Excel Instructions: Hypothesis Testing for the Population Mean
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To carry out the test using Excel, we need to find the value of the test statistic (t), which we calculate using

Before we can do this, we first have to calculate the values for each of the variables in the equation:
- First, we need to calculate x-bar, the sample mean. To do this, we use the AVERAGE function in Excel—in this case, =AVERAGE(A2:A76).
- Next, we calculate s, the sample standard deviation, using the STDEV function in Excel over the same range of data.
- We know μo and n from reading the problem statement, so we can now calculate a value for t.
- Finally, we find our P-value using the Excel function TDIST(t, n-1, 2).