Null Hypothesis Examples
By Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.
Updated September 04, 2019
Video Null Hypothesis
The null hypothesis—which assumes that there is no meaningful relationship between two
variables—may be the most valuable hypothesis for the scientific method because it is the easiest to test
using a statistical analysis. This means you can support your hypothesis with a high level of confidence.
Testing the null hypothesis can tell you whether your results are due to the effect of manipulating the
dependent variable or due to chance.
What Is the Null Hypothesis?
The null hypothesis states there is no relationship between the measured phenomenon (the dependent
variable) and the independent variable. You do not need to believe that the null hypothesis is true to test
it. On the contrary, you will likely suspect that there is a relationship between a set of variables. One way
to prove that this is the case is to reject the null hypothesis. Rejecting a hypothesis does not mean an
experiment was "bad" or that it didn't produce results. In fact, it is often one of the first steps toward
further inquiry.
To distinguish it from other hypotheses, the null hypothesis is written as H0 (which is read as “H-nought,”
"H-null," or "H-zero"). A significance test is used to determine the likelihood that the results supporting
the null hypothesis are not due to chance. A confidence level of 95 percent or 99 percent is common.
Keep in mind, even if the confidence level is high, there is still a small chance the null hypothesis is not
true, perhaps because the experimenter did not account for a critical factor or because of chance. This is
one reason why it's important to repeat experiments.
Examples of the Null Hypothesis
To write a null hypothesis, first start by asking a question. Rephrase that question in a form that assumes
no relationship between the variables. In other words, assume a treatment has no effect. Write your
hypothesis in a way that reflects this.
Question Null Hypothesis
Are teens better at math than adults? Age has no effect on mathematical ability.
Does taking aspirin every day reduce the Taking aspirin daily does not affect heart attack risk.
chance of having a heart attack?
Do teens use cell phones to access the internet Age has no effect on how cell phones are used for
more than adults? internet access.
Do cats care about the color of their food? Cats express no food preference based on color.
Does chewing willow bark relieve pain? There is no difference in pain relief after chewing willow
bark versus taking a placebo.
The Null Hypothesis
The null hypothesis reflects that there will be no observed effect in our experiment. This hypothesis is
denoted by H0 .
The null hypothesis is what we attempt to find evidence against in our hypothesis test. We hope to obtain
a small enough p-value that it is lower than our level of significance alpha and we are justified in rejecting
the null hypothesis. If our p-value is greater than alpha, then we fail to reject the null hypothesis. We will
learn about p-values in the next lab investigation of Photosynthesis.
If the null hypothesis is not rejected, then we must be careful to say what this means. The thinking on this
is similar to a legal verdict. Just because a person has been declared "not guilty", it does not mean that
he is innocent. In the same way, just because we failed to reject a null hypothesis it does not mean that
the statement is true.
For example, we may want to investigate the claim that despite what convention has told us, the mean
adult body temperature is not the accepted value of 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. The null hypothesis for an
experiment to investigate this is “The mean adult body temperature for healthy individuals is 98.6
degrees Fahrenheit.” If we fail to reject the null hypothesis, then our working hypothesis remains that the
average adult who is healthy has a temperature of 98.6 degrees. We do not prove that this is true.
If we are studying a new treatment, the null hypothesis is that our treatment will not change our subjects
in any meaningful way. In other words, the treatment will not produce any effect in our subjects.
The Alternative Hypothesis
The alternative or experimental hypothesis reflects that there will be an observed effect for our
experiment. This hypothesis is denoted by either Ha or by H1.
The alternative hypothesis is what we are attempting to demonstrate in an indirect way by the use of our
hypothesis test. If the null hypothesis is rejected, then we accept the alternative hypothesis. If the null
hypothesis is not rejected, then we do not accept the alternative hypothesis. Going back to the above
example of mean human body temperature, the alternative hypothesis is “The average adult human body
temperature is not 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit.”
If we are studying a new treatment, then the alternative hypothesis is that our treatment does, in fact,
change our subjects in a meaningful and measurable way.
Video Null Hypothesis
