Given the sample information below, what test statistic should be used to determine whether the standard deviations are equal for two populations, prior to performing a hypothesis test for the equality of the population means?

a. F = 2.49, with numerator degrees of freedom = 29 and denominator degrees of freedom = 19
b. F = 0.40, with degrees of freedom = 19

Sample 1 30 45 3 Sample 2 20 32 1.9