Z Calculated Formula Calculator
Calculate the Z-statistic (Z-score) for hypothesis testing based on sample data and population parameters.
Understanding the Z Calculated Formula
In statistics, the Z calculated formula (often called the Z-test statistic) is used to determine how far a sample mean deviates from the population mean, measured in units of standard error. It is a critical component of hypothesis testing, specifically when the population variance is known or the sample size is large (n > 30).
The Formula
- x̄ (Sample Mean): The average value obtained from your sample data.
- μ (Population Mean): The hypothesized or known mean of the entire population.
- σ (Standard Deviation): The measure of dispersion in the population.
- n (Sample Size): The total number of observations in your sample.
How to Interpret the Result
The Z-score represents how many standard deviations the sample mean is away from the population mean. In hypothesis testing:
- Positive Z: The sample mean is higher than the population mean.
- Negative Z: The sample mean is lower than the population mean.
- Magnitude: Typically, a Z-score greater than 1.96 or less than -1.96 indicates that the result is statistically significant at a 95% confidence level (α = 0.05).
Practical Example
Imagine a factory claims their lightbulbs last for 1,000 hours (μ = 1000) with a standard deviation of 50 hours (σ = 50). You test 100 bulbs (n = 100) and find they actually last 990 hours (x̄ = 990).
- Difference: 990 – 1000 = -10
- Standard Error: 50 / √100 = 5
- Z Calculated: -10 / 5 = -2.00
Since -2.00 is less than -1.96, you would likely reject the manufacturer's claim at a 5% significance level.