10/10/21, 8:38 PM Combining normal random variables (practice) | Khan Academy

Math · AP®︎/College Statistics · Random variables and probability distributions

· Combining random variables

Combining normal random variables

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Some nations require their students to pass an exam before earning their primary school degrees or
diplomas. A certain nation gives students an exam whose scores are normally distributed with a
mean of 41 points and a standard deviation of 9 points.

Suppose we select 2 of these testers at random, and define the random variable D as the difference
between their scores. We can assume that their scores are independent.

Find the probability that their scores are within 10 points of each other.
You may round your answer to two decimal places.

P (∣D∣ < 10) ≈ 0.003

1/4 Thinking about the distribution of D

Math AP®︎/College The difference of normally distributed variables is also normally distributed, so the
Statistics Random variables difference between their scores D has a normal distribution. This allows us use normal
calculations to find the probability in question — we just need the mean and standard
and probability distributions
deviation of the difference D .
Combining random variables
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10/10/21, 8:38 PM Combining normal random variables (practice) | Khan Academy
The mean of the difference between their scores is the difference of the expected (or
Practice: Combining mean) scores for each tester:
random variables
μD = 41 − 41
Example: Analyzing
distribution of sum of two =0
normally distributed
random variables We can find the standard deviation of D by adding the variances of the scores of each
tester and taking the square root:
Example: Analyzing the 2
difference in distributions σD = 92 + 92

Combining normal random = 162

variables
σD = 162 ​

Practice: Combining
normal random variables
≈ 12.728

Next lesson 2/4 Representing probability with area

Introduction to the binomi…
Since we know the distribution of the difference D is normally distributed, the probability
that their scores are within 10 points of each other can be found by calculating the
shaded area between D = −10 and D = 10 in the corresponding normal distribution:

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10/10/21, 8:38 PM Combining normal random variables (practice) | Khan Academy

μD = 0
σD = 162
​ ​

P (∣D∣ < 10)

0
−10 D 10

3/4 Calculating shaded area

We can use the "normalcdf" function on most graphing calculators to find the shaded
area:

normalcdf:

lower bound:  − 10

upper bound: 10

μ=0

σ= 162

Output:
≈ 0.5679

[Why do we use normalcdf instead of normalpdf?]

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Related content

Example: Analyzing
distribution of sum of two
5:51
normally distributed random

Example: Analyzing the

difference in distributions
9:45

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