A phycologist is interested in determining the proportion of algae samples from a local rivulet that belong to a particular phyla, and he believes the phyla should be uniformly distributed. A simple random sample of 60 alga was obtained, and each was categorized as being a member of Rhodophyta, Chlorophyta, or Heterokontophyta. The observed counts were 25, 25, and 10, respectively. Under the null hypothesis of a uniform distribution of algae to phyla, what is the expected number of algae samples that would be categorized as Chlorophyta?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Under the null hypothesis of a uniform distribution, each phylum should have an equal number of samples. With 60 samples and 3 phyla, the expected number for each phylum is 60/3 = 20.

A Phycologist Is Interested in Determining the Proportion of Algae