The average manufacturing work week in metropolitan Chattanooga was 40.1 hours last year. It is believed that the recession has led to a reduction in the average work week. To test the validity of this belief, the hypotheses are A) H0: μ

Question

The average manufacturing work week in metropolitan Chattanooga was 40.1 hours last year. It is believed that the recession has led to a reduction in the average work week. To test the validity of this belief, the hypotheses are
A) H0: μ < 40.1 Ha: μ ≥ 40.1
B) H0: μ ≥ 40.1 Ha: μ < 40.1
C) H0: μ > 40.1 Ha: μ ≤ 40.1
D) H0: μ = 40.1 Ha: μ ≠ 40.1

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The hypothesis test is trying to determine if the recession has led to a reduction in the average work week, so the null hypothesis (H0) should always assume that the population mean (μ) is still 40.1 hours or greater. The alternative hypothesis (Ha) should assume that the mean is less than 40.1 hours if we believe the recession did cause a reduction. Therefore, the best choice is B: H0: μ ≥ 40.1 and Ha: μ < 40.1.

The Average Manufacturing Work Week in Metropolitan Chattanooga Was 40