Unit 5: Hypothesis Test
A hypothesis test involves collecting and evaluating data from a sample. The data gathered and evaluated is then used to make a decision as to whether or not the data supports the claim that is made about the population. This unit will teach you how to conduct hypothesis tests and how to identify and differentiate between the errors associated with them.
Many times, you need answers to questions in order to make efficient decisions. For example, a restaurant owner might claim that his restaurant's food costs 30% less than other restaurants in the area, or a phone company might claim that its phones last at least one year more than phones from other companies. In order to decide whether it would be more affordable to eat at the restaurant that "costs 30% less" or another restaurant in the area, or in order to decide which phone company to choose based on the durability of the phone, you will have to collect data to justify these claims. The process of hypothesis testing is a way of decision-making. In this unit, you will learn to establish your assumptions through null and alternative hypotheses. The null hypothesis is the hypothesis that is assumed to be true and the hypothesis you hope to nullify, while the alternative hypothesis is the research hypothesis that you claim to be true. This means that you need to conduct the correct tests to be able to accept or reject the null hypothesis. You will learn how to compare sample characteristics to see whether there is enough data to accept or reject the null hypothesis.
Completing this unit should take you approximately 12 hours.