Chapter 6 PDF

Chapter 6: Continuous Probability Distributions

Chapter 5 dealt with probability distributions arising from discrete random variables.
Mostly that chapter focused on the binomial experiment. There are many other
experiments from discrete random variables that exist but are not covered in this book.
Chapter 6 deals with probability distributions that arise from continuous random
variables. The focus of this chapter is a distribution known as the normal distribution,
though realize that there are many other distributions that exist. A few others are
examined in future chapters.
Section 6.1: Uniform Distribution

If you have a situation where the probability is always the same, then this is known as a
uniform distribution. An example would be waiting for a commuter train. The commuter
trains on the Blue and Green Lines for the Regional Transit Authority (RTA) in
Cleveland, OH, have a waiting time during peak hours of ten minutes ("2012 annual
report," 2012). If you are waiting for a train, you have anywhere from zero minutes to
ten minutes to wait. Your probability of having to wait any number of minutes in that
interval is the same. This is a uniform distribution. The graph of this distribution is in
figure #6.1.1.
Figure #6.1.1: Uniform Distribution Graph
Suppose you want to know the probability that you will have to wait between five and ten
minutes for the next train. You can look at the probability graphically such as in figure
#6.1.2.
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Figure #6.1.2: Uniform Distribution with P(5 < x < 10)
How would you find this probability? Calculus says that the probability is the area under
the curve. Notice that the shape of the shaded area is a rectangle, and the area of a
rectangle is length times width. The length is 10 − 5 = 5 and the width is 0.1. The
probability is P ( 5 < x < 10 ) = 0.1* 5 = 0.5 , where and x is the waiting time during peak
hours.
Example #6.1.1: Finding Probabilities in a Uniform Distribution

The commuter trains on the Blue and Green Lines for the Regional Transit
Authority (RTA) in Cleveland, OH, have a waiting time during peak rush hour
periods of ten minutes ("2012 annual report," 2012).
a.) State the random variable.
Solution:
x = waiting time during peak hours
b.) Find the probability that you have to wait between four and six minutes for a
train.
Solution:
P ( 4 < x < 6 ) = ( 6 − 4 ) * 0.1 = 0.2
c.) Find the probability that you have to wait between three and seven minutes for
a train.
Solution:
P ( 3 < x < 7 ) = ( 7 − 3) * 0.1 = 0.4
d.) Find the probability that you have to wait between zero and ten minutes for a
train.
Solution:
P ( 0 < x < 10 ) = (10 − 0 ) * 0.1 = 1.0
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e.) Find the probability of waiting exactly five minutes.
Solution:
Since this would be just one line, and the width of the line is 0, then the
P ( x = 5 ) = 0 * 0.1 = 0
Notice that in example #6.1.1d, the probability is equal to one. This is because the
probability that was computed is the area under the entire curve. Just like in discrete
probability distributions, where the total probability was one, the probability of the entire
curve is one. This is the reason that the height of the curve is 0.1. In general, the height
1
of a uniform distribution that ranges between a and b, is .
b−a
Section 6.1: Homework

1.) The commuter trains on the Blue and Green Lines for the Regional Transit
Authority (RTA) in Cleveland, OH, have a waiting time during peak rush hour
periods of ten minutes ("2012 annual report," 2012).
b.) Find the probability of waiting between two and five minutes.
c.) Find the probability of waiting between seven and ten minutes.
d.) Find the probability of waiting eight minutes exactly.
2.) The commuter trains on the Red Line for the Regional Transit Authority (RTA) in
Cleveland, OH, have a waiting time during peak rush hour periods of eight
minutes ("2012 annual report," 2012).
b.) Find the height of this uniform distribution.
c.) Find the probability of waiting between four and five minutes.
d.) Find the probability of waiting between three and eight minutes.
e.) Find the probability of waiting five minutes exactly.
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Section 6.2: Graphs of the Normal Distribution

Many real life problems produce a histogram that is a symmetric, unimodal, and bell-
shaped continuous probability distribution. For example: height, blood pressure, and
cholesterol level. However, not every bell shaped curve is a normal curve. In a normal
curve, there is a specific relationship between its “height” and its “width.”
Normal curves can be tall and skinny or they can be short and fat. They are all
symmetric, unimodal, and centered at µ , the population mean. Figure #6.2.1 shows two
different normal curves drawn on the same scale. Both have µ = 100 but the one on the
left has a standard deviation of 10 and the one on the right has a standard deviation of 5.
Notice that the larger standard deviation makes the graph wider (more spread out) and
shorter.
Figure #6.2.1: Different Normal Distribution Graphs
Every normal curve has common features. These are detailed in figure #6.2.2.
Figure #6.2.2: Typical Graph of a Normal Curve
• The center, or the highest point, is at the population mean, µ .

• The transition points (inflection points) are the places where the curve changes
from a “hill” to a “valley”. The distance from the mean to the transition point is
one standard deviation, σ .
• The area under the whole curve is exactly 1. Therefore, the area under the half
below or above the mean is 0.5.
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2
1 ⎛ x− µ ⎞
1 − ⎜
The equation that creates this curve is f ( x ) = e 2 ⎝ σ ⎟⎠
.
σ 2π
Just as in a discrete probability distribution, the object is to find the probability of an

event occurring. However, unlike in a discrete probability distribution where the event
can be a single value, in a continuous probability distribution the event must be a range.
You are interested in finding the probability of x occurring in the range between a and b,
or P ( a ≤ x ≤ b ) = P ( a < x < b ) . Calculus tells us that to find this you find the area under
the curve above the interval from a to b.
P ( a ≤ x ≤ b) = P ( a < x < b) is the area under the curve above the interval from a
to b.
Figure #6.2.3: Probability of an Event
Before looking at the process for finding the probabilities under the normal curve, it is
somewhat useful to look at the Empirical Rule that gives approximate values for these
areas. The Empirical Rule is just an approximation and it will only be used in this section
to give you an idea of what the size of the probabilities is for different shadings. A more
precise method for finding probabilities for the normal curve will be demonstrated in the
next section. Please do not use the empirical rule except for real rough estimates.
The Empirical Rule for any normal distribution:

Approximately 68% of the data is within one standard deviation of the mean.
Approximately 95% of the data is within two standard deviations of the mean.
Approximately 99.7% of the data is within three standard deviations of the mean.
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Figure #6.2.4: Empirical Rule
Be careful, there is still some area left over in each end. Remember, the maximum a
probability can be is 100%, so if you calculate 100% − 99.7% = 0.3% you will see that
for both ends together there is 0.3% of the curve. Because of symmetry, you can divide
this equally between both ends and find that there is 0.15% in each tail beyond the
µ ± 3σ .
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Section 6.3: Finding Probabilities for the Normal Distribution

The Empirical Rule is just an approximation and only works for certain values. What if
you want to find the probability for x values that are not integer multiples of the standard
deviation? The probability is the area under the curve. To find areas under the curve,
you need calculus. Before technology, you needed to convert every x value to a
standardized number, called the z-score or z-value or simply just z. The z-score is a
measure of how many standard deviations an x value is from the mean. To convert from
a normally distributed x value to a z-score, you use the following formula.
z-score
x−µ
z=
σ
where µ = mean of the population of the x value and σ = standard deviation for the
population of the x value
The z-score is normally distributed, with a mean of 0 and a standard deviation of 1. It is

known as the standard normal curve. Once you have the z-score, you can look up the z-
score in the standard normal distribution table.
The standard normal distribution, z, has a mean of µ = 0 and a standard deviation of

σ = 1.
Figure #6.3.1: Standard Normal Curve
Luckily, these days technology can find probabilities for you without converting to the z-
score and looking the probabilities up in a table. There are many programs available that
will calculate the probability for a normal curve including Excel and the TI-83/84. There
are also online sites available. The following examples show how to do the calculation
on the TI-83/84 and with R. The command on the TI-83/84 is in the DISTR menu and is
normalcdf(. You then type in the lower limit, upper limit, mean, standard deviation in
that order and including the commas. The command on R to find the area to the left is
pnorm(z-value or x-value, mean, standard deviation).
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Example #6.3.1: General Normal Distribution

The length of a human pregnancy is normally distributed with a mean of 272 days
with a standard deviation of 9 days (Bhat & Kushtagi, 2006).
Solution:
x = length of a human pregnancy
b.) Find the probability of a pregnancy lasting more than 280 days.
Solution:
First translate the statement into a mathematical statement.
P ( x > 280 )
Now, draw a picture. Remember the center of this normal curve is 272.
Figure #6.3.2: Normal Distribution Graph for Example #6.3.1b

0.05
0.04
0.03
0.02
0.01
220 240 260 280 300 320
To find the probability on the TI-83/84, looking at the picture you realize the
lower limit is 280. The upper limit is infinity. The calculator doesn’t have
infinity on it, so you need to put in a really big number. Some people like to put
in 1000, but if you are working with numbers that are bigger than 1000, then you
would have to remember to change the upper limit. The safest number to use is
1× 10 99 , which you put in the calculator as 1E99 (where E is the EE button on the
calculator). The command looks like:
normalcdf ( 280,1E99,272,9 )
Figure #6.3.3: TI-83/84 Output for Example #6.3.1b
To find the probability on R, R always gives the probability to the left of the
value. The total area under the curve is 1, so if you want the area to the right, then
you find the area to the left and subtract from 1. The command looks like:
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1− pnorm ( 280,272,9 )
Thus, P ( x > 280 ) ≈ 0.187

Thus18.7% of all pregnancies last more than 280 days. This is not unusual since
the probability is greater than 5%.
c.) Find the probability of a pregnancy lasting less than 250 days.
Solution:
P ( x < 250 )
Figure #6.3.4: Normal Distribution Graph for Example #6.3.1c

0.05
0.04
0.03
0.02
0.01
230 240 250 260 270 280 290 300 310 320
To find the probability on the TI-83/84, looking at the picture, though it is hard to
see in this case, the lower limit is negative infinity. Again, the calculator doesn’t
have this on it, put in a really small number, such as −1× 10 99 = −1E99 on the
calculator.
Figure #6.3.5: TI-83/84 Output for Example #6.3.1c
P ( x < 250 ) = normalcdf ( −1E99,250,272,9 ) = 0.0073 .
To find the probability on R, R always gives the probability to the left of the
value. Looking at the figure, you can see the area you want is to the left. The
command looks like:
P ( x < 250 ) = pnorm ( 250,272,9 ) = 0.0073
Thus 0.73% of all pregnancies last less than 250 days. This is unusual since the
probability is less than 5%.
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d.) Find the probability that a pregnancy lasts between 265 and 280 days.
Solution:
P ( 265 < x < 280 )
Figure #6.3.6: Normal Distribution Graph for Example #6.3.1d

0.05
0.04
0.03
0.02
0.01
230 240 250 260 270 280 290 300 310 320
In this case, the lower limit is 265 and the upper limit is 280.
Using the calculator
Figure #6.3.7: TI-83/84 Output for Example #6.3.1d
P ( 265 < x < 280 ) = normalcdf ( 265,280,272,9 ) = 0.595
To use R, you have to remember that R gives you the area to the left. So
P ( x < 280 ) = pnorm ( 280,272,9 ) is the area to the left of 280 and
P ( x < 265 ) = pnorm ( 265,272,9 ) is the area to the left of 265. So the area is
between the two would be the bigger one minus the smaller one. So,
P ( 265 < x < 280 ) = pnorm ( 280,272,9 ) − pnorm ( 265,272,9 ) = 0.595
Thus 59.5% of all pregnancies last between 265 and 280 days.
e.) Find the length of pregnancy that 10% of all pregnancies last less than.
Solution:
This problem is asking you to find an x value from a probability. You want to
find the x value that has 10% of the length of pregnancies to the left of it. On the
TI-83/84, the command is in the DISTR menu and is called invNorm(. The
invNorm( command needs the area to the left. In this case, that is the area you are
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given. For the command on the calculator, once you have invNorm( on the main
screen you type in the probability to the left, mean, standard deviation, in that
order with the commas.
Figure #6.3.8: TI-83/84 Output for Example #6.3.1e
On R, the command is qnorm(area to the left, mean, standard deviation). For this
example that would be qnorm(0.1, 272, 9)
Thus 10% of all pregnancies last less than approximately 260 days.
f.) Suppose you meet a woman who says that she was pregnant for less than 250
days. Would this be unusual and what might you think?
Solution:
From part (c) you found the probability that a pregnancy lasts less than 250 days
is 0.73%. Since this is less than 5%, it is very unusual. You would think that
either the woman had a premature baby, or that she may be wrong about when she
actually became pregnant.
Example #6.3.2: General Normal Distribution

The mean mathematics SAT score in 2012 was 514 with a standard deviation of 117
("Total group profile," 2012). Assume the mathematics SAT score is normally
distributed.
Solution:
x = mathematics SAT score
b.) Find the probability that a person has a mathematics SAT score over 700.
Solution:
P ( x > 700 )
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Figure #6.3.9: Normal Distribution Graph for Example #6.3.2b

0.004
0.0035
0.003
0.0025
0.002
0.0015
0.001
0.0005
0
100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900
On TI-83/84: P ( x > 700 ) = normalcdf ( 700,1E99,514,117 ) ≈ 0.056

On R: P ( x > 700 ) = 1− pnorm ( 700,514,117 ) ≈ 0.056
There is a 5.6% chance that a person scored above a 700 on the mathematics SAT
test. This is not unusual.
c.) Find the probability that a person has a mathematics SAT score of less than 400.
Solution:
P ( x < 400 )
Figure #6.3.10: Normal Distribution Graph for Example #6.3.2c

0.004
0.0035
0.003
0.0025
0.002
0.0015
0.001
0.0005
0
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200
On TI-83/84: P ( x < 400 ) = normalcdf ( −1E99, 400,514,117 ) ≈ 0.165

On R: P ( x < 400 ) = pnorm ( 400,514,117 ) ≈ 0.165
So, there is a 16.5% chance that a person scores less than a 400 on the
mathematics part of the SAT.
d.) Find the probability that a person has a mathematics SAT score between a 500
and a 650.
Solution:
P ( 500 < x < 650 )
Figure #6.3.11: Normal Distribution Graph for Example #6.3.2d

0.004
0.0035
0.003
0.0025
0.002
0.0015
0.001
0.0005
0
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200
On TI-83/84: P ( 500 < x < 650 ) = normalcdf ( 500,650,514,117 ) ≈ 0.425
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On R:
P ( 500 < x < 650 ) = pnorm ( 650,514,117 ) − pnorm ( 500,514,117 ) ≈ 0.425
So, there is a 42.5% chance that a person has a mathematical SAT score between
500 and 650.
e.) Find the mathematics SAT score that represents the top 1% of all scores.
Solution:
This problem is asking you to find an x value from a probability. You want to
find the x value that has 1% of the mathematics SAT scores to the right of it.
Remember, the calculator and R always need the area to the left, you need to find
the area to the left by 1− 0.01 = 0.99 .
On TI-83/84: invNorm (.99,514,117 ) ≈ 786
On R: qnorm (.99,514,117 ) ≈ 786
So, 1% of all people who took the SAT scored over about 786 points on the
mathematics SAT.

1.) Find each of the probabilities, where z is a z-score from the standard normal
distribution with mean of µ = 0 and standard deviation σ = 1 . Make sure you
draw a picture for each problem.
a.) P ( z < 2.36 )
b.) P ( z > 0.67 )
c.) P ( 0 < z < 2.11)
d.) P ( −2.78 < z < 1.97 )
2.) Find the z-score corresponding to the given area. Remember, z is distributed as
the standard normal distribution with mean of µ = 0 and standard deviation
σ = 1.
a.) The area to the left of z is 15%.
b.) The area to the right of z is 65%.
c.) The area to the left of z is 10%.
d.) The area to the right of z is 5%.
e.) The area between −z and z is 95%. (Hint draw a picture and figure out the
area to the left of the −z .)
f.) The area between −z and z is 99%.
3.) If a random variable that is normally distributed has a mean of 25 and a standard
deviation of 3, convert the given value to a z-score.
a.) x = 23
b.) x = 33
c.) x = 19
d.) x = 45
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4.) According to the WHO MONICA Project the mean blood pressure for people in
China is 128 mmHg with a standard deviation of 23 mmHg (Kuulasmaa, Hense &
Tolonen, 1998). Assume that blood pressure is normally distributed.
b.) Find the probability that a person in China has blood pressure of 135 mmHg
or more.
c.) Find the probability that a person in China has blood pressure of 141 mmHg
or less.
d.) Find the probability that a person in China has blood pressure between 120
and 125 mmHg.
e.) Is it unusual for a person in China to have a blood pressure of 135 mmHg?
Why or why not?
f.) What blood pressure do 90% of all people in China have less than?
5.) The size of fish is very important to commercial fishing. A study conducted in
2012 found the length of Atlantic cod caught in nets in Karlskrona to have a mean
of 49.9 cm and a standard deviation of 3.74 cm (Ovegard, Berndt & Lunneryd,
2012). Assume the length of fish is normally distributed.
b.) Find the probability that an Atlantic cod has a length less than 52 cm.
c.) Find the probability that an Atlantic cod has a length of more than 74 cm.
d.) Find the probability that an Atlantic cod has a length between 40.5 and 57.5
cm.
e.) If you found an Atlantic cod to have a length of more than 74 cm, what could
you conclude?
f.) What length are 15% of all Atlantic cod longer than?
6.) The mean cholesterol levels of women age 45-59 in Ghana, Nigeria, and
Seychelles is 5.1 mmol/l and the standard deviation is 1.0 mmol/l (Lawes, Hoorn,
Law & Rodgers, 2004). Assume that cholesterol levels are normally distributed.
b.) Find the probability that a woman age 45-59 in Ghana, Nigeria, or Seychelles
has a cholesterol level above 6.2 mmol/l (considered a high level).
c.) Find the probability that a woman age 45-59 in Ghana, Nigeria, or Seychelles
has a cholesterol level below 5.2 mmol/l (considered a normal level).
d.) Find the probability that a woman age 45-59 in Ghana, Nigeria, or Seychelles
has a cholesterol level between 5.2 and 6.2 mmol/l (considered borderline
high).
e.) If you found a woman age 45-59 in Ghana, Nigeria, or Seychelles having a
cholesterol level above 6.2 mmol/l, what could you conclude?
f.) What value do 5% of all woman ages 45-59 in Ghana, Nigeria, or Seychelles
have a cholesterol level less than?
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7.) In the United States, males between the ages of 40 and 49 eat on average 103.1 g
of fat every day with a standard deviation of 4.32 g ("What we eat," 2012).
Assume that the amount of fat a person eats is normally distributed.
b.) Find the probability that a man age 40-49 in the U.S. eats more than 110 g of
fat every day.
c.) Find the probability that a man age 40-49 in the U.S. eats less than 93 g of fat
every day.
d.) Find the probability that a man age 40-49 in the U.S. eats less than 65 g of fat
every day.
e.) If you found a man age 40-49 in the U.S. who says he eats less than 65 g of fat
every day, would you believe him? Why or why not?
f.) What daily fat level do 5% of all men age 40-49 in the U.S. eat more than?
8.) A dishwasher has a mean life of 12 years with an estimated standard deviation of
1.25 years ("Appliance life expectancy," 2013). Assume the life of a dishwasher
is normally distributed.
b.) Find the probability that a dishwasher will last more than 15 years.
c.) Find the probability that a dishwasher will last less than 6 years.
d.) Find the probability that a dishwasher will last between 8 and 10 years.
e.) If you found a dishwasher that lasted less than 6 years, would you think that
you have a problem with the manufacturing process? Why or why not?
f.) A manufacturer of dishwashers only wants to replace free of charge 5% of all
dishwashers. How long should the manufacturer make the warranty period?
9.) The mean starting salary for nurses is $67,694 nationally ("Staff nurse -," 2013).
The standard deviation is approximately $10,333. Assume that the starting salary
is normally distributed.
b.) Find the probability that a starting nurse will make more than $80,000.
c.) Find the probability that a starting nurse will make less than $60,000.
d.) Find the probability that a starting nurse will make between $55,000 and
$72,000.
e.) If a nurse made less than $50,000, would you think the nurse was under paid?
Why or why not?
f.) What salary do 30% of all nurses make more than?
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10.) The mean yearly rainfall in Sydney, Australia, is about 137 mm and the standard
deviation is about 69 mm ("Annual maximums of," 2013). Assume rainfall is
normally distributed.
b.) Find the probability that the yearly rainfall is less than 100 mm.
c.) Find the probability that the yearly rainfall is more than 240 mm.
d.) Find the probability that the yearly rainfall is between 140 and 250 mm.
e.) If a year has a rainfall less than 100mm, does that mean it is an unusually dry
year? Why or why not?
f.) What rainfall amount are 90% of all yearly rainfalls more than?
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Section 6.4: Assessing Normality

The distributions you have seen up to this point have been assumed to be normally
distributed, but how do you determine if it is normally distributed. One way is to take a
sample and look at the sample to determine if it appears normal. If the sample looks
normal, then most likely the population is also. Here are some guidelines that are use to
help make that determination.
1. Histogram: Make a histogram. For a normal distribution, the histogram should

be roughly bell-shaped. For small samples, this is not very accurate, and another
method is needed. A distribution may not look normally distributed from the
histogram, but it still may be normally distributed.
2. Outliers: For a normal distribution, there should not be more than one outlier.
One way to check for outliers is to use a modified box plot. Outliers are values
that are shown as dots outside of the rest of the values. If you don’t have a
modified box plot, outliers are those data values that are:
Above Q3, the third quartile, by an amount greater than 1.5 times the
interquartile range (IQR)
Below Q1, the first quartile, by an amount greater than 1.5 times the
interquartile range (IQR)
Note: if there is one outlier, that outlier could have a dramatic effect on the results
especially if it is an extreme outlier. However, there are times where a
distribution has more than one outlier, but it is still normally distributed. The
guideline of only one outlier is just a guideline.
3. Normal quantile plot (or normal probability plot): This plot is provided
through statistical software on a computer or graphing calculator. If the points lie
close to a line, the data comes from a distribution that is approximately normal. If
the points do not lie close to a line or they show a pattern that is not a line, the
data are likely to come from a distribution that is not normally distributed.
To create a histogram on the TI-83/84:

1. Go into the STAT menu, and then Chose 1:Edit
Figure #6.4.1: STAT Menu on TI-83/84
2. Type your data values into L1.
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3. Now click STAT PLOT (2nd Y=).
Figure #6.4.2: STAT PLOT Menu on TI-83/84
4. Use 1:Plot1. Press ENTER.
Figure #6.4.3: Plot1 Menu on TI-83/84
5. You will see a new window. The first thing you want to do is turn the plot on.
At this point you should be on On, just press ENTER. It will make On dark.
6. Now arrow down to Type: and arrow right to the graph that looks like a
histogram (3rd one from the left in the top row).
7. Now arrow down to Xlist. Make sure this says L1. If it doesn’t, then put L1
there (2nd number 1). Freq: should be a 1.
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Figure #6.4.4: Plot1 Menu on TI-83/84 Setup for Histogram
8. Now you need to set up the correct window to graph on. Click on WINDOW.
You need to set up the settings for the x variable. Xmin should be your
smallest data value. Xmax should just be a value sufficiently above your
highest data value, but not too high. Xscl is your class width that you
calculated. Ymin should be 0 and Ymax should be above what you think the
highest frequency is going to be. You can always change this if you need to.
Yscl is just how often you would like to see a tick mark on the y-axis.
9. Now press GRAPH. You will see a histogram.
To find the IQR and create a box plot on the TI-83/84:

2. Type your data values into L1. If L1 has data in it, arrow up to the name L1,
click CLEAR and then press ENTER. The column will now be cleared and
you can type the data in.
3. Go into the STAT menu, move over to CALC and choose 1-Var Stats. Press
ENTER, then type L1 (2nd 1) and then ENTER. This will give you the
summary statistics. If you press the down arrow, you will see the five-number
summary.
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4. To draw the box plot press 2nd STAT PLOT.
5. Use Plot1. Press ENTER
Figure #6.4.7: Plot1 Menu on TI-83/84 Setup for Box Plot
6. Put the cursor on On and press Enter to turn the plot on. Use the down arrow
and the right arrow to highlight the boxplot in the middle of the second row of
types then press ENTER. Set Data List to L1 (it might already say that) and
leave Freq as 1.
7. Now tell the calculator the set up for the units on the x-axis so you can see the
whole plot. The calculator will do it automatically if you press ZOOM, which
is in the middle of the top row.
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Figure #6.4.8: ZOOM Menu on TI-83/84
Then use the down arrow to get to 9:ZoomStat and press ENTER. The box
plot will be drawn.
Figure #6.4.9: ZOOM Menu on TI-83/84 with ZoomStat
To create a normal quantile plot on the TI-83/84:

2. Type your data values into L1. If L1 has data in it, arrow up to the name L1,
click CLEAR and then press ENTER. The column will now be cleared and
you can type the data in.
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3. Now click STAT PLOT (2nd Y=). You have three stat plots to choose from.
4. Use 1:Plot1. Press ENTER.
5. Put the curser on the word On and press ENTER. This turns on the plot.
Arrow down to Type: and use the right arrow to move over to the last graph (it
looks like an increasing linear graph). Set Data List to L1 (it might already
say that) and set Data Axis to Y. The Mark is up to you.
Figure #6.4.12: Plot1 Menu on TI-83/84 Setup for Normal Quantile Plot
6. Now you need to set up the correct window on which to graph. Click on
WINDOW. You need to set up the settings for the x variable. Xmin should
be −4 . Xmax should be 4. Xscl should be 1. Ymin and Ymax are based on
your data, the Ymin should be below your lowest data value and Ymax should
be above your highest data value. Yscl is just how often you would like to see
a tick mark on the y-axis.
7. Now press GRAPH. You will see the normal quantile plot.
To create a histogram on R:
Put the variable in using variable<-c(type in the data with commas between
values) using a name for the variable that makes sense for the problem. The
command for histogram is hist(variable). You can then copy the histogram into a
208
word processing program. There are options that you can put in for title, and axis
labels. See section 2.2 for the commands for those.
To create a modified boxplot on R:

command for box plot is boxplot(variable). You can then copy the box plot into a
word processing program. There are options that you can put in for title,
horizontal orientation, and axis labels. See section 3.3 for the commands for
those.
To create a normal quantile plot on R:

command for normal quantile plot is qqnorm(variable). You can then copy the
normal quantile plot into a word processing program.
Realize that your random variable may be normally distributed, even if the sample fails
the three tests. However, if the histogram definitely doesn't look symmetric and bell
shaped, there are outliers that are very extreme, and the normal probability plot doesn’t
look linear, then you can be fairly confident that the data set does not come from a
population that is normally distributed.
Example #6.4.1: Is It Normal?

In Kiama, NSW, Australia, there is a blowhole. The data in table #6.4.1 are times
in seconds between eruptions ("Kiama blowhole eruptions," 2013). Do the data
come from a population that is normally distributed?
Table #6.4.1: Time (in Seconds) Between Kiama Blowhole Eruptions

83 51 87 60 28 95 8 27
15 10 18 16 29 54 91 8
17 55 10 35 47 77 36 17
21 36 18 40 10 7 34 27
28 56 8 25 68 146 89 18
73 69 9 37 10 82 29 8
60 61 61 18 169 25 8 26
11 83 11 42 17 14 9 12
a.) State the random variable
Solution:
x = time in seconds between eruptions of Kiama Blowhole
b.) Draw a histogram.
209
Solution:
The histogram produced is in figure #6.4.13.
Figure #6.4.13: Histogram for Kiama Blowhole

Histogram of time
25
20
15
Frequency
10
5
0
0 50 100 150
time
This looks skewed right and not symmetric.
c.) Find the number of outliers.
Solution:
The box plot is in figure #6.4.14.
Figure #6.4.14: Modified Box Plot from TI-83/84 for Kiama Blowhole
Time between Kiama Blowhole Eruptions
50 100 150
Time (in Seconds)
There are two outliers.

Instead using:
IQR = Q3 − Q1 = 60 − 14.5 = 45.5 seconds
1.5 * IQR = 1.5 * 45.5 = 68.25 seconds
Q1− 1.5 * IQR = 14.5 − 68.25 = −53.75 seconds
Q3 + 1.5 * IQR = 60 + 68.25 = 128.25 seconds
Outliers are any numbers greater than 128.25 seconds and less than
−53.75 seconds. Since all the numbers are measurements of time, then no
210
data values are less than 0 or −53.75 seconds for that matter. There are
two numbers that are larger than 128.25 seconds, so there are two outliers.
Two outliers are not real indications that the sample does not come from a
normal distribution, but the fact that both are well above 128.25 seconds is
an indication of an issue.
d.) Draw the normal quantile plot.
Solution:
The normal quantile plot is in figure #6.4.15.
Figure #6.4.15: Normal Probability Plot

Normal Q-Q Plot
150
Sample Quantiles
100
50
-2 -1 0 1 2
Theoretical Quantiles
This graph looks more like an exponential growth than linear.
e.) Do the data come from a population that is normally distributed?
Solution:
Considering the histogram is skewed right, there are two extreme outliers, and the
normal probability plot does not look linear, then the conclusion is that this
sample is not from a population that is normally distributed.
Example #6.4.2: Is It Normal?

One way to measure intelligence is with an IQ score. Table #6.4.2 contains 50 IQ
scores. Determine if the sample comes from a population that is normally
distributed.
Table #6.4.2: IQ Scores

78 92 96 100 67 105 109 75 127 111
93 114 82 100 125 67 94 74 81 98
102 108 81 96 103 91 90 96 86 92
84 92 90 103 115 93 85 116 87 106
85 88 106 104 102 98 116 107 102 89
211
a.) State the random variable
Solution:
x = IQ score
b.) Draw a histogram.
Solution:
The histogram is in figure #6.4.16.
Figure #6.4.16: Histogram for IQ Score

Histogram of IQ
14
12
10
Frequency
8
6
4
2
0
60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130
IQ
This looks somewhat symmetric, though it could be thought of as slightly

skewed right.
212
c.) Find the number of outliers.
Solution:
The modified box plot is in figure #6.4.17.
Figure #6.4.17: Output from TI-83/84 for IQ Score

IQ Score
70 80 90 100 110 120
IQ
There are no outliers.

Or using
IQR = Q3 − Q1 = 105 − 87 = 18
1.5 * IQR = 1.5 *18 = 27
Q1− 1.5IQR = 87 − 27 = 60
Q3 + 1.5IQR = 105 + 27 = 132
Outliers are any numbers greater than 132 and less than 60. Since the
maximum number is 127 and the minimum is 67, there are no outliers.
213
d.) Draw the normal quantile plot.
Solution:
The normal quantile plot is in figure #6.4.18.
Figure #6.4.18: Normal Quantile Plot

Normal Q-Q Plot
120
110
Sample Quantiles
100
90
80
70
-2 -1 0 1 2
Theoretical Quantiles
This graph looks fairly linear.
e.) Do the data come from a population that is normally distributed?
Solution:
Considering the histogram is somewhat symmetric, there are no outliers, and the
normal probability plot looks linear, then the conclusion is that this sample is
from a population that is normally distributed.

1.) Cholesterol data was collected on patients four days after having a heart attack.
The data is in table #6.4.3. Determine if the data is from a population that is
Table #6.4.3: Cholesterol Data Collected Four Days After a Heart Attack
218 234 214 116 200 276 146
182 238 288 190 236 244 258
240 294 220 200 220 186 352
202 218 248 278 248 270 242
214
2012 collected the lengths of Atlantic cod caught in nets in Karlskrona (Ovegard,
Berndt & Lunneryd, 2012). Data based on information from the study is in table
#6.4.4. Determine if the data is from a population that is normally distributed.
Table #6.4.4: Atlantic Cod Lengths
48 50 50 55 53 50 49 52
61 48 45 47 53 46 50 48
42 44 50 60 54 48 50 49
53 48 52 56 46 46 47 48
48 49 52 47 51 48 45 47
3.) The WHO MONICA Project collected blood pressure data for people in China
(Kuulasmaa, Hense & Tolonen, 1998). Data based on information from the study
is in table #6.4.5. Determine if the data is from a population that is normally
distributed.
Table #6.4.5: Blood Pressure Values for People in China
114 141 154 137 131 132 133 156 119
138 86 122 112 114 177 128 137 140
171 129 127 104 97 135 107 136 118
92 182 150 142 97 140 106 76 115
119 125 162 80 138 124 132 143 119
4.) Annual rainfalls for Sydney, Australia are given in table #6.4.6. ("Annual
maximums of," 2013). Can you assume rainfall is normally distributed?
Table #6.4.6: Annual Rainfall in Sydney, Australia
146.8 383 90.9 178.1 267.5 95.5 156.5 180
90.9 139.7 200.2 171.7 187.2 184.9 70.1 58
84.1 55.6 133.1 271.8 135.9 71.9 99.4 110.6
47.5 97.8 122.7 58.4 154.4 173.7 118.8 88
84.6 171.5 254.3 185.9 137.2 138.9 96.2 85
45.2 74.7 264.9 113.8 133.4 68.1 156.4
215
Section 6.5: Sampling Distribution and the Central Limit

Theorem
You now have most of the skills to start statistical inference, but you need one more
concept.
First, it would be helpful to state what statistical inference is in more accurate terms.
Statistical Inference: to make accurate decisions about parameters from statistics
When it says “accurate decision,” you want to be able to measure how accurate. You
measure how accurate using probability. In both binomial and normal distributions, you
needed to know that the random variable followed either distribution. You need to know
how the statistic is distributed and then you can find probabilities. In other words, you
need to know the shape of the sample mean or whatever statistic you want to make a
decision about.
How is the statistic distributed? This is answered with a sampling distribution.
Sampling Distribution: how a sample statistic is distributed when repeated trials of size
n are taken.
Example #6.5.1: Sampling Distribution

Suppose you throw a penny and count how often a head comes up. The random
variable is x = number of heads. The probability distribution (pdf) of this random
variable is presented in figure #6.5.1.
Figure #6.5.1: Distribution of Random Variable
216
Repeat this experiment 10 times, which means n = 10. Here is the data set:
{1, 1, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0}. The mean of this sample is 0.4. Now take another
sample. Here is that data set:
{1, 1, 1, 0, 1, 0, 1, 1, 0, 0}. The mean of this sample is 0.6. Another sample looks
like:
{0, 1, 0, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 0, 1}. The mean of this sample is 0.7. Repeat this 40 times.
You could get these means:
Table #6.5.1: Sample Means When n = 10

0.4 0.6 0.7 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5
0.4 0.4 0.5 0.7 0.7 0.6 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.6
0.7 0.7 0.3 0.5 0.6 0.3 0.3 0.8 0.3 0.6
0.4 0.3 0.5 0.6 0.5 0.6 0.3 0.5 0.6 0.2
Table #6.5.2 contains the distribution of these sample means (just count how
many of each number there are and then divide by 40 to obtain the relative
frequency).
Table #6.5.2: Distribution of Sample Means When n = 10

Sample Mean Probability
0.1 0
0.2 0.05
0.3 0.2
0.4 0.175
0.5 0.225
0.6 0.2
0.7 0.125
0.8 0.025
0.9 0
Figure #6.5.2 contains the histogram of these sample means.
217
Figure #6.5.2: Histogram of Sample Means When n = 10
This distribution (represented graphically by the histogram) is a sampling

distribution. That is all a sampling distribution is. It is a distribution created from
statistics.
Notice the histogram does not look anything like the histogram of the original
random variable. It also doesn’t look anything like a normal distribution, which is
the only one you really know how to find probabilities. Granted you have the
binomial, but the normal is better.
What does this distribution look like if instead of repeating the experiment 10
times you repeat it 20 times instead?
Table #6.5.3 contains 40 means when the experiment of flipping the coin is
repeated 20 times.
Table #6.5.3: Sample Means When n = 20

0.5 0.45 0.7 0.55 0.65 0.6 0.4 0.35 0.45 0.6
0.5 0.5 0.65 0.5 0.5 0.35 0.55 0.4 0.65 0.3
0.4 0.5 0.45 0.45 0.65 0.7 0.6 0.5 0.7 0.7
0.7 0.45 0.35 0.6 0.65 0.55 0.35 0.4 0.55 0.6
Table #6.5.3 contains the sampling distribution of the sample means.
218
Table #6.5.3: Distribution of Sample Means When n = 20

Mean Probability
0.1 0
0.2 0
0.3 0.125
0.4 0.2
0.5 0.3
0.6 0.25
0.7 0.125
0.8 0
0.9 0
This histogram of the sampling distribution is displayed in figure #6.5.3.
Figure #6.5.3: Histogram of Sample Means When n = 20
Notice this histogram of the sample mean looks approximately symmetrical and
could almost be called normal. What if you keep increasing n? What will the
sampling distribution of the sample mean look like? In other words, what does
the sampling distribution of x look like as n gets even larger?
This depends on how the original distribution is distributed. In Example #6.5.1, the
random variable was uniform looking. But as n increased to 20, the distribution of the
mean looked approximately normal. What if the original distribution was normal? How
big would n have to be? Before that question is answered, another concept is needed.
219
Suppose you have a random variable that has a population mean, µ , and a population
standard deviation, σ . If a sample of size n is taken, then the sample mean, x has a
σ
mean µ x = µ and standard deviation of σ x = . The standard deviation of x is lower
n
because by taking the mean you are averaging out the extreme values, which makes the
distribution of the original random variable spread out.
You now know the center and the variability of x . You also want to know the shape of
the distribution of x . You hope it is normal, since you know how to find probabilities
using the normal curve. The following theorem tells you the requirement to have x
Theorem #6.5.1: Central Limit Theorem.

Suppose a random variable is from any distribution. If a sample of size n is taken, then
the sample mean, x , becomes normally distributed as n increases.
What this says is that no matter what x looks like, x would look normal if n is large
enough. Now, what size of n is large enough? That depends on how x is distributed in
the first place. If the original random variable is normally distributed, then n just needs to
be 2 or more data points. If the original random variable is somewhat mound shaped and
symmetrical, then n needs to be greater than or equal to 30. Sometimes the sample size
can be smaller, but this is a good rule of thumb. The sample size may have to be much
larger if the original random variable is really skewed one way or another.
Now that you know when the sample mean will look like a normal distribution, then you
can find the probability related to the sample mean. Remember that the mean of the
sample mean is just the mean of the original data ( µ x = µ ), but the standard deviation of
σ
the sample mean, σ x , also known as the standard error of the mean, is actually σ x = .
n
Make sure you use this in all calculations. If you are using the z-score, the formula when
x − µx x − µ
working with x is z = = . If you are using the TI-83/84 calculator, then the
σx σ n
(
input would be normalcdf lower limit, upper limit, µ, σ )
n . If you are using R, then the
input would be pnorm ( x, µ,σ sqrt ( n )) for find the area to the left of x . Remember to
subtract pnorm ( x, µ,σ sqrt ( n )) from 1 if you want the area to the right of x .
Example #6.5.1: Finding Probabilities for Sample Means

The birth weight of boy babies of European descent who were delivered at 40 weeks
is normally distributed with a mean of 3687.6 g with a standard deviation of 410.5 g
(Janssen, Thiessen, Klein, Whitfield, MacNab & Cullis-Kuhl, 2007). Suppose there
were nine European descent boy babies born on a given day and the mean birth
weight is calculated.
220
Solution:
x = birth weight of boy babies (Note: the random variable is something you
measure, and it is not the mean birth weight. Mean birth weight is calculated.)
b.) What is the mean of the sample mean?
Solution:
µ x = µ = 3687.6 g
c.) What is the standard deviation of the sample mean?
Solution:
σ 410.5 410.5
σx = = = ≈ 136.8 g
n 9 3
d.) What distribution is the sample mean distributed as?
Solution:
Since the original random variable is distributed normally, then the sample mean
is distributed normally.
e.) Find the probability that the mean weight of the nine boy babies born was less
than 3500.4 g.
Solution:
You are looking for the P ( x < 3500.4 ) . You use the normalcdf command on the
calculator. Remember to use the standard deviation you found in part c.
However to reduce rounding error, type the division into the command. On the
TI-83/84 you would have
( )
P ( x < 3500.4 ) = normalcdf −1E99, 3500.4, 3687.6, 410.5 ÷ 9 ≈ 0.086
On R you would have
P ( x < 3500.4 ) = pnorm ( 3500.4, 3687.6, 410.5 / sqrt ( 9 )) ≈ 0.086
There is an 8.6% chance that the mean birth weight of the nine boy babies born
would be less than 3500.4 g. Since this is more than 5%, this is not unusual.
f.) Find the probability that the mean weight of the nine babies born was less than
3452.5 g.
Solution:
You are looking for the P ( x < 3452.5 ) .
221
On TI-83/84:
( )
P ( x < 3452.5 ) = normalcdf −1E99, 3452.5, 3687.6, 410.5 ÷ 9 ≈ 0.043
On R:
(
P ( x < 3452.5 ) = pnorm 3452.5, 3687.6, 410.5 ÷ 9 ≈ 0.043)
There is a 4.3% chance that the mean birth weight of the nine boy babies born
would be less than 3452.5 g. Since this is less than 5%, this would be an unusual
event. If it actually happened, then you may think there is something unusual
about this sample. Maybe some of the nine babies were born as multiples, which
brings the mean weight down, or some or all of the babies were not of European
descent (in fact the mean weight of South Asian boy babies is 3452.5 g), or some
were born before 40 weeks, or the babies were born at high altitudes.
Example #6.5.2: Finding Probabilities for Sample Means

The age that American females first have intercourse is on average 17.4 years, with a
standard deviation of approximately 2 years ("The Kinsey institute," 2013). This
random variable is not normally distributed, though it is somewhat mound shaped.
Solution:
x = age that American females first have intercourse
b.) Suppose a sample of 35 American females is taken. Find the probability that the
mean age that these 35 females first had intercourse is more than 21 years.
Solution:
Even though the original random variable is not normally distributed, the sample
size is over 30, by the central limit theorem the sample mean will be normally
distributed. The mean of the sample mean is µ x = µ = 17.4 years . The standard
σ 2
deviation of the sample mean is σ x = = ≈ 0.33806 . You have all the
n 35
information you need to use the normal command on your technology. Without
the central limit theorem, you couldn’t use the normal command, and you would
not be able to answer this question.
On the TI-83/84:
( )
P ( x > 21) = normalcdf 21,1E99,17.4,2 ÷ 35 ≈ 9.0 × 10 −27
On R:
P ( x > 21) = 1− pnorm ( 21,17.4,2 / sqrt ( 35 )) ≈ 9.0 × 10 −27
The probability of a sample mean of 35 women being more than 21 years when
they had their first intercourse is very small. This is extremely unlikely to
happen. If it does, it may make you wonder about the sample. Could the
population mean have increased from the 17.4 years that was stated in the article?
Could the sample not have been random, and instead have been a group of women
222
who had similar beliefs about intercourse? These questions, and more, are ones
that you would want to ask as a researcher

1.) A random variable is not normally distributed, but it is mound shaped. It has a
mean of 14 and a standard deviation of 3.
a.) If you take a sample of size 10, can you say what the shape of the sampling
distribution for the sample mean is? Why?
b.) For a sample of size 10, state the mean of the sample mean and the standard
deviation of the sample mean.
c.) If you take a sample of size 35, can you say what the shape of the distribution
of the sample mean is? Why?
d.) For a sample of size 35, state the mean of the sample mean and the standard
2.) A random variable is normally distributed. It has a mean of 245 and a standard
deviation of 21.
a.) If you take a sample of size 10, can you say what the shape of the distribution
for the sample mean is? Why?
b.) For a sample of size 10, state the mean of the sample mean and the standard
c.) For a sample of size 10, find the probability that the sample mean is more than
241.
d.) If you take a sample of size 35, can you say what the shape of the distribution
of the sample mean is? Why?
e.) For a sample of size 35, state the mean of the sample mean and the standard
f.) For a sample of size 35, find the probability that the sample mean is more than
241.
g.) Compare your answers in part d and f. Why is one smaller than the other?
3.) The mean starting salary for nurses is $67,694 nationally ("Staff nurse -," 2013).
The standard deviation is approximately $10,333. The starting salary is not
normally distributed but it is mound shaped. A sample of 42 starting salaries for
nurses is taken.
b.) What is the mean of the sample mean?
c.) What is the standard deviation of the sample mean?
d.) What is the shape of the sampling distribution of the sample mean? Why?
e.) Find the probability that the sample mean is more than $75,000.
f.) Find the probability that the sample mean is less than $60,000.
g.) If you did find a sample mean of more than $75,000 would you find that
unusual? What could you conclude?
223
4.) According to the WHO MONICA Project the mean blood pressure for people in
China is 128 mmHg with a standard deviation of 23 mmHg (Kuulasmaa, Hense &
Tolonen, 1998). Blood pressure is normally distributed.
b.) Suppose a sample of size 15 is taken. State the shape of the distribution of the
sample mean.
c.) Suppose a sample of size 15 is taken. State the mean of the sample mean.
d.) Suppose a sample of size 15 is taken. State the standard deviation of the
sample mean.
e.) Suppose a sample of size 15 is taken. Find the probability that the sample
mean blood pressure is more than 135 mmHg.
f.) Would it be unusual to find a sample mean of 15 people in China of more than
135 mmHg? Why or why not?
g.) If you did find a sample mean for 15 people in China to be more than 135
mmHg, what might you conclude?
2012 found the length of Atlantic cod caught in nets in Karlskrona to have a mean
of 49.9 cm and a standard deviation of 3.74 cm (Ovegard, Berndt & Lunneryd,
2012). The length of fish is normally distributed. A sample of 15 fish is taken.
b.) Find the mean of the sample mean.
c.) Find the standard deviation of the sample mean
d.) What is the shape of the distribution of the sample mean? Why?
e.) Find the probability that the sample mean length of the Atlantic cod is less
than 52 cm.
f.) Find the probability that the sample mean length of the Atlantic cod is more
than 74 cm.
g.) If you found sample mean length for Atlantic cod to be more than 74 cm, what
could you conclude?
6.) The mean cholesterol levels of women age 45-59 in Ghana, Nigeria, and
Seychelles is 5.1 mmol/l and the standard deviation is 1.0 mmol/l (Lawes, Hoorn,
Law & Rodgers, 2004). Assume that cholesterol levels are normally distributed.
b.) Find the probability that a woman age 45-59 in Ghana has a cholesterol level
above 6.2 mmol/l (considered a high level).
c.) Suppose doctors decide to test the woman’s cholesterol level again and
average the two values. Find the probability that this woman’s mean
cholesterol level for the two tests is above 6.2 mmol/l.
d.) Suppose doctors being very conservative decide to test the woman’s
cholesterol level a third time and average the three values. Find the
probability that this woman’s mean cholesterol level for the three tests is
above 6.2 mmol/l.
e.) If the sample mean cholesterol level for this woman after three tests is above
6.2 mmol/l, what could you conclude?
224
7.) In the United States, males between the ages of 40 and 49 eat on average 103.1 g
of fat every day with a standard deviation of 4.32 g ("What we eat," 2012). The
amount of fat a person eats is not normally distributed but it is relatively mound
shaped.
b.) Find the probability that a sample mean amount of daily fat intake for 35 men
age 40-59 in the U.S. is more than 100 g.
c.) Find the probability that a sample mean amount of daily fat intake for 35 men
age 40-59 in the U.S. is less than 93 g.
d.) If you found a sample mean amount of daily fat intake for 35 men age 40-59
in the U.S. less than 93 g, what would you conclude?
8.) A dishwasher has a mean life of 12 years with an estimated standard deviation of
1.25 years ("Appliance life expectancy," 2013). The life of a dishwasher is
normally distributed. Suppose you are a manufacturer and you take a sample of
10 dishwashers that you made.
b.) Find the mean of the sample mean.
c.) Find the standard deviation of the sample mean.
d.) What is the shape of the sampling distribution of the sample mean? Why?
e.) Find the probability that the sample mean of the dishwashers is less than 6
years.
f.) If you found the sample mean life of the 10 dishwashers to be less than 6
years, would you think that you have a problem with the manufacturing
process? Why or why not?
225
Data Sources:
Annual maximums of daily rainfall in Sydney. (2013, September 25). Retrieved from
http://www.statsci.org/data/oz/sydrain.html
Appliance life expectancy. (2013, November 8). Retrieved from

http://www.mrappliance.com/expert/life-guide/
Bhat, R., & Kushtagi, P. (2006). A re-look at the duration of human pregnancy.
Singapore Med J., 47(12), 1044-8. Retrieved from
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17139400
College Board, SAT. (2012). Total group profile report. Retrieved from website:
http://media.collegeboard.com/digitalServices/pdf/research/TotalGroup-2012.pdf
Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority, (2012). 2012 annual report. Retrieved
from website: http://www.riderta.com/annual/2012
Janssen, P. A., Thiessen, P., Klein, M. C., Whitfield, M. F., MacNab, Y. C., & Cullis-
Kuhl, S. C. (2007). Standards for the measurement of birth weight, length and head
circumference at term in neonates of european, chinese and south asian ancestry. Open
Medicine, 1(2), e74-e88. Retrieved from
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2802014/
Kiama blowhole eruptions. (2013, September 25). Retrieved from

http://www.statsci.org/data/oz/kiama.html
Kuulasmaa, K., Hense, H., & Tolonen, H. World Health Organization (WHO), WHO
Monica Project. (1998). Quality assessment of data on blood pressure in the who monica
project (ISSN 2242-1246). Retrieved from WHO MONICA Project e-publications
website: http://www.thl.fi/publications/monica/bp/bpqa.htm
Lawes, C., Hoorn, S., Law, M., & Rodgers, A. (2004). High cholesterol. In M. Ezzati, A.
Lopez, A. Rodgers & C. Murray (Eds.), Comparative Quantification of Health Risks (1
ed., Vol. 1, pp. 391-496). Retrieved from
http://www.who.int/publications/cra/chapters/volume1/0391-0496.pdf
Ovegard, M., Berndt, K., & Lunneryd, S. (2012). Condition indices of atlantic cod (gadus
morhua) biased by capturing method. ICES Journal of Marine Science, doi:
10.1093/icesjms/fss145
Staff nurse - RN salary. (2013, November 08). Retrieved from

http://www1.salary.com/Staff-Nurse-RN-salary.html
The Kinsey institute - sexuality information links. (2013, November 08). Retrieved from
http://www.iub.edu/~kinsey/resources/FAQ.html
226
US Department of Argriculture, Agricultural Research Service. (2012). What we eat in

America. Retrieved from website:
http://www.ars.usda.gov/Services/docs.htm?docid=18349
227
228

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Chapter 6: Continuous Probability Distributions

Chapter 6: Continuous Probability Distributions

Section 6.1: Uniform Distribution

Figure #6.1.1: Uniform Distribution Graph

Figure #6.1.2: Uniform Distribution with P(5 < x < 10)

Example #6.1.1: Finding Probabilities in a Uniform Distribution

e.) Find the probability of waiting exactly five minutes.

Section 6.1: Homework

Section 6.2: Graphs of the Normal Distribution

Figure #6.2.1: Different Normal Distribution Graphs

Figure #6.2.2: Typical Graph of a Normal Curve

• The center, or the highest point, is at the population mean, µ .

Just as in a discrete probability distribution, the object is to find the probability of an

Figure #6.2.3: Probability of an Event

The Empirical Rule for any normal distribution:

Figure #6.2.4: Empirical Rule

Section 6.3: Finding Probabilities for the Normal Distribution

The z-score is normally distributed, with a mean of 0 and a standard deviation of 1. It is

The standard normal distribution, z, has a mean of µ = 0 and a standard deviation of

Figure #6.3.1: Standard Normal Curve

Example #6.3.1: General Normal Distribution

Figure #6.3.2: Normal Distribution Graph for Example #6.3.1b

220 240 260 280 300 320

Figure #6.3.3: TI-83/84 Output for Example #6.3.1b

Thus, P ( x > 280 ) ≈ 0.187

Figure #6.3.4: Normal Distribution Graph for Example #6.3.1c

Figure #6.3.5: TI-83/84 Output for Example #6.3.1c

P ( x < 250 ) = normalcdf ( −1E99,250,272,9 ) = 0.0073 .

Figure #6.3.6: Normal Distribution Graph for Example #6.3.1d

Using the calculator

Figure #6.3.7: TI-83/84 Output for Example #6.3.1d

P ( 265 < x < 280 ) = normalcdf ( 265,280,272,9 ) = 0.595

Figure #6.3.8: TI-83/84 Output for Example #6.3.1e

Example #6.3.2: General Normal Distribution

Figure #6.3.9: Normal Distribution Graph for Example #6.3.2b

100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900

On TI-83/84: P ( x > 700 ) = normalcdf ( 700,1E99,514,117 ) ≈ 0.056

Figure #6.3.10: Normal Distribution Graph for Example #6.3.2c

0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200

On TI-83/84: P ( x < 400 ) = normalcdf ( −1E99, 400,514,117 ) ≈ 0.165

Figure #6.3.11: Normal Distribution Graph for Example #6.3.2d

0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200

On TI-83/84: P ( 500 < x < 650 ) = normalcdf ( 500,650,514,117 ) ≈ 0.425

Section 6.3: Homework

Section 6.4: Assessing Normality

1. Histogram: Make a histogram. For a normal distribution, the histogram should

To create a histogram on the TI-83/84:

Figure #6.4.1: STAT Menu on TI-83/84

2. Type your data values into L1.

3. Now click STAT PLOT (2nd Y=).

Figure #6.4.2: STAT PLOT Menu on TI-83/84

4. Use 1:Plot1. Press ENTER.

Figure #6.4.3: Plot1 Menu on TI-83/84

Figure #6.4.4: Plot1 Menu on TI-83/84 Setup for Histogram

9. Now press GRAPH. You will see a histogram.

To find the IQR and create a box plot on the TI-83/84:

Figure #6.4.5: STAT Menu on TI-83/84

4. To draw the box plot press 2nd STAT PLOT.

Figure #6.4.6: STAT PLOT Menu on TI-83/84