Question

If we were looking for evidence that the population mean cholesterol level - or μ - is too high, what would our Alternative Hypothesis be in terms of μ?

a. μ=225 mg/dL
b. μ>200 mg/dL
c. μ<225 mg/dL
d. μ = 200 mg/dL

Answer 1

The alternative hypothesis suggesting the population mean cholesterol level is too high is represented by μ>200 mg/dL.

Step-by-step explanation:

If we are looking for evidence that the population mean cholesterol level - or μ - is too high, the alternative hypothesis would be that the mean cholesterol level is greater than what is considered a normal or safe value. We define normal or safe as under 200 mg/dL because levels above this are associated with an increased risk of heart disease. Therefore, the correct alternative hypothesis in terms of μ is μ>200 mg/dL, which implies we believe the true mean of the population's cholesterol levels might be greater than 200 mg/dL.

The alternative hypothesis for testing if the population mean cholesterol level is too high, denoted by μ, would be b. μ>200 mg/dL. This hypothesis suggests that the population mean cholesterol level is greater than 200 mg/dL, indicating that it is too high.