In this problem, assume that the distribution of differences is
approximately normal. Note: For degrees of
freedom d.f. not in the
Student's t table, use the
closest d.f. that
is smaller. In some situations, this choice
of d.f. may increase
the P-value by a small amount and therefore produce a
slightly more "conservative" answer.
The western United States has a number of four-lane interstate
highways that cut through long tracts of wilderness. To prevent car
accidents with wild animals, the highways are bordered on both
sides with 12-foot-high woven wire fences. Although the fences
prevent accidents, they also disturb the winter migration pattern
of many animals. To compensate for this disturbance, the highways
have frequent wilderness underpasses designed for exclusive use by
deer, elk, and other animals. In Colorado, there is a large group
of deer that spend their summer months in a region on one side of a
highway and survive the winter months in a lower region on the
other side. To determine if the highway has disturbed deer
migration to the winter feeding area, the following data were
gathered on a random sample of 10 wilderness districts in the
winter feeding area. Row B represents the
average January deer count for a 5-year period before the highway
was built, and row A represents the average
January deer count for a 5-year period after the highway was built.
The highway department claims that the January population has not
changed. Test this claim against the claim that the January
population has dropped. Use a 10% level of significance.
Units used in the table are hundreds of deer.
(Let d = B ? A.)
Wilderness
District
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
B:
Before highway
8.2
9.6
9.4
11.2
17.4
9.9
20.5
16.2
18.9
11.6
A:
After highway
9.0
8.5
9.3
8.7
4.0
7.1
15.2
8.3
12.2
7.3
(a) What is the level of significance?
State the null and alternate hypotheses. Will you use a
left-tailed, right-tailed, or two-tailed test?
H0: ?d =
0; H1: ?d ? 0;
two-tailed
H0: ?d =
0; H1: ?d >
0; right-tailed
H0: ?d >
0; H1: ?d =
0; right-tailed
H0: ?d =
0; H1: ?d <
0; left-tailed
(b) What sampling distribution will you use? What assumptions are
you making?
The standard normal. We assume that d has an
approximately uniform distribution.
The standard normal. We assume that d has an
approximately normal
distribution.
The Student's t. We assume
that d has an approximately normal
distribution.
The Student's t. We assume
that d has an approximately uniform
distribution.
What is the value of the sample test statistic? (Round your answer
to three decimal places.)
(c) Find (or estimate) the P-value. (Round your
answer to four decimal places.)
Sketch the sampling distribution and show the area corresponding to
the P-value.
(d) Based on your answers in parts (a) to (c), will you reject or
fail to reject the null hypothesis? Are the data statistically
significant at level ??
At the ? = 0.10 level, we reject the null
hypothesis and conclude the data are not statistically
significant.
At the ? = 0.10 level, we reject the null
hypothesis and conclude the data are statistically
significant.
At the ? = 0.10 level, we fail to
reject the null hypothesis and conclude the data are not
statistically significant.
At the ? = 0.10 level, we fail to reject the
null hypothesis and conclude the data are statistically
significant.
(e) State your conclusion in the context of the
application.
Fail to reject the null hypothesis, there is insufficient
evidence to claim that the January mean population of deer has
dropped.
Reject the null hypothesis, there is insufficient evidence to
claim that the January mean population of deer has
dropped.
Reject the null hypothesis, there is sufficient evidence to
claim that the January mean population of deer has dropped
.Fail to reject the null hypothesis, there is sufficient
evidence to claim that the January mean population of deer has
dropped.