Normal Distribution

 It is a continuous probability distribution

which is graphically represented by a
symmetrical, bell-shaped curve known as the
normal curve.
Properties of Normal Curve
1. The mean, median, and mode are equal.
2. It is symmetrical about the vertical axis
through the mean..
3. The normal curve approaches the
horizontal asymptotically ( never
touches the horizontal axis)
4. The total area under the curve and
above the horizontal axis is equal to 1.
 Standard Normal Distribution

 It is a distribution of a normal random

variable with mean zero and standard
deviation equal to 1.

 Raw scores in a normal distribution of a

random variable X can be converted
into standard normal distribution or the
Z-scores.
 The formula is:
x
Z

where:
Z = standard normal distribution
 = mean of the distribution of X
x = any given raw score
 = standard deviation of the distribution X
 Z-scores
=0

=1 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3

Normal
distribution
 = 60

 = 10
30 40 50 60 70 80 90
Example:
1. Let Z be a standard normal random variable. Find the following
probabilities:
a.P(Z < -1.64)
b.P(Z > -0.15)
c.P(-1.34 < Z < 1.58)

2. Let Z be a standard normal random variable. Find the value “a”.

a.P(Z < a) = 0.8413
b.P(Z > a) = 0.0071
c.P(a < Z < 1.52) = 0.5550

3. Let X be a random variable with mean μ = 5 and variance

σ2 = 4. Find the following probabilities.
a.P(X < 3)
b.P(X > 2.5)
c.P(7.2 < X < 7.5)
4. Given a normal distribution with μ = 65 and σ = 15, find
a.The score that has an area of 0.45 above it.
b.The score that has an area of 0.75 below it.

5. The mean weight of 500 male students at a certain college is

151 lb, and the standard deviation is 15 lb. Assume that the
weights are normally distributed.
a.How many students weigh between 120 and 155 lb?
b.What is the probability that a randomly selected male
student weighs less than 128 pounds.
c.What weight includes 85% and below of the total
population?
 Application:
Example 1
An entrance examination is to be conducted to 120
incoming freshman college students at a certain
university which is known to be normally
distributed and has a mean of 85 and a standard
deviation of 10.
a. What proportion of the students would
be expected to score above 95?
b. What percent of students would be
expected to score below 80?
c. What percentage of students would be
expected to score below 100?
d. How many students would be expected to
score below 90?
e. How many students would be expected to
score between 80 and 110?
f. What percentage of students would be
expected to score between 85 and 105?
Solution:
a. Convert the raw score of 95 to a z-score.

95 85
z   1.0
10
-3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3

z-scores

P(Z > 1.0)) = 0.1587 or 15.87%

b. Convert the raw score of 80 to a z-score.

80 85
z   0.5
10
-3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3

z-scores

P(Z < -0.5) = 0.3085 or 30.85 %

c. Convert the raw score of 100 to a z-score.

100  85
z   1.5
10
-3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3

z-scores

P(Z < 1.5) = 0.9332 or 93.32%

Solution:
d. Convert the raw score of 90 to a z-score.

90  85
z   0.5
10
-3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3

P(Z<0.5) = 0.6915 or 69.15% z-scores

The number of students whose score is

below 90 is .6915*120 = 82.98 or 83
Solution:
e. Find the area between 80 and 110.
80 - 85
z 
10
110 - 85
z  
10 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3

P(-0.5 > Z < 2.5)) = 0.6853 z-scores

The number of students whose score is between

80 and 110 is 0.6853*120 =82.24 or 83
Solution:
f. Convert the raw scores 85 and 105 to z-scores.

-3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3
z-scores
85  85
z  = 0.00 area = 0.0000
10
105  85 = 2.00 area = 0.4772
z 
10
Example 2.
Given a normal distribution with population
mean of 60 and population standard deviation
of 12, find the score that has an area 0.0228
below it?
Given: Solution:
  60 P(Z  a)  0.0228 x
Z
  12 Z  a  2 
x  Z  
Find: x  2(12)  60
 48
 Activity:
1. Let Z be a standard normal variable. Find
the probabilities:
a) P(Z < - 1.96)) P(Z > 1)
2. Given a normally distributed random
variable X, with μ = 80 and σ = 10, find
a. the area below 100.
b. the area between 60 and 90.
3. The mean weight of 500 hundred students at a certain
college is 151 lb and the standard deviation is 15 lb.
Assume that the weights are normally distributed.
a) What is the probability that a randomly selected
male student weighs less than 128 pounds?
b) How many students weigh between 120 and 155 \
pounds?
4. In Elementary Statistics first long examination, the
mean grade is 80 and the standard deviation is 8.
What is the grade of the student whose Z-score is
1.5?
5. An instructor is administering a final
examination. She tells her class that she will
give an A to the 10% of the students who earn
the highest grades. Past experience with the
same examination has shown that the mean
grade is 75 and the standard deviation is 8. If
the present class runs true to form, what grade
would a student need in order to earn an A?