document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=1157251>Question 1157251</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> Please help me formulate the null(Ho) and Alternative(Ha) Hypothesis and identify if the hypothesis test is left -, right- or non-directional\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "A doctor wants to know if the average recovery time of a patient taking a particular medication is one month\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #780091 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=Theo><B>Theo(13342)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-13.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=Theo><IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/aboutme-small.gif BORDER=0 alt=\"About Me\" VALIGN=MIDDLE></A>&nbsp;<IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/cgi-bin/show-face.mpl?user=Theo><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=780091\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> as far as i remember, the null  hypothesis is the one that it is assumed to be.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "the alternate hypothesis is telling you that it is not what it is supposed to be, i.e. it's not equal to one month.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "since you are looking for equal ot not equal, then you would have a non-directional test, i.e. it could be higher or it could be lower by a significant margin that you determine before making the test.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "that's the confidence interval.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "normally you would use 95% or 99% or 90% or something in that range, but it doesn't have to be.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "you would then take a sample and you would find the mean of the sample and the standard deviation of the sample if you don't have the standard deviation of the population.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "the mean of the population is assumed to be one month.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "you find the mean of the sample.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "you find the standard deviation of the distribution of sample means, which is called the standard error.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "this standard error depends on the size of the sample.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "but, i'm getting too deep for what you asked, so i'll stop here.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "for what you asked, the answer is:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "the null hypothesis assumes the mean is one month.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "the alternate hypothesis tests to see is the sample mean is within the confidence limits.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "if it is, then the null hypothesis is, then the null hypothesis is accepted.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "if it isn't, then the hull hypothesis is rejected.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "a two tail test is required because your test is equal or not equal.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "if your test was more than, or less than, the null value, then a one tailed test would be used, left for less and right for more.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "here's a reference that discusses some of the issues you are asking about.<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<a  rel=nofollow HREF= \"https://www3.nd.edu/~rwilliam/stats1/x24.pdf\" target = \"_blank\">https://www3.nd.edu/~rwilliam/stats1/x24.pdf</a>\r<BR>\n" );
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