Question

In an ANOVA, what does F=1 mean?

Answer 1

When using a F-test to compare variances, a value of `F=1` implies that the two variances are equal.

Explanation:

An F-test is used to test if the variances of two populations are equal. The statistic we define to test this is the ratio of the two variances:

`F = s_1^2/s_2^2`

Where `s_1` and `s_2` are the sample variances. The further this value deviates from 1, the more likely that the underlying variances are actually different. The F-distribution is used to quantify this likelihood for differing sample sizes and the confidence or significance we would like the answer to hold.

A value of `F=1` means that no matter what significance level we use for the test, we will conclude that the two variances are equal.

For more information see the following link:
http://www.itl.nist.gov/div898/handbook/eda/section3/eda359.htm