The number of degrees of freedom for the appropriate chi-square distribution in a test of independence is
A)n -1
B)k - 1
C)number of rows minus 1 times number of columns minus 1
D)a chi-square distribution is not used

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The number of degrees of freedom for the appropriate chi-square distribution in a test of independence is equal to the product of the number of rows minus 1 and the number of columns minus 1. This can be calculated as (r-1)(c-1), where r is the number of rows and c is the number of columns. This formula applies because in a test of independence, we are comparing the observed frequencies to the expected frequencies assuming that the row and column variables are independent. The degrees of freedom give us the number of parameters that can vary in the chi-square distribution and are necessary for calculating the p-value of the test.

The Number of Degrees of Freedom for the Appropriate Chi-Square