THE STUDENT’S t DISTRIBUTION

Single-sample mean
Two-sample mean
CHOOSING BETWEEN Z DISTRUBUTION
AND t DISTRIBUTION
Z Distribution t Distribution
• The sample is large • The sample is small
(≥ 100) (< 100)
• The population • The population
standard deviation standard deviation (σ)
(σ)is known is not known
• If the sample is large,
z distribution is used
although σ is not
known.
EXAMPLE:
Finding the t (critical)
(is also called t table – tt)

α = 0.05
Two-tailed test
N = 30
df = N – 1 = 30 – 1 = 29

Note: df = N – 1 is for single

sample Mean

t (critical) = 2.045
 DEGREE OF FREEDOM
Refers to the number of observation free around a constant
parameter

Illustration:
1. If you have to mention any five numbers that come into your
heads, you are free to choose the five numbers. They can be
3, 6, 7, 13, and 15 or whatever.
2. But if you have to mention five number of which the Mean
must be 20, you are basically free to choose only 4 numbers.
You can choose for the first four, but for the last number you
have to think that there is a restriction that the Mean must be
20.
Suppose you choose 3, 6, 7, 13 as the first four. Then you
have to choose ……. as the fifth number in order that the
Mean is 20.
3. You have five numbers to choose and one restriction.
Therefore, the degree of freedom (df) is then formulated as:
df = n – 1 =4–1 =3