Final answer:
The null hypothesis states no difference between the means of the two independent groups. The alternative hypothesis states that one group's mean is greater than or less than the other group's mean.
Step-by-step explanation:
H0 (Null Hypothesis): There is no difference between the means of the two independent groups being compared.
Ha (Alternative Hypothesis): The mean of one group is greater than (or less than) the mean of the other group.
The alternative hypotheses in an independent samples t-test (one-tailed) can differ depending on the specific research question and the directionality of the expected difference between the two groups being compared.