In order to determine whether or not there is a significant difference between the mean hourly wages paid by two companies (of the same industry), the following data have been accumulated. The test statistic is
A) .098.
B) 1.645.
C) 2.75.
D) 3.08.

Question

In order to determine whether or not there is a significant difference between the mean hourly wages paid by two companies (of the same industry), the following data have been accumulated.  ​ The test statistic is
A) .098. 
B) 1.645. 
C) 2.75. 
D) 3.08.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The test statistic is calculated using the formula:

t = (x̄1 - x̄2) / (s√((1/n1) + (1/n2)))

where x̄1 and x̄2 are the sample means, s is the pooled standard deviation, n1 and n2 are the sample sizes.

Using the data provided, we can calculate the test statistic as:

t = (19.73 - 18.5) / (2.69 √((1/21) + (1/22))) = 3.08

Comparing the test statistic to a t-distribution with degrees of freedom equal to (21+22-2) = 41, and a significance level of 0.05 (two-tailed), we find that the critical value is 2.021.

Since the calculated test statistic (3.08) is greater than the critical value (2.021), we can reject the null hypothesis and conclude that there is a significant difference between the mean hourly wages paid by the two companies.

In Order to Determine Whether or Not There Is a Significant