Lesson

NORMAL DISTRIBUTION
4

At the end of the lesson the learners, computes normal distribution corresponding
to a given random variable, illustrates the mean and variance of a discrete random
variable, calculates the mean and the variance of a discrete random variable.

INTRODUCTION
Historically, the discovery of normal distributions goes back to seventeenth
and eighteenth centuries and is associated with names of De Moivre (1667-1754),
Laplace (1749 – 1827) and Gauss (1777-1855). At that time, it received the
attention of mathematicians and natural and social scientists. Its application to
biological data was pioneered at a later date by sir Francis Galton (1822-1911). The
normal distribution, also called the normal law of error, is widely used in research
in the biological, physical and social sciences. In practical life we quite often come
across the distributions close to this distribution and hence the “normal” is used
for it. The word normal is not to be used as something opposite to the word
abnormal. Normal distribution is also called mother of distributions because
various other distributions are generated from the distribution. This distribution
makes the base for inferential statistics, a branch of statistics in which we draw
a conclusions about the populations on the basis of information gained from the
sample study.
NORMAL DISTRIBUTION
Normal distribution was first described in 1733 by De Moivre as being the limiting
form of the binomial density as the number of trials become infinite. This discovery
did not get much attention and the distribution was “discovered” again by both
Laplace and Gauss about a half – century later. Both men dealth with problems of
astronomy, and each derived the normal distribution as a distribution that
seemingly described of the errors in astronomical measurements. The distribution
is often referred to as the “Gaussian” distribution.
A normal distribution is a distribution of a continuous random variable whose
graph is a bell-shaped curve called Normal Curve.

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The Standard Normal Curve
Since each normally distributed variable has its own mean and standard
deviation, the shape and location of this curve will vary. Therefore, different tables
of values of areas under each curve will be needed for each variable. To simplify the
situation, statistician use standard normal distribution. The standard normal
distribution is a normal distribution with a mean of 0 and a standard deviation of
1.

Data can be "distributed" (spread out) in different ways.

It can be spread out more on the

left (positively Skewed)

It can be spread out more

on the right (negatively
Skewed)

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 But there are many cases where
the data tends to be around a
central value with no bias left or
right, and it gets close to a "Normal
Distribution" like this:
(Symmetric)

PROPERTIES OF NORMAL DISTRIBUTION

 The normal distribution Curve is a bell shaped

 The mean, median and mode are equal and located at the center of
the distribution.
 The normal distribution curve is unimodal
 The curve is symmetrical about the mean
 The curve is continuous
 The curve never touches the x-axis
 The total area under the normal distribution curve is equal to 1
or 100%.

Note: Many things closely follow a Normal Distribution:

 Heights of people
 Size of things produced by machines
 Errors in measurements
 Marks on a test

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STANDARDIZING A NORMAL CURVE
All normally distributed variables can be transformed into standard normally
value−mean X−μ
distributed variable by using the formula z= ∨z=
standard deviation σ
Where μ is the mean and σ is the standard deviation of the normal distribution.
This gives the number of standard deviations that the x value is from the mean
μ.
Example 1:
Determine the z value for each of the following x-values for a normal
distribution with μ = 16 and σ = 3.

a. x = 12 b. x = 8 c. x = 22 d. x = 25

Solution: using the formula,

X −μ
z= (if z−value is unknown)
σ
X =( z ) (σ )+¿ μ(if x−value isunknown )
μ=−( z )( σ )+ X (if mean isunknown)
X−μ
σ= (if standard deviation isunknown)
z

12−16 −4 22−16 6
a. z= = =−1.33 c. z= = =2
3 3 3 3

8−16 −8
b. z= = =−2.67
3 3

25−16 9
z= = =3
3 3

To find the area between two values of x for a normal distribution, convert first
the values of x to their corresponding z – values. The area between the z- values
gives the area between the corresponding x- values.
Example 2:
For a continuous random variable that has a normal distribution with mean of
20 and a standard deviation of 4, find the area under the normal curve from x =
20 and x = 27.

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 Solution: First standardize the normal distribution by converting the x – values
to z – values.
X −μ 20−20 0
z= z= = =0
σ 4 4
27−20
z= =1.75The area between z = 0 and z = 1.75 is 0.4608. Therefore, the area
4
under the normal curve between x = 20 and x = 27 is 0.4608.
FINDING THE AREA UNDER THE NORMAL CURVE
Because of the importance of areas under the standard normal curved,
tables of those areas have been constructed. A four-decimal-place number in
the table gives the area under the standard normal curve between 0 and a
specified number or value of z.
Example1: Determine the area under the standard normal curve between 0
and 1.96.
Solution: Using the z-table of values first go down the left – hand column,
labelled z to “1.9”. Then go across that row until the column 0.06. The number
in the table, 0.4750, is the area under the standard normal curve between 0
and 1.96.

1.96

Example2: Determine the area under the standard normal curve between z = -1.53
and 0.
Solution: Apply the fact that the standard normal curve is symmetric about 0.
First, find the area between 0 and 1.53. Go down the z column to 1.5 and then
across that row until the column 0.03. The value is 0.4370. By symmetry, the area

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between -1.53 and 0 is also 0.4370.

Although the z- values can be negative, areas must be positive. The next example
illustrates how to find the area under the normal curve to the right of the positive z
– value. Recall that a property of the standard normal curve is that its area is 1.
Since the curve is symmetric about 0, it follows that the area under the standard
normal curve to the right of z = 0 is 0.5.
Example 3: Find the area under the normal curve to the right of z = 0.71.
Solution: The area between z = 0 and z = 0.71 is 0.2611. Because the total area to
the right of z = 0.5, the area to the right of 0.71 must be 0.5 – 0.2611 = 0.2389

Example 4: Find the area under the standard normal curve to the left of z = -2.12.
Solution: By symmetry, find first the area between z = -2.12 and z = 0. The number
is 0.4830. Since the area under the standard normal curve to the left of z = 0 is 0.5,
then the area to its left must be 0.5 – 0.4830 = 0.0170

In the next example, the area under the standard normal curve between two
positive values of z will be determined.

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Example 5: Find the area under the standard normal curve between z = 1.08 and z
= 2.96.
Solution: the area between z = 0 and z = 1.08 is 0.3599 (see a figure below) and
the area between z = 0 and z = 2.96 is 0.4985 (refer to figure b below).

The required area is the difference of the area between 0 and 2.96 and the area
between 0 and 1.08 (refer to figure c above).
Area = 0.4985 – 0.3599 = 0.1386
Example 6: Determine the area under the standard normal curve between z = -1.3
and 0 to the area between 0 and 0.99.
Solution: To find the area, simply add the area between -1.3 and 0 to the area
between 0 and 0.99.

A1: Area between -1.3 and 0 = 0.4032

A2: Area between 0 and 0.99 = 0.3389 between z = -1.35 and z = -2.15
Thus, the required area is
A = A1+ A2
= 0.4032 + 0.3389
= 0.7421

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Name: Score: _______

Grade & Section:________________________________________ Date: __________

LEARNING TASK 3
A. Find the area under the standard normal distribution curve.

1. Between 0 and 0.40 16. Between 2.13 and 1.2

2. Between 0 and 1.62
3. Between 0 and 0.89
4. To the left of – 1.48
5. Between 0 and 2.21
6. Between 0 and 0.12
7. To the left of 2.36
8. Between – 1.55 and 0
9. Between – 2.22 and 0
10. To the left of 0.12
11. Between – 1.14 and 0
12. Between – 0.45 and 0
13. To the left of – 0.57
14. Between – 2.46 and 1.11
15. Between – 1.1 and – 0.3
17. Between 0.4 and 0.6
18. Between – 1.71 and – 0.24
19. Between – 1.65 and 2.23
20. To the right of 0.24
21. To the right of – 2.07
22. Between – 0.64 and – 0.42
23. To the right of 1.34
24. Between – 0.36 and 0.21
25. To the right of – 1.08
26. Between – 0.41 and 1.3
27. To the right of 2.15
28. Between 2.12 and – 2.22
29. Between – 0.21 and – 0.07
30. Between 0.33 and 2.11

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The Normal Distribution Curve as a Probability
The Normal Distribution curve can be used as probability distribution curve for
normally distributed variables. The area under the curve corresponds to a
probability. That is, if it were possible to select any z value at random, the
probability of choosing one, say between 0 and 1.5 would be the same as the area
under the curve between 0 and 1.5. In this case, the area is 0.4332 therefore; the
probability of selecting any z value between 0 and 1.5 is 0.4332 or 43.32%.
For probabilities, a special notation is used. For example, if the problem is to find
the probability of any z value between 0 and 1.5, this probability is written as
P(0<z<1.5).

1. Find the probability for each using standard normal distribution.

a. P(0 < z < 1.65) = 45.05%
b. P(-2.3 < z < 0) = 48.93%
c. P(z > 0.56) = 28.77%
d. P( z < 1.8) = 96.41 %
e. P(-2.3 < z < 0.79) = 77.45%

2. A brisk walk at 4 miles per hour burns an average of 300 calories per
hour. If the standard deviation of the distribution is 8 calories,
find the probability that a person who walks one hour at the rate of 4
miles per hour will burn the following calories. Assume the variable to
be normally distributed.
a. More than 280 calories
b. Less than 294 calories
c. Between 278 and 318 calories
Solution: To solve this problem, transform first the values of the variable
into z value using μ = 300 and σ = 8. Then determine each probability.
More than 280 calories
x−μ 280−300 −20
z= = = =−2.5 Therefore, P(z > -2.5) = 0.4938 + 0.5 = 0.9938 or
σ 8 8
99.38%
Less than 294 calories
x−μ 294−300 −6
z= = = =−0.75 Therefore, P(z < -0.75)= 0.5 – 0.2734 = 0.2266 or
σ 8 8
22.66%
Find the probability Between 278 and 318 calories
x−μ 278−300 −22
z= = = =−2.75
σ 8 8
x−μ 318−300 18
z= = = =2.25
σ 8 8

Therefore, P(-2.75 < Z <2.25) = 0.4970 + 0.4878 = 0.9848 Or 98.48%

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3. For a medical study a researcher wishes to select people in the middle
of 40% of the population based on the blood pressure. If the mean
systolic blood pressure is 120 and the standard deviation is 8. Find
the upper and lower reading that would qualify people to participate in
the study.
μ = 120
σ=8
z = 40% or 0.40 ÷ 2 = 0.20 ito ay area nasa gitna siya ng area ng
0.1985 at 0.2019
z =0.52 at z = 0.53
0.52+0.53
=0.525 , the z value of A = 0.20 is ±0.525
2
x =?
x = (z)(σ) +μ
= (0.525)(8) +120
= 4.2 + 120
X =124.2 upper reading

The z value of a = 0.20 is -0.525

x = (z)(σ) +μ
=(-0.525)(8)+120
= -4.2 +120
X =115.8
Therefore, the middle 40% will have blood pressure reading of
115.8 <x<124.2.

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Drill:
A. Find the probabilities for each of the following.
1. P(0 < z < 2.0)
2. P(0 < z < -1.3)
3. P(2.11< z < 0.74)
4. P(-1.43 < z < 1.0)
5. P(-1.34 < z < -1.24)
6. P(z < 2.28)
7. P(z >-1.48)
8. P(z < -1.55)
9. P(z > 1.62)
10. P(z < -0.05)
B. If the systolic blood pressure for a certain group of obese people
has a mean of 132 and a standard deviation of 8, find the
probability that a randomly selected person will have the following
blood pressure. Assume the variable is normally distributed.
a. Above 130
b. Below 150
c. Between 125 and 158
C. The average of a company’s president is 56 years old. Assume that
the variables are normally distributed. If the standard deviation is
four years, find the probability that the age of a randomly selected
president will be in the following range.
a. Between 52 and 58
b. Between 57 and 65
c. Between 50 and 55

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 90% = 0.90 ÷ 2 = 0.45 ito ay area nasa gitna siya ng area ng 0.4495
at 0.4505
z = 1.64 and z =1.65
1.64+165
=1.645 , the z value of A=0.45 IS 1.645
2

60% = 0.60 ÷ 2=¿ 0.30

0.2995 and 0.3023

Z = 0.84 and z = 0.85

0.84+0.85
=0.845
2

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