Quiz Active TIME REMAINING Zachary completes a hypothesis test and finds that he rejects the null hypothesis. Which statement gives a reason for rejecting the null hypothesis? The \( z \)-statistic is less than 0 . The \( z \)-statistic lies in the critical region. The \( z \)-statistic lies outside the critical region. The \( z \)-statistic is greater than 0 .

Zachary rejects the null hypothesis because the \( z \)-statistic lies in the critical region. This critical region is determined by the significance level chosen for the test (like 0.05), and if the \( z \)-statistic exceeds this boundary, it suggests strong enough evidence against the null hypothesis. In hypothesis testing, rejecting the null hypothesis typically indicates that the results observed are statistically significant. This leads to the conclusion that the alternative hypothesis may be true, and it opens the door for further exploration or action based on these findings.