The main characteristics of the normal distribution are:

1. Bell-shaped curve: The normal distribution is symmetric and forms a bell-shaped curve. The
majority of data points cluster around the mean, and the distribution is symmetrical around the
mean.
2. Mean and median coincide: The mean, median, and mode of a normal distribution are all
equal and located at the center of the distribution.
3. Standard deviation determines spread: The standard deviation measures the spread or
variability of the data. A smaller standard deviation indicates that the data points are closer to
the mean, while a larger standard deviation indicates a greater dispersion of data points.
4. Empirical Rule: The normal distribution follows the empirical rule, also known as the 68-95-
99.7 rule, which states that approximately 68% of the data falls within one standard deviation
of the mean, about 95% falls within two standard deviations, and approximately 99.7% falls
within three standard deviations.

Z-scores, also known as standard scores, are advantageous because they allow us to compare and
standardize data from different normal distributions. By calculating the Z-score, we can determine how
many standard deviations a particular data point is away from the mean of its distribution. Z-scores
provide a standardized measure that can be used to compare data points from different distributions
and understand their relative positions within their respective distributions.

1. Now, let's calculate the Z-score for an SAT Math score of 600.
Given
A mean (µ) of 700
and a standard deviation (σ) of 150.
Z-score formula: Z = (x - µ) /σ
Plugging in the values: 
Z = (600 - 700) / 150
 Z = -1/1.5 
Z = -0.67
 
Interpretation: A Z-score of -0.67 for an SAT Math score of 600 means that the score is 0.67 standard
deviations below the mean. In other words, the score is below average but still relatively close to the
mean.
 
 
Explanation:
 
The Z-score of -0.67 indicates that the SAT Math score of 600 is below the mean by 0.67 standard
deviations. This means that the score is lower than the average score (700), but it is still relatively
close to the mean. The negative sign indicates that the score is below the mean, while the absolute
value of the Z-score provides information about how far below the mean the score is in terms of
standard deviations.
 
 

2.
The main characteristics of the normal distribution are as follows:

1. Symmetry: The normal distribution is symmetric, which means that the left and right halves of
the distribution are mirror images of each other. The mean, median, and mode of the
distribution are all equal and located at the center.
2. Bell-shaped curve: The normal distribution has a characteristic bell-shaped curve. The
majority of the data points cluster around the mean, and as you move away from the mean in
either direction, the number of data points gradually decreases.
3. Continuous and unimodal: The normal distribution is a continuous distribution with a single
peak or mode. It does not have any gaps or outliers.
4. Parameters: The normal distribution is fully defined by its mean (µ) and standard deviation
(σ). These parameters determine the center and spread of the distribution, respectively.
Using Z-scores (also known as standard scores) is advantageous because they allow us to
standardize and compare data from different normal distributions. Z-scores measure the distance of a
data point from the mean in terms of standard deviations. By converting values to Z-scores, we can
determine how rare or unusual a particular value is within a distribution.
To find the interval [a, b] that captures 68% of the SAT Math scores, we need to determine the range
within one standard deviation of the mean.
 
Given that
The mean (µ) is 700
and the standard deviation (σ) is 150,
we can use the following formula:
a = µ - σ 
b=µ+σ
Substituting the values, we get:
a = 700 - 150
 = 550
 
b = 700 + 150 
= 850
 
Therefore, the interval [a, b] that captures 68% of the SAT Math scores is [550, 850].
 
 
Explanation:
 
The interval [550, 850] captures 68% of the SAT Math scores. This means that approximately 68% of
the scores fall within one standard deviation of the mean. The lower bound, 550, represents the score
that is one standard deviation below the mean, while the upper bound, 850, represents the score that
is one standard deviation above the mean.
 
 
 
 
3.
The main characteristics of the normal distribution are as follows:

1. Bell-shaped: The normal distribution has a symmetric bell-shaped curve, with the highest
point at the mean. The shape of the curve is determined by the mean and standard deviation
of the distribution.
2. Mean and median coincide: The mean, median, and mode of a normal distribution are all
equal and located at the center of the distribution.
3. Empirical Rule: As mentioned in the question, the empirical rule states that for a normal
distribution, approximately 68% of the data falls within one standard deviation of the mean,
about 95% falls within two standard deviations, and approximately 99.7% falls within three
standard deviations.

Z-scores, also known as standard scores, are advantageous to use because they allow us to
standardize and compare values from different normal distributions. A Z-score represents the number
of standard deviations an observation is from the mean of its distribution. By converting raw data into
Z-scores, we can determine the relative position of an observation within its distribution and compare
it to other observations from different distributions.
Now, to find the interval [a, b] that captures 95% of the SAT Math scores in this example, we can use
the empirical rule.
According to the empirical rule, approximately 95% of the data falls within two standard deviations of
the mean.
Given that
The mean (µ) of the SAT Math scores is 700
and the standard deviation (σ) is 150,
we can calculate the interval as follows:
Lower bound (a) = µ - 2σ
 
a = 700 - 2 * 150 
a = 400
Upper bound (b) = µ + 2σ
 
b = 700 + 2 * 150 
b = 1000
Therefore, the interval [a, b] that captures 95% of the SAT Math scores is [400, 1000].
 
 
Explanation:
 
The interval [400, 1000] captures approximately 95% of the SAT Math scores. This means that about
95% of the scores fall within two standard deviations of the mean. The lower bound, 400, represents
the score that is two standard deviations below the mean, while the upper bound, 1000, represents
the score that is two standard deviations above the mean.
 
 
 
4.
The main characteristics of the normal distribution are:

1. Symmetry: The normal distribution is symmetric around its mean. This means that the data is
equally likely to fall on either side of the mean, creating a bell-shaped curve.
2. Bell-shaped curve: The distribution forms a smooth and symmetric bell-shaped curve when
plotted on a graph. The highest point of the curve corresponds to the mean of the distribution.
3. Mean and standard deviation: The mean (µ) determines the center of the distribution, while
the standard deviation (σ) measures the spread or variability of the data. The standard
deviation controls the width of the curve, with larger standard deviations resulting in wider
curves.
4. Empirical rule: The empirical rule, also known as the 68-95-99.7 rule, provides a guideline for
the percentage of data that falls within certain intervals. Approximately 68% of the data falls
within one standard deviation of the mean, about 95% falls within two standard deviations,
and roughly 99.7% falls within three standard deviations.

Using Z-scores in a normal distribution is advantageous because they allow us to standardize and
compare values from different normal distributions. A Z-score represents the number of standard
deviations a given value is away from the mean. By converting raw scores into Z-scores, we can
determine the relative position of a value within a distribution and calculate the probability associated
with that value
.
Now, let's find the interval [a, b] that captures 99.7% of the SAT Math scores:
Given: Mean (µ) = 700 Standard deviation (σ) = 150
We know that about 99.7% of the values fall within three standard deviations of the mean.
Therefore, we need to find the values that are three standard deviations below and above the mean.
Lower limit (a) = µ - (3 * σ)
 = 700 - (3 * 150) 
= 700 - 450 
= 250
 
Upper limit (b) = µ + (3 * σ) 
= 700 + (3 * 150) 
= 700 + 450 
= 1150
So, the interval [a, b] that captures 99.7% of the SAT Math scores in this example is [250, 1150].
 
 
Explanation:
 
The interval [250, 1150] captures approximately 99.7% of the SAT Math scores. This means that
about 99.7% of the scores fall within three standard deviations of the mean. The lower bound, 250,
represents the score that is three standard deviations below the mean, while the upper bound, 1150,
represents the score that is three standard deviations above the mean.