Chapter 8.4, Problem 5BSC

Testing Claims About Variation. In Exercises 5-16, test the given claim. Identify the null hypothesis, alternative hypothesis, test statistic, P-value, or critical value(s), then state the conclusion about the null hypothesis, as well as the final conclusion that addresses the original claim. Assume that a simple random sample is selected from a normally distributed population.

5. Pulse Rates of Men A simple random sample of 153 men results in a standard deviation of 11.3 beats per minute (based on Data Set 1 “Body Data” in Appendix B). The normal range of pulse rates of adults is typically given as 60 to 100 beats per minute. If the range rule of thumb is applied to that normal range, the result is a standard deviation of 10 beats per minute. Use the sample results with a 0.05 significance level to test the claim that pulse rates of men have a standard deviation equal to 10 beats per minute; see the accompanying StatCrunch display for this test. What do the results indicate about the effectiveness of using the range rule of thumb with the “normal range” from 60 to 100 beats per minute for estimating σ in this case?