Question

As a scientist, you are assigned the task of finding out if the disappearance of a particular fish species from a lake in the Northwestern United States is due to acid rain resulting from industrial air pollution. Identify alternative hypotheses that could explain the disappearance of the species. What is the advantage of formulating alternative hypotheses in a scientific study.

Answer 1

Check this site:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypothesis

Answer 2

As the question is asking for alternative hypotheses, have you been recently covered null hypothesis? Have a look at the section on null hypothesis in the wikipedia site above.

Answer 3

please help with question because the professor we cant use the wikipedia

Answer 4

In that case have a look at

http://www.stats.gla.ac.uk/steps/glossary/hypothesis_testing.html