Final answer:
The provided F statistic from a one-way ANOVA is 2.2303, which is not exactly matched by any of the options, but the closest option given is (b) 2.45. The ANOVA test is right-tailed, and the significance of the F statistic depends on the p-value and the alpha level.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine if there is a difference in mean sales at the bakery in Atlanta, Boston, or Chicago, you were instructed to conduct a one-way ANOVA test using specific sales data, referred to as the q19 sales file. The question asks for the F-test statistic after performing the ANOVA. According to the information provided, the calculated F statistic is 2.2303.
The F-test statistic is used to test the null hypothesis that there is no variance among group means in the sample data. If this value is sufficiently high, it could lead us to reject the null hypothesis, suggesting that there are statistically significant differences in mean sales at the bakeries across the three cities. Comparing the provided F statistic with the options given in the question (a) 1.23, (b) 2.45, (c) 3.67, and (d) 4.89, none exactly match the calculated F statistic of 2.2303; therefore, it appears that none of the provided options are correct. However, if the task was to select the closest value, then option (b) 2.45 would be the closest approximation to 2.2303.
An ANOVA test is always right-tailed, meaning that a high F statistic corresponds to a low p-value, which increases the likelihood of rejecting the null hypothesis, indicating a difference in group means. The F statistic is compared against a critical value from F-distribution tables for a given alpha level, degrees of freedom, and sample sizes.