Mathematics 9709 · AS & A Level · Hypothesis testing

Hypothesis testing — practice question

A market researcher is examining how long customers stay at an information desk. He plans to take a sample of 50 customers on one specified day.
(a)[1]

He is considering taking the first 50 customers who go to the information desk. Explain why this method is unsuitable.

(b)[2]

The actual times, in minutes, that customers spend at the information desk may be assumed to have mean $\mu$ and variance $4.8$. The researcher knows that in the past $\mu$ was $6.0$. He wants to test, at the $2\%$ significance level, whether that is still the case. He takes a random sample of 50 customers and records the time each spends at the information desk. State the probability of making a Type I error and explain what is meant by a Type I error in this context.

(c)[5]

Given that the mean time spent at the information desk by the 50 customers is $6.8$ minutes, carry out the test.

(d)[1]

Give a reason why the Central Limit Theorem had to be used in your answer to part (c).

Worked solution & mark scheme

This 9-mark question has a full step-by-step worked solution and mark scheme. One marking point: Later customers may have enquiry times that differ from those of the first customers

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