Test statistic

A test statistic is a special way that scientists use to figure out if something they are studying is really important. It's kind of like a scorecard for a big game. Scientists use math to figure out a number that represents the data they gathered in their study. This number is called the test statistic.

Imagine you and your friends are trying to figure out who is the best at jumping. Each of you jumps ten times and records how far you jump each time. Then, you add up your ten scores to get your total score. The test statistic is like your total score - it's a way of combining all of the information you collected to see how good you are.

Scientists usually compare the test statistic they get with a special number that tells them if the test statistic is important or not. This special number is called the "p-value." The p-value helps the scientists decide if what they found in their study was a real effect or just by chance.

So, if your test statistic is really high, it means that you are a really good jumper compared to your friends. And if the p-value is really low, it means that your results are important and not just a coincidence.