Final answer:
The p-value of 0.0175 is less than the significance level (α) of 0.05, indicating sufficient evidence to reject the null hypothesis and conclude the distributions in residence are different at the 5 percent level.
Step-by-step explanation:
When comparing a given level of significance (commonly denoted as α) with a p-value, we determine whether the evidence in the data is strong enough to reject the null hypothesis (Π). The p-value is a measure of how likely it is to achieve a result at least as extreme as the one observed, if the null hypothesis were true.
In your case, with a determined p-value of 0.0175 and assuming the level of significance (α) to be 0.05, you would compare them as follows:
- If α > p-value, then there is sufficient evidence to reject the null hypothesis (Π), indicating that the populations are significantly different.
Therefore, since 0.05 is greater than 0.0175, we reject Π and conclude that the distributions in residence are indeed different today, at the 5 percent level of significance.