11/29/2018 Z Scores (Z Value) & Z Table & Z Transformations | Six Sigma Study Guide

Z Scores (Z Value) & Z Table & Z

Transformations
Posted on April 3, 2014 by Ted Hessing

We use Z Scores to transform a given standard distribution into something that is easy
for us to calculate probabilities on. Why? So we can determine the likelihood of some
event happening.

This is a common transformation, so there is a reference chart that allows us to look up

values. Those values correlate to the value under the normal distribution curve – in
other words, what’s the chance of an event happening. We use the Z table to nd the
percent chance.

Sometimes, depending on the wording of the problem, we look for different things. I
nd it’s easiest if we draw the problem and decide what exactly we are looking for.

There are 3 types of Z Score Questions:

The percent chance of an event happening beyond a certain point.

This is the number under the curve beyond the z value.

The percent chance of an event happening under a certain point.

This is the number under the curve up to the z value.

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The percent chance of an event happening between two points.

This could be the number under the curve bounded by two points.

Sometimes one of those points is the mean – or the center of the

distribution.

In this case, Z scores are used to determine how far off a particular point in
a distribution is from the mean.

Depending on the information given in the problem, there are also 2 different ways you
go about solving the questions asked. One is by using the Z table to nd the Z score. The
other is by calculating the Z score. These are really the same thing just done in reverse.
We will cover both types.

As you might guess, there are a number of ways of asking these kinds question. We will
cover the ones I’ve seen most often. If I miss one, just let me know in the comments.

Before we get into how to solve problems, let’s cover the Z table.

The Normalized Z Table

The Z table (a table based on Normal Standard Distribution) is used to solve how far off
a point in a distribution is likely to be from the center (mean).

A common statistical way of standardizing data on one scale so a comparison

can take place is using a z-score. The z-score is like a common yard stick for all
types of data. – from here.

Both z and t distributions are symmetric and bell-shaped, and both have a mean of zero.

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By using the Z transformation, we can convert any normal distribution into a

normal distribution with a mean of 0 and a standard deviation of 1. Thus, we
can use a single normal table to nd probabilities. – Pyzdeck

How to Create Your Own Z Table

Don’t have a reference chart handy? Have Excel? Great!

If you know your Z score, you can nd the percentage by using the formula: 1-
NORMSDIST(Z), where Z is your calculated Z Score.

How to Use a Z Table to nd a  Z Score

Be careful. Pay attention to what side of the z you should be on.

P(o<=Z<=a)

Step 1: Pick the right Z row by reading down the right column

Step 2: Read across the top to nd the decimal space.

Step 3: Find the intersection and multiply by 100.

Ex This means that 6.18% of the normal curve resides to the right of Z. This also means
that 93.82% resides to the left of the normal curve.

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z table

What if the Z Score is off the Chart?

Don’t panic. Z score tables sometimes only go up to 3. But depending on the spread of
your population, z scores could go on for a while. A Z score of 3 refers to 3 standard
deviations. That would mean that more than 99% of the population was covered by the
z score. There’s not a lot left, but there is some. You can use Excel to nd the actual
value if your table doesn’t go that high.

How do you Calculate a Z Score?

Calculating a Z Score
(generic)

Calculating a Z Score for a Population

Calculating a Z Score for a Sample

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Great example of using a Z score to determine how well you scored on a test (compared
to the rest of the eld) here.

How many parts in a population will be longer or greater than some number?

Z score examples using standard deviation

Example 1: Longer than

Hospital stays for admitted patients at a certain hospital are measured in hours and
were found to be normally distributed with an average of 200 hours and a standard
deviation of 75 hours. How many of these stays can be expected to last for longer than
300 hours? <from book>

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Example 2: Less than

Hospital stays, for admitted patients at a certain hospital are measured in hours and
were found to be normally distributed with an average of 200 hours and a standard
deviation of 75 hours. How many of these stays can be expected to last less than 75
hours?

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Example 3: Both less than AND greater than. (Percentage outside

the range)

The mean inside diameter of a sample of 200 washers produced by a machine is 0.502
inches and the standard deviation is 0.005 inches. The purpose for which these washers
are intended allows a maximum tolerance in the diameter of 0.496 to 0.508 inches,
otherwise the washers are considered defective. Determine the percentage of

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defective washers produced by the machine, assuming the diameters are normally
distributed.

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Example 4: Both upper and lower bound.

(Percentage OUTSIDE the range.)
The weights of 500 American men were taken and the sample mean was found to be
194 pounds with a standard deviation of 11.2 pounds. What percentages of men have
weights between 175 and 225 pounds.

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Example 5: What is the Area Under the Normal

Curve?
A common Z value test question is to nd the area under a normal curve.

What is the area under the curve between +.7 and +1.3 Standard deviations?

Ans. Show example curve. Look up both on Z table. Subtract the 2. The remainder is the
area.

 Additional Notes:
Z Scores and Process Sigma

Z Score and Process Capability

Z Transformations
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Z Transformation Example with Standard Deviation

Question

A batch of batteries with an average of 60v and a Standard Deviation of 4v. If 9

batteries are selected at random, what is the probability that the total voltage of the
batteries is greater than 530?

Answer

With an average voltage of 60, you’d expect the total to be 540v. This ends up being a
standard deviation of a sample problem.

First, we nd the standard deviation of the sample. To do this we use the variance
equation:

Z transform using standard deviation

Thus, Z = 530 – 540 / Sqrt(9*4^2) = -10 / Sqrt(144) = -10/12 = -0.833

Using the Z table, we nd the area to the right of the Z is 0.7976.  So, there is a 79.76%.

Question

What is the probability that the average voltage is less than 62?

Answer

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The expected value would be 60.

Z = 62-60 / (4 / Sqrt(9))  = 2 / (4/3) = 3/2 = 1.5.

The area to the left of Z is 1 – Z. Thus 1 – 0.0668 = 0.9332.  Or 93.32%.

Z Test for Two Proportion

Two proportions Z test

What do you do when the sample size is less than

20?
Great question! You’d apply student t-scores.

Six Sigma Green Belt Z Score Questions

Question: This formula Z = (X – μ)/σ is used to calculate a Z score that, with the
appropriate table, can tell a Belt what ____________________________________.

A) Ratio the area under the curve is to the total population

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B) Number of Standard Deviations are between X and μ

C) The Median of the sample population is

D) Proportion of the data is between X and μ

Answer: Proportion of the data is between X and μ. This is a de nition question. See Z

Scores.

Question: A battery manufacturer was considering changing suppliers for a particular

part. The purchasing manager required that the average cost of the part be less than or
equal to $32 in order to stay within budget. A sample of the 32 initial deliveries had a
Mean of the new product upgrade price of $28 with an estimated Standard Deviation
of $3. Based on the data provided, the Z value for the data assuming a Normal
Distribution is?

A) 0.67

B) 1.33

C) 2.67

D) 4.33

Answer: 1.33  This is an easy algebra question. Z = (X – μ)/σ = 28-32 / 3 = 4/3 = 1.33.
See Z Scores.

Want a List of Free Z Score Questions and Z

Table downloads to help study?

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Comments (41)

Eric Park
31st January 2016, 3:35 pm

A process measurement has a mean of 758 and a standard deviation of 19.4. If the
speci cation limits are 700 and 800, what percent of product can be expected to be
of limits assuming a normal distribution?

A. 1.7%
B. 7.1%
C. 3.4%
D. 2.9%

Reply

 Six Sigma Study Guide (Six Sigma Study Guide Support)

31st January 2016, 3:36 pm

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Mean : 758
SD : 19.4
USL : 800
LSL : 700

Out Of Limit ;

Z1 = 700-758 / 19.4 : 2.989 , Z Table : 0.0014

Z2 = 800-758 / 19.4 : 2.164 , Z Table : 0.0154

So, P(X< =Z1)+P(X>=Z2) : 0.0014 + 0.0154 = 1.68%

Reply

 Hari
17th February 2018, 9:44 am

Hello,

From the above example, Z value of 2.164 s 98.46; instead of 0.0154. Your value
of 0.0154 would be correct if the mean value of the speci cations was 716
instead of 800.

Further, if the data crosses 2 standard devations it should be greater than 95% .

Pl. correct if i am wrong.

Regards,
Hari Kiran

Reply

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 Ted Hessing (Six Sigma Study Guide Support)

25th April 2018, 9:09 am

Hi Hari,

I offer a tutoring service at $50/hr. If you’d like help with this particular
problem, let me know and I’ll get you set up.

Alternately, if you’d like to learn how to solve problems like this – and
thousands of others – consider joining my Green Belt Study Guide program
here.

Reply

Ell Mar
4th March 2016, 12:41 am

In example 4, why did you look for z of (-2.76) while it is a positive number? please
explain. thank you.

Reply

Amy (Free Trial Green Belt Study Guide)

27th July 2016, 2:41 am

Thank you for these examples. In example 4, I calculated (175-194)/11.2 = -1.696 for
the rst limit, and rounded up to -1.7, so the Z table number I got was .0446. You did
not round up and referenced -1.69 and the Z table number you got was .0455. Is
there guidance on rounding when using these tables? I don’t recall anything like this
when I went through the Villanova SSBB class. Thanks.

Reply

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 So (Free Trial Green Belt Study Guide)

1st April 2017, 2:51 am

Thanks for agging this! I was just wondering the exact same thing. Example 4
appears to be rounded incorrectly. I got the answer of 95.26%. Did you get a
response?

Reply

 Ted Hessing (Six Sigma Study Guide Support)

25th April 2018, 9:09 am

Hi Amy & So ,

I offer a tutoring service at $50/hr. If you’d like help with this particular problem,
let me know and I’ll get you set up.

Alternately, if you’d like to learn how to solve problems like this – and thousands
of others – consider joining my Green Belt Study Guide program here.

Reply

Rems
4th August 2016, 12:07 pm

an IQ score has z score of 175. What is the score if the mean is 100 and the standard
deviation is 15.

Reply

 Six Sigma Study Guide (Six Sigma Study Guide Support)

4th August 2016, 6:37 pm

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How have you thought about trying to solve this question? Where do you get
stuck?

Reply

 Ted Hessing (Six Sigma Study Guide Support)

25th April 2018, 9:10 am

Hi Rems,

I offer a tutoring service at $50/hr. If you’d like help with this particular problem,
let me know and I’ll get you set up.

Alternately, if you’d like to learn how to solve problems like this – and thousands of
others – consider joining my Green Belt Study Guide program here.

Reply

chen
19th September 2016, 5:28 am

i need to nd more math & statistic problem to practice, seems i come to the right
place! thank you! is there any other ways i can nd on the internet?

Reply

 Ted Hessing (Six Sigma Study Guide Support)

25th April 2018, 9:11 am

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Hi Chen,

I offer 1000 questions in my my Green Belt Study Guide program here.

What kind of statistics problems are you looking for?

Reply

Julioskij (Free Trial Green Belt Study Guide)

26th January 2017, 3:59 pm

Problem 1, solution is 9.18% 🙂

Reply

Julioskij (Free Trial Green Belt Study Guide)

26th January 2017, 4:53 pm

Hi, z-transf #1:

Using the Z table, we nd the area to the right of the Z is 0.7976. So, there is a
79.76%. In the table it´s 79.67%
🙂

Reply

Julioskij (Free Trial Green Belt Study Guide)

26th January 2017, 5:11 pm

Hi, I really don´t get the batteries problem? Sigma Xbar is a measure of the error of
the sample distribution and should be = 4/3. So the 62v part of the question is clear. I
don´t get why the rst part is true than, could you help me?

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Reply

 Edrezz
3rd July 2017, 5:04 pm

What is the Ppk of a process with a spread of 24 units, an average of 68, an upper
limit of 82 and a lower limit
of 54?
A. 1.68
B. 2.00
C. 4.00
D. 4.42

Reply

 Edrezz
3rd July 2017, 5:08 pm

I’ve tried solving this a couple of times to no avail.

Reply

 Six Sigma Study Guide (Six Sigma Study Guide Support)

8th July 2017, 7:38 am

Edrezz- can you tell me the steps you took to try to solve this?

Reply

 Ami
12th April 2018, 6:15 pm

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can you sold it? im straggling. tried to do as the above example and o lack ;-\

 Six Sigma Study Guide (Six Sigma Study Guide Support)

13th April 2018, 5:59 am

Ami – what are you struggling with?

 Ted Hessing (Six Sigma Study Guide Support)

25th April 2018, 9:11 am

Hi Julio,

I offer a tutoring service at $50/hr. If you’d like help with this particular problem,
let me know and I’ll get you set up.

Alternately, if you’d like to learn how to solve problems like this – and thousands of
others – consider joining my Green Belt Study Guide program here.

Reply

Tharik Mansoor
16th May 2017, 6:53 am

Can you help me to resolve this problem…

Using this partial Z Table, how many units from a month’s production run are
expected to not satisfy customer requirements for the following process?
Upper speci cation limit: 7.2 Lower speci cation limit: 4.3 Mean of the process: 5.9
Standard Deviation: 0.65 Monthly production: 450 units
Please choose the correct answer.
Response:
3
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7
10
12

Reply

 Six Sigma Study Guide (Six Sigma Study Guide Support)

16th May 2017, 8:51 am

What have you tried so far, Tharik?

Reply

 Tharik Mansoor
22nd May 2017, 9:15 am

Mean : 5.9
SD : .65
USL : 7.2
LSL : 4.3

Out Of Limit ;

Z1 = 7.2-5.9 / 0.65 : 2 , Z Table : .0228

Z2 = 5.9-4.3/ 0.65 : 2.46, Z Table : .0069

So, P(X=Z2) : 0.0228+ 0.0069 = 2.97%

Total unsatis ed customer requirement : 450*2.97%=13.81

Reply

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 Ted Hessing (Six Sigma Study Guide Support)

25th April 2018, 9:12 am

Hi Thanrik,

I offer a tutoring service at $50/hr. If you’d like help with this particular
problem, let me know and I’ll get you set up.

Alternately, if you’d like to learn how to solve problems like this – and
thousands of others – consider joining my Green Belt Study Guide program
here.

Reply

Tharik Mansoor
16th May 2017, 9:34 am

Mean : 5.9
SD : .65
USL : 7.2
LSL : 4.3

Out Of Limit ;

Z1 = 7.2-5.9 / 0.65 : 2 , Z Table : .0228

Z2 = 5.9-4.3/ 0.65 : 2.46, Z Table : .0069

So, P(X=Z2) : 0.0228+ 0.0069 = 2.97%

Total unsatis ed customer requirement : 450*2.97%=13.81

Reply

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 Tharik Mansoor
16th May 2017, 9:36 am

Unsatis ed customers/month : 450*2.97%=13.81

Reply

Rockyfella Daniel
18th September 2017, 7:55 pm

How can I nd the z-score normalization for a set of data in excel format?

Reply

 Ted Hessing (Six Sigma Study Guide Support)

25th April 2018, 9:13 am

Hi Rocky,

I offer one (and dozens of other helpful items, thousands of questions, and much
more) in my consider joining my Green Belt Study Guide program here.

Reply

Javier Ramirez ((PYSSGB) Pass Your Six Sigma Green Belt

Course - Guided)
8th November 2017, 4:27 pm

Which of the following describes the 95% con dence

interval of a 20% absentee rate in a department with
30 people?
(A) 6% to 34%

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(B) 8% to 32%
(C) 13% to 27%
(D) 17% to 23%

Reply

 Six Sigma Study Guide (Six Sigma Study Guide Support)

10th December 2017, 10:50 am

What have you tried, Javier?

Reply

 Ted Hessing (Six Sigma Study Guide Support)

25th April 2018, 9:13 am

Javier, I think we’ve covered this since you joined the Green belt program. Any
further issues here?

Reply

Priya Thakur
2nd February 2018, 4:36 pm

Is it possible to have a z-score of + 300 or – 300?

Reply

 Ted Hessing (Six Sigma Study Guide Support)

25th April 2018, 9:14 am

Hi Priya,
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I offer a tutoring service at $50/hr. If you’d like help with this particular problem,
let me know and I’ll get you set up.

Alternately, if you’d like to learn how to solve problems like this – and thousands of
others – consider joining my Green Belt Study Guide program here.

Reply

Arpan Gandhi
23rd April 2018, 2:21 pm

How to calculate Z value in below question?

Question:
When σ = 10, what sample size is needed to specify a 95% con dence interval of ±3
units from the mean?

Here, Sample size = ((Z*σ )/(margin of error))^2.

In the formula, Z value need to nd from Z- table. But how it can be found?

Reply

 Ted Hessing (Six Sigma Study Guide Support)

25th April 2018, 9:07 am

Hi Arpan,

I offer a tutoring service at $50/hr. If you’d like help with this particular problem,
let me know and I’ll get you set up.

Alternately, if you’d like to learn how to solve problems like this – and thousands of
others – consider joining my Green Belt Study Guide program here.

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Reply

Maninder singh
29th May 2018, 11:40 pm

Here I m wanting to know about how to use z table & how to calculate the rejection in
PC’s & percentage, my question is –
A lot of 1000 pivot pins, speci cation length of pin is 15.0+/-0.2 mm, sample of 50
PC’s were inspected mean & std. Deviation was to be 15.05 & 0.1 mm respectively.
Calculate how many PCs are likely to be recjeted from the lot. Use z table & pls give
pictorial view.

Reply

 Ted Hessing (Six Sigma Study Guide Support)

30th May 2018, 6:34 am

What have you tried so far, Maninder?

Reply

Shadrack
30th June 2018, 12:52 pm

In a distribution exactly normal, 7% of the items are under 35 and 79% are under 63.
What is the mean and standard deviation of the distribution

Reply

 Ted Hessing (Six Sigma Study Guide Support)

10th July 2018, 7:10 am

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What have you tried so far, Shadrack?

Reply

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