Explain a p-value to a high schooler in three bullets

About this exercise

Your sister is a high school junior and asked what a p-value means. Get exactly 3 bullets starting with the labels Idea:, Example: and Careful:, each under 20 words, plain text. Use the coin example from your notes, and make Careful: say what a p-value is NOT, as your professor does.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

• Using your own wrong note. Your notes still say the p-value is the probability the null is true. Try: Add: "It is NOT the probability the null is true, per Prof. Chen."
• Too much explaining. The AI writes a full lecture with a heading and a summary. Try: Say: "At most 3 bullets, each under 20 words."
• No example. Without the coin, it gets abstract fast. Try: Add: "Use the coin example: 9 heads in 10 flips, about 1%."
• Too many bullets. The AI loves long bullet lists. Try: Say: "At most 3 bullets."
• Trusting the AI to count words. AI is bad at counting. Ask for a total and it often lands 20% over. Try: Cap each part: "each line under 12 words."
• Forgetting where it's going. AI formats for a screen, with bold and headings that show up as stray symbols. Try: Say: "Plain text, no bold, no headings."

What a strong prompt includes

• Names the reader
• Sets the bullets and labels
• Uses the coin example
• Says what it is NOT
• Limits each bullet

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