Chi Square Practice Problems

Name: _____________________________ Class: _____

Directions: Solve all problems using a chi square analysis. You must use statistics to support your answers.
1. A zookeeper hypothesizes that changing the intensity of the light in the primate exhibits will reduce
the amount of aggression between the baboons. In exhibit A, with a lower light intensity,
he observes 36 incidences of aggression over a one month period. In exhibit B, with
normal lights, he observes 42 incidences of aggression. Should he support or reject his
hypothesis?
Null Hypoth: There is no statistically significant difference between the observed results and the
expected results. (Changing light intensity does not reduce baboon aggression.)
Light intensity
B, normal light
A, lower light

Aggressive acts
42
36
Total - 78

You would expect the values to be equal if there was no light difference, so just divide by 2 to get expected
results
Expected values
B, normal light
A, lower light

Normal light
Lower light

Aggressive acts
39
39
Total - 78

o
42
36

e
39
39

(o-e)
3
-3

(o-e)
9
9

(o-e) /e
9/39 = .23
9/39 = .23

X2 = .46
Deg of freed 1, critical value at .05 = 3.84
.46 < 3.84, so accept the null light intensity does not have an effect on
aggression.

2. At a high school, students can choose to enter one of three doors. Custodians noticed that door #3 was always
getting broken and suggested that more students use that door because it has a hands-free opener. Science minded
students counted the number of students entering each door to see if the custodians were right. Door #1 had 60
students enter | Door #2 had 66 students enter | Door #3 had 80 students enter. Were the custodians right?
Null Hypoth: There is no statistically significant difference between the observed results and the expected results. (No
door is chosen in preference to the others.)
Door
#1
#2
#3

Observed use
60 students
66 students
80 students
206 students

Door
#1
#2
#3

o
60
66
80

Expected use
68.67 students
68.67 students
68.67 students
206/3 = 69 expected for each door
e
68.67
68.67
68.67

(o-e)
-8.67
-2.67
11.33

(o-e)
75.1689
7.1289
128.3689

(o-e) /e
1.0946
.1038
1.8694

X2 = 3.068
Deg of freedom 2, critical value at .05 = 5.99
3.068 < 5.99, accept the null no preferred door choice

3. A scientist predicts that the kittens born with a congenital birth defect will be 25% based on the hypothesis that it is
caused be a recessive gene in that breed of cat. After surveying several litters, he found that 44 out of 125 kittens had
the defect. Is his hypothesis correct?
Null Hypoth: There is no statistically significant difference between the observed results and the expected results. (The
birth defect seen in these kittens is not due to anything other than Mendelian Genetics.)

Type of kitten born

Normal
Congenital defect

Observed
81
44

Expected
94
31

125 total kittens observed

Normal kittens
Congenital defect

o
81
44

e
94
31

(o-e)
-13
13

(o-e)
169
169

(o-e) /e
1.798
5.45

X2 = 7.25
Deg of freedom 1, critical value at .05 = 3.84
7.25 > 3.84, reject the null something other than Mendelian Genetics with
recessive genes is affecting the birth of kittens with a congenital defect.

4. Suppose you take a random sample of 30 students who are using a new math text and a second sample of 30 students
who are using a more traditional text. You compare student achievement on the state test given to all students at the end
of the course. Based on state test performance, would you recommend the new math book?
Observed results

Passed State Test

Failed State Test

New Textbook

26

Old Textbook

22

Null Hypoth: There is no statistically significant difference between the observed results and the expected results.
(Success on the state test was not due to differences in the math textbook.)

Now you need to determine the expected values to get a comparisonthis is done with a simple addition of
what you have from the observed dataheres a formula for how to do that!

Expected results
New text
Old text

NT passed
NT failed
OT passed
OT failed

Passed state test

30x48/60 = 24
30x48/60 = 24

o
26
4
22
8

Failed state test

30x12/60 = 6
30x12/60 = 6

e
24
6
24
6

(o-e)
2
-2
-2
2

(o-e)
4
4
4
4

(o-e) /e
.167
.667
.167
.667

X2 = 1.67
Deg of freedom 3, critical value at .05 = 7.82
1.67< 7.82 accept the null Success on the state test was not due to differences
in the math textbook.

5. In a study of the effectiveness of an antipsychotic drug, patients treated with the drug were compared to patients
receiving a placebo. In terms of the number relapsing, 698 of 1,068 patients relapsed after taking the placebo while
639 out of 2,127 patients relapsed after taking the antipsychotic drug. Test the prediction that the antipsychotic is
significantly more effective in preventing relapse than the placebo.
Null Hypoth: There is no statistically significant difference between the observed results and the expected results.
(The antipsychotic drug is no more effective than the placebo.)
(use the tables for formulas given in #4)

Observed results
Placebo
Antipsychotic
totals

No relapse
370
1488
1858

Relapse
698
639
1337

Expected results
Placebo
Antipsychotic

No relapse
621.01
1236.92

Relapse
447.26
890.74

Placebo no
relapse
Placebo relapse
Antipsych no
relapse
Antipsych relapse

totals
1068
2127
3195

o
370

e
621

(o-e)
-251

(o-e)
63,001

(o-e) /e
101.45

698
1488

447
1237

251
251

63,001
63,001

140.94
50.93

639

891

-252

63,504

71.27

X2 = 364.59
Deg of freedom 3, critical value at .05 = 7.82
364.59 > 7.82 Reject the null The antipsychotic drug is significantly more
effective in preventing relapse.

6. A student makes a monohybrid cross with Drosophila (fruit flies). She crosses two heterozygotes for the white eye.
Ww x Ww. She expects to see a 3:1 phenotypic ratio of Red eyes (WW and Ww) to white eyes (ww) this is her null
hypothesis. She rears the next generation through to adult flies and counts the following numbers:
White eyes 210
Wild type (red eyes) 680
Perform a chi square analysis on these results and find out if it is close enough to 3:1 to fail to reject her null hypothesis.
Make sure to show all work and explain your conclusions.

Null Hypoth: There is no statistically significant difference between the observed results and the expected results. (Eye
color in fruit flies follows Mendelian Genetics and nothing else is affecting it.)
Eye color
White
Red

White
Red

Observed
210
680

o
210
680

Expected
223
667

e
223
667

(o-e)
-13
13

(o-e)
169
169

(o-e) /e
.76
.25

X2 = 1.01
Deg of freedom 1, critical value at .05 = 3.84
1.01 < 3.84, Accept the null eye color in fruit flies follows Mendelian Genetics.