Which statistical test is appropriate for comparing the means of two methods?

The Student's t-test is the appropriate statistical test for comparing the means of two methods. This test is specifically designed to determine whether there is a significant difference between the means of two independent groups.

When you're comparing two methods, such as two different laboratory techniques measuring the same analyte, you want to see if the average results from both methods differ significantly. The t-test provides a way to assess the likelihood that any observed difference in the sample means is due to random chance versus a true difference in the populations being studied.

By using this test, you can calculate a t-statistic and an associated p-value, which will help you determine whether to reject or fail to reject the null hypothesis (which typically states that there is no difference between the two methods). This feature makes the Student's t-test a fundamental tool in clinical chemistry and research for validating new measurement techniques against established ones.

The other options, while related to statistical analysis, do not directly address the specific need for comparing means. The F distribution is used primarily in the context of ANOVA or variance comparisons, the correlation coefficient measures the strength and direction of a relationship between two variables, and linear regression assesses relationships rather than directly comparing means. Each of those tests serves different statistical purposes that