 0.02 significance level, there is insufficient evidence to support the claim that the mean pulse rate for smokers and non-smokers is different.