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Hypothesis tests to determine if the plan works as advertised

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A TV add, aimed at men, claims that drinking a special weight loss medicine before every meal will result in the loss of at least 5 pounds after two weeks. A skeptical newspaper reporter decides to check if the plan works by having 10 randomly selected women follow the plan for the four week period. The weights for the individual subjects before and after the two week period are tabulated below.
Conduct a test of hypotheses to determine if the plan works as advertised. Let alpha=.05. Be sure to state your hypotheses.

Subject Before After
1 147.5 140.9
2 140.8 137.8
3 119.3 117.6
4 157.4 151.8
5 139.4 137.2
6 144.7 142.3
7 146.0 139.4
8 149.6 144.4
9 143.6 141.2
10 147.1 140.9

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Solution Summary

A TV add, aimed at men, claims that drinking a special weight loss medicine before every meal will result in the loss of at least 5 pounds after two weeks. A skeptical newspaper reporter decides to check if the plan works by having 10 randomly selected women follow the plan for the four week period. The weights for the individual subjects before and after the two week period are tabulated below.
Conduct a test of hypotheses to determine if the plan works as advertised. Let alpha=.05. Be sure to state your hypotheses.

Subject Before After
1 147.5 140.9
2 140.8 137.8
3 119.3 117.6
4 157.4 151.8
5 139.4 137.2
6 144.7 142.3
7 146.0 139.4
8 149.6 144.4
9 143.6 141.2
10 147.1 140.9

Solution Preview

Let's see if we can shed a little light on the situation you have presented. But before getting into the actual solution how about coming along with me on a little review of statistics in general. Don't be fearful...it won't hurt!..really...

Always keep in mind that statistical processes, when conducted properly, for the right reason, and under the reight circumstance can almost be magical. On the other hand, if not done properly, under the right circumstance, or for the right reason then the famous words of Benjamin Disreali (or some attribute the words to Mark Twain) that "There are lies, damned lies, and there are statistics". You see mistakes in statistical choice or process and application can really screw up an entire study and make the results worthless. For all intent and purpose statistical processes are for one of three, or combination of, three things: to establish relationships, to establish effects of to establish differences. Always keep this in mind and you will never have a problem understanding statistics again. Okay...with me so far? good..one last little piece of advice before solving your problem.

Don't let statistics scare you as they are not forms of analytic geometry, advance calculus, or upper level algebra. Stastitics are just a mathematical expression of the basic arithmetic we all learned in school; namely addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Look at any stat. formula and thats exactly what you will find -- addition, multiplication, subtraction, and division. Hey..the only difference is that statistical fromulae have some funny little Greek symbols attached to them. Okay now...let's go yo your situation...

I am not sure if your instructor made a simple mistake or he/she wanted to trick you. :-) Take a closer look at your problem and pick out the inconsistency. This mistake, in the true world of ...

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