Which of the following values is closest to the chi-square value the scientist calculated?

Chi-square Goodness of Fit is a statistical test commonly used to compare observed data with data we would expect to obtain.   Were the deviations (differences between observed and expected) the result of chance, or were they due to other factors?  

The chi-squared statistic is a single number that tells you how much difference exists between your observed counts and the counts you would expect if there were no difference at all in the population.  A low value for chi-square means there is little difference between what was observed and what would be expected.  In theory, if your observed and expected values were equal (“no difference”) then chi-square would be zero.  Tip: The Chi-square statistic can only be used on numbers. They can’t be used for percentages, proportions, means or similar statistical value. For example, if you have 10 percent of 200 people, you would need to convert that to a number (20) before you can run a test statistic.

Which of the following values is closest to the chi-square value the scientist calculated?

Just like other statistical tests, the Chi-Square Goodness of Fit tests two hypotheses:

Null Hypothesis:
"There is not a significant difference between what was observed and what was expected; any difference between observed and expected is likely due to chance and sampling error."

For example:

  • There is no significant difference between the numbers rolled on the die; the differences seen between numbers may be due to chance and sampling error.

Alternative Hypothesis:
"There is a significant difference between what was observed and what was expected; the differences between observed and expected is likely not due to chance or sampling error."

For example:  

  • There is a significant difference between the numbers rolled on the die; the differences seen between numbers are likely not due to chance or sampling error.

How to Calculate a Chi-Square Goodness of Fit

Which of the following values is closest to the chi-square value the scientist calculated?

  1. The first step in the calculation of an X2 value is to determine the expected numbers.  In genetics, you'd use a Punnett square to determine the theoretical expected values. 
  2. Then, use the formula for each observed and expected category: (O-E)2 / E
  3. The results are added together to get a final X2 value.  
  4. The calculated X2 value is than compared to the “critical value  X2” found in an X2 distribution table.  


  • The X2 distribution table represents a theoretical curve of  expected results. ​The expected results are based on DEGREES OF  FREEDOM.  Degrees of Freedom = number of categories – 1. ​

  • ​The X2 distribution table is organized by the Level of  Significance.  The level of significance is the maximum tolerable probability of accepting a false null hypothesis.  We use 0.05.  

Which of the following values is closest to the chi-square value the scientist calculated?

  • If our calculated value is lower than the critical value in the table at the 0.05 level of significance, we can accept our null hypothesis and conclude that there is NO significant difference between the observed and expected values. 
  • If our calculated value is higherthan the critical value in the table at the 0.05 level of significance, we can reject our null hypothesis and conclude that there IS a significant difference between the observed and expected  values.  

Performing a Chi-Square test in Google Sheets

  • The formula to  use is =CHITEST(observed_range, expected_range).  Where "observed_range" is the counts associated with each category of data and "expected_range" is the expected counts for each category under the null hypothesis.

Performing a Chi-Square test in Excel 2016

  • Enter your observed and expected values in columns.
  • Click the box in which you want the Chi Square value to be placed
  • Select Insert Function from the Formulas tab
  • Search for Chi Square test and select the CHISQ.TEST from the menu
  • Hit OK

Which of the following values is closest to the chi-square value the scientist calculated?

  • Select all of your observed (actual) results for the Actual_range and all of your expected results for the Expected_range.
  • Hit OK

Which of the following values is closest to the chi-square value the scientist calculated?

  • The resulting value is the P value for the Chi-Square  test.  If you don't want it to be in scientific notation, you can change the format of the number by selecting "number"  instead of "scientific."
  • If the p-value you get is less than 0.05, reject the null hypothesis  and conclude that there is a significant difference between the observed and expected values.  Likewise, if the p-value is more than 0.05, accept the null hypothesis and conclude that there is no significance difference between the observed and expected. 

Which of the following values is closest to the chi-square value the scientist calculated?

Performing a Chi-Square test with the TI-83/84 

  1. Press [2nd MATRIX]
  2. Select [EDIT - > 1:A]
  3. Copy the data by typing in each number and then pressing ENTER
  4. Now press STAT. Under the TESTS sub-menu, scroll down and select C:X2 TEST.  Press ENTER.
  5. Move the cursor down to DRAW and press ENTER.​
  6. If the p-value you get is less than 0.05, reject the null hypothesis  and conclude that there is a significant difference between the observed and expected values.  Likewise, if the p-value is more than 0.05, accept the null hypothesis and conclude that there is no significance difference between the observed and expected. ​

Which of the following values is closest to the chi-square value the scientist calculated?

What is the chi

To calculate chi square, we take the square of the difference between the observed (o) and expected (e) values and divide it by the expected value. Depending on the number of categories of data, we may end up with two or more values. Chi square is the sum of those values.

What is chi

Chi-square formula is a statistical formula to compare two or more statistical data sets. It is used for data that consist of variables distributed across various categories and is denoted by χ2. The chi-square formula is: χ2 = ∑(Oi – Ei)2/Ei, where Oi = observed value (actual value) and Ei = expected value.

Is there any alternative formula to find the value of chi

The critical value for the chi-square statistic is determined by the level of significance (typically . 05) and the degrees of freedom. The degrees of freedom for the chi-square are calculated using the following formula: df = (r-1)(c-1) where r is the number of rows and c is the number of columns.

How do you interpret chi

If your chi-square calculated value is greater than the chi-square critical value, then you reject your null hypothesis. If your chi-square calculated value is less than the chi-square critical value, then you "fail to reject" your null hypothesis.