The following data were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance.

A	B	C
34	27	19
26	23	21
31	29	22
28	21	12

Which one of the following statements is correct?

A. The purpose of the analysis is to determine whether the groups A, B, and C are independent.

B. The purpose of the analysis is to test the hypothesis that the population means of the three groups are equal.

C. The purpose of the analysis is to test the hypothesis that the population variances of the three groups are equal.

D. The purpose of the analysis is to test the hypothesis that the sample means of the three groups are equal.