t-distribution: Apply It 1

  • Check the conditions for a [latex]t[/latex]-distribution, then use a [latex]t[/latex]-distribution to calculate probabilities when appropriate.

A barista behind the counter of a coffee shop.

Working Through College

Many undergraduate students are employed at the same time they are enrolled in school. In 2020, the National Center for Education Statistics reported that [latex]40\%[/latex] of full-time students worked.[1] Being employed while in school can help a student pay for tuition, housing, and other expenses, but it can also be associated (either positively or negatively) with a student’s academic performance.

A random sample of [latex]15[/latex] employed full-time students at a large university was selected for a survey on employment. The following is the number of hours (in increasing order) worked per week for each of those [latex]15[/latex] students:

2   5   7  10  16  19  19  22  23  26  27  27  31  40  50

Step 1: Select Your Own under Enter Data.
Step 2: Enter a descriptive name for the variable (e.g., Hours Worked per Week).
Step 3: Copy and paste the observations above into the statistical tool.


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  1. U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics. (2020). College student employment. Retrieved from https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/ssa/college-student-employment