What type of statistical test would be appropriate for comparing two population means?

The appropriate statistical test for comparing two population means is the t-test. This test is specifically designed for situations where you want to determine if there is a significant difference between the means of two independent groups. It is based on the calculation of the test statistic that compares the means and takes into account the variability within each group and the sample sizes.

In contrast, the chi-square test is utilized for categorical data to assess how likely it is that an observed distribution is due to chance. ANOVA (Analysis of Variance) is used when comparing the means of three or more groups rather than just two, as it helps determine if there are any statistically significant differences among the means of multiple groups. The F-test, which is related to ANOVA, also assesses variance and is typically used to compare two variances rather than means.

Thus, the t-test is the most suitable choice for comparing two population means, making it the correct option in this context.