Review
Solving Problems involving
Sampling Distribution of
Sample Means
Statistics and Probability
The Central Limit Theorem has a fundamental importance in
statistics because it justifies the use of normal curve methods for a
wide range of problems. This theorem applies automatically to
sampling from infinite population. It also assures us that no matter
what the shape of the population distribution of the mean is, the
sampling distribution of the sample means is closely normally
distributed whenever n is large.
𝑋−𝜇 𝑧 → 𝑧 𝑠𝑐𝑜𝑟𝑒
𝑧=
𝜎 𝑋 → 𝑟𝑎𝑤 𝑠𝑐𝑜𝑟𝑒
𝑥ҧ − 𝜇 𝑥ҧ → 𝑠𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑛
𝑧= 𝜎 𝜇 → 𝑝𝑜𝑝𝑢𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑛
𝑛 𝜎 → 𝑝𝑜𝑝𝑢𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑎𝑟𝑑 𝑑𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛
𝑛 → 𝑠𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑠𝑖𝑧𝑒
A. The average time it takes a group of grade 11 students to complete a
periodical test in Entrepreneurship is 38.4 minutes. The standard deviation is
7 minutes. Assume that the variable is normally distributed.
1. What is the probability that a randomly selected grade 11 student will
complete the periodical test in less than 35 minutes?
𝑆𝑡𝑒𝑝 1: 𝜇 = 38.4 𝜎=7
𝑆𝑡𝑒𝑝 2: 𝑃(𝑋 < 35)
𝑋−𝜇 35 − 38.4
𝑆𝑡𝑒𝑝 3: 𝑧 = = = −0.49 → 𝐴𝑧 = 0.3121
𝜎 7
𝑆𝑡𝑒𝑝 4: 𝑃 𝑋 < 35 = 𝑃(𝑧 < −0.49) = 0.3121 𝑜𝑟 31.21%
𝑆𝑡𝑒𝑝 5: The probability that a randomly selected grade 11 student will
complete the periodical test in less than 35 minutes is 31.21%.
A. The average time it takes a group of grade 11 students to complete a
periodical test in Entrepreneurship is 38.4 minutes. The standard deviation is
7 minutes. Assume that the variable is normally distributed.
2. If 30 randomly grade 11 students take the periodical test, what is the
probability that the mean time it takes the group to complete the test will be
less than 35 minutes?
𝑆𝑡𝑒𝑝 1: 𝜇 = 38.4 𝜎 = 7 𝑛 = 30
𝑆𝑡𝑒𝑝 2: 𝑃(𝑥ҧ < 35)
𝑥ҧ − 𝜇 35 − 38.4
𝑆𝑡𝑒𝑝 3: 𝑧 = 𝜎 = = −2.66 → 𝐴𝑧 = 0.0039
7
𝑛 30
𝑆𝑡𝑒𝑝 4: 𝑃 𝑥ҧ < 35 = 𝑃(𝑧 < −2.66) = 0.0039 𝑜𝑟 0.39%
𝑆𝑡𝑒𝑝 5: The probability that the mean time it takes the group to complete the
test is 0.39%.
B. The average number of milligrams (mg) of cholesterol in a cup of a certain
brand of ice cream is 660 mg, and the standard deviation is 35 mg. Assume
the variable is normally distributed.
1. If a sample of 10 cups of ice cream is selected, what is the probability that the
mean of the sample will be greater than 670 mg?
𝑆𝑡𝑒𝑝 1: 𝜇 = 660 𝜎 = 35 𝑛 = 10
𝑆𝑡𝑒𝑝 2: 𝑃(𝑥ҧ > 670)
𝑥ҧ − 𝜇 670 − 660
𝑆𝑡𝑒𝑝 3: 𝑧= 𝜎 = = 0.90 → 𝐴𝑧 = 0.8159
35
𝑛 10
𝑆𝑡𝑒𝑝 4: 𝑃 𝑥ҧ > 670 = 𝑃(𝑧 > 0.90) = 1 − 0.8159 = 0.1841 𝑜𝑟 18.41%
𝑆𝑡𝑒𝑝 5: The probability that the mean of the sample will be greater than 670
mg is 18.41%.
B. The average number of milligrams (mg) of cholesterol in a cup of a certain
brand of ice cream is 660 mg, and the standard deviation is 35 mg. Assume
the variable is normally distributed.
2. If a sample of 15 cups of ice cream is selected, what is the probability that the
mean of the sample will be between 655 mg and 675 mg?
𝑆𝑡𝑒𝑝 1: 𝜇 = 660 𝜎 = 35 𝑛 = 15
𝑆𝑡𝑒𝑝 2: 𝑃(655 < 𝑥ҧ < 675)
𝑥ҧ − 𝜇 655 − 660
𝑆𝑡𝑒𝑝 3: 𝑧 = 𝜎 = = −0.55 → 𝐴𝑧 = 0.2912
35
𝑛 15
𝑥ҧ − 𝜇 675 − 660
𝑧= 𝜎 = = 1.66 → 𝐴𝑧 = 0.9515
35
𝑛 15
𝑆𝑡𝑒𝑝 4: 𝑃(655 < 𝑥ҧ < 675) = 𝑃(−0.55 < 𝑧 < 1.65) = 0.9515 − 0.2912 = 0.6603
𝑜𝑟 66.03%
𝑆𝑡𝑒𝑝 5: The probability that the mean of the sample be between 655 mg and
675 mg is 66.03%.
Board work
1. A manufacturer of light bulbs produces bulbs that last a mean of 950 hours
with a standard deviation of 120 hours. What is the probability that the
mean lifetime of a random sample of 10 of these bulbs is less than 900 hours?
2. In a study of the life expectancy of 400 people in a certain geographic region,
the mean age at death was 70 years and the standard deviation was 5.1 years.
If a sample of 50 people from this region is selected, what is the probability
that the mean life expectancy will be more than 68 years?
Fast five
1. The average public school has 468 students with a standard deviation of 87.
If a random sample of 38 public schools is selected, what is the probability
that the mean number of students enrolled is between 445 and 485?.
