Exam questions – the normal distribution

All paper 2 except Q6

1. A random variable X is distributed normally with mean 450 and standard deviation 20.

(a) Find P(X ≤ 475).

(2)

(b) Given that P(X > a) = 0.27, find a.

(4)
(Total 6 marks)

2. The heights, H, of the people in a certain town are normally distributed with mean 170
cm and standard deviation 20 cm.

(a) A person is selected at random. Find the probability that his height is less than 185
cm.
(3)

(b) Given that P (H  d) = 0.6808, find the value of d.

(3)
(Total 6 marks)

3. The heights of a group of students are normally distributed with a mean of 160 cm and a
standard deviation of 20 cm.

(a) A student is chosen at random. Find the probability that the student’s height is
greater than 180 cm.

(b) In this group of students, 11.9 have heights less than d cm. Find the value of d.
(Total 6 marks)

4. A random variable X is distributed normally with a mean of 20 and variance 9.

(a) Find P(X ≤ 24.5).

(3)

(b) Let P(X ≤ k) = 0.85.

(i) Represent this information on the following diagram.

 (ii) Find the value of k.
(5)
(Total 8 marks)

5. Residents of a small town have savings which are normally distributed with a mean of
$3000 and a standard deviation of $500.

(i) What percentage of townspeople have savings greater than $3200?

(ii) Two townspeople are chosen at random. What is the probability that both of them
have savings between $2300 and $3300?

(iii) The percentage of townspeople with savings less than d dollars is 74.22%.
Find the value of d.
(Total 8 marks)

6. Let X be normally distributed with mean 100 cm and standard deviation 5 cm.

(a) On the diagram below, shade the region representing P(X > 105).

(2)

(b) Given that P(X < d) = P(X > 105), find the value of d.
(2)

(c) Given that P(X > 105) = 0.16 (correct to two significant figures), find P(d < X <
105).
(2)
(Total 6 marks)

7. The scores of a test given to students are normally distributed with a mean of 21.
80 % of the students have scores less than 23.7.

(a) Find the standard deviation of the scores.

(3)

A student is chosen at random. This student has the same probability of having a score
less than 25.4 as having a score greater than b.

(b) (i) Find the probability the student has a score less than 25.4.

(ii) Find the value of b.

(4)
(Total 7 marks)
8. The heights of certain plants are normally distributed. The plants are classified into
three categories.

The shortest 12.92 are in category A.

The tallest 10.38 are in category C.
All the other plants are in category B with heights between r cm and t cm.

(a) Complete the following diagram to represent this information.

(2)

(b) Given that the mean height is 6.84 cm and the standard deviation 0.25 cm, find the
value of r and of t.
(5)
(Total 7 marks)

9. The heights of certain flowers follow a normal distribution. It is known that 20 of
these flowers have a height less than 3 cm and 10 have a height greater than 8 cm.

Find the value of the mean  and the standard deviation .

(Total 6 marks)

10. Let the random variable X be normally distributed with mean 25, as shown in the
following diagram.

The shaded region between 25 and 27 represents 30 % of the distribution.

 (a) Find P(X > 27).
(2)

(b) Find the standard deviation of X.

(5)
(Total 7 marks)

11. The weights of players in a sports league are normally distributed with a mean of 76.6
kg, (correct to three significant figures). It is known that 80 % of the players have
weights between 68 kg and 82 kg. The probability that a player weighs less than 68 kg
is 0.05.

(a) Find the probability that a player weighs more than 82 kg.
(2)

(b) (i) Write down the standardized value, z, for 68 kg.

(ii) Hence, find the standard deviation of weights.

(4)

To take part in a tournament, a player’s weight must be within 1.5 standard deviations of
the mean.

(c) (i) Find the set of all possible weights of players that take part in the
tournament.

(ii) A player is selected at random. Find the probability that the player takes part
in the tournament.
(5)

Of the players in the league, 25 % are women. Of the women, 70 % take part in the
tournament.

(d) Given that a player selected at random takes part in the tournament, find the
probability that the selected player is a woman.
(4)
(Total 15 marks)
12. A box contains a large number of biscuits. The weights of biscuits are normally
distributed with mean 7 g and standard deviation 0.5 g.

(a) One biscuit is chosen at random from the box. Find the probability that this biscuit

(i) weighs less than 8 g;

(ii) weighs between 6 g and 8 g.

(4)

(b) Five percent of the biscuits in the box weigh less than d grams.

(i) Copy and complete the following normal distribution diagram, to represent
this information, by indicating d, and shading the appropriate region.

(ii) Find the value of d.

(5)

(c) The weights of biscuits in another box are normally distributed with mean  and
standard deviation 0.5 g. It is known that 20 of the biscuits in this second box
weigh less than 5 g.

Find the value of .

(4)
(Total 13 marks)
 Mark scheme
1. (a) evidence of attempt to find P(X ≤ 475) (M1)
e.g. P(Z ≤ 1.25)
P(X ≤ 475) = 0.894 A1 N2

(b) evidence of using the complement (M1)

e.g. 0.73, 1 – p

z = 0.6128 (A1)
setting up equation (M1)
a  450
e.g. 20 = 0.6128
a = 462 A1 N3
[6]

185  170
z  0.75
2. (a) 20 (M1)(A1)

P(Z < 0.75) = 0.773 (A1) (N3)

(b) z = 0.47 (may be implied) (A1)

d 170
0.47 = 20 (M1)

d = 161 (A1) (N3)

[6]

180  160
z 1
3. (a) 20 (A1)

 (1) = 0.8413 (A1)

P(height > 180) = 1  0.8413

= 0.159 A1 N3

(b) z = 1.1800 (A1)

d  160
Setting up equation 1.18 = 20 (M1)

d = 136 A1 N3
 [6]

4. (a) σ=3 (A1)

evidence of attempt to find P(X ≤ 24.5) (M1)

24.5  20
e.g. z =1.5, 3

P(X ≤ 24.5) = 0.933 A1 N3 3

(b) (i)

A1A1 N2
Note: Award A1 with shading that clearly extends to right
of the mean, A1 for any correct label, either k, area or
their value of k

(ii) z = 1.03(64338) (A1)

attempt to set up an equation (M1)
k  20 k  20
 1.0364,  0.85
e.g. 3 3
k = 23.1 A1 N3 5
[8]

5. (i) P ( X  3 200)  P ( Z  0.4) (M1)

 1  0.6554  34.5 % (  0.345) (A1) (N2)

(ii) P (2 300  X  3 300)  P (1.4  Z  0.6) (M1)

 0.4192  0.2257

 0.645 (A1)

P (both)  (0.645) 2  0.416 (A1) (N2)

 (iii) 0.7422  P ( Z  0.65) (A1)

d  3 000
 0.65
500 (A1)

d  $ 3 325 (  $ 3 330 to 3 s.f.) (Accept $3325.07)(A1) (N3)

6. (a)

A1A1 N2
Note: Award A1 for vertical line to right of mean, A1
for shading to right of their vertical line.

(b) evidence of recognizing symmetry (M1)

e.g. 105 is one standard deviation above the mean so d is one standard
deviation below the mean, shading the corresponding part,
105 – 100 = 100 – d

d = 95 A1 N2

(c) evidence of using complement (M1)

e.g. 1 – 0.32, 1 – p

P(d < X < 105) = 0.68 A1 N2

[6]

7. (a) evidence of approach (M1)

23.7  21
e.g. finding 0.84…, using 

correct working (A1)

23.7  21
e.g. 0.84... =  , graph
σ = 3.21 A1
N2

(b) (i) evidence of attempting to find P(X < 25.4) (M1)

e.g. using z = 1.37
P(X < 25.4) = 0.915 A1 N2
 (ii) evidence of recognizing symmetry (M1)
e.g. b = 21 – 4.4, using z = –1.37
b = 16.6 A1 N2
[7]

8. (a)

1 2 .9 2 % 10 .3 8 %
B

T t

A1A1 N2
Notes: Award A1 for three re.g.ions, (may be shown
by lines or shading) A1 for clear labelling of
two re.g.ions (may be shown by percentages or
cate.g.ories).
r and t need not be labelled, but if they are,
they may be interchanged.

(b) METHOD 1

P(X < r) = 0.1292 (A1)

r = 6.56 A1 N2

1  0.1038 (= 0.8962) (may be seen later) A1

P(X < t) = 0.8962 (A1)

t = 7.16 A1 N2

METHOD 2

finding z-values 1.130..., 1.260... A1A1

evidence of setting up one standardized equation (M1)

r  6.84
  1.13 , t 1.260  0.25  6.84
e.g. 0.25

r = 6.56, t = 7.16 A1A1 N2N2

[7]

9. X ~ N(, 2), P(X < 3) = 0.2, P(X > 8) = 0.1

P(X < 8) = 0.9 (M1)

 Attempt to set up equations (M1)

3 8
  0.8416 , 1.282
  A1A1

3   = 0.8416

8 −  = 1.282

5 = 2.1236

 = 2.35,  = 4.99 A1A1

N4
[6]

10. (a) symmetry of normal curve (M1)

e.g. P(X < 25) = 0.5

P(X > 27) = 0.2 A1 N2 2

(b) METHOD 1

finding standardized value (A1)

27  25
e.g. 

evidence of complement (M1)

e.g. 1– p, P(X < 27), 0.8

finding z-score (A1)

e.g. z = 0.84…

attempt to set up equation involving the standardized valueM1

27  25 X 
,0.84 
e.g. 0.84 =  

σ = 2.38 A1 N3 5

METHOD 2

set up using normal CDF function and probability (M1)

e.g. P(25 < X < 27) = 0.3, P(X < 27) = 0.8
 correct equation A2

e.g. P(25 < X < 27) = 0.3, P(X > 27) = 0.2

attempt to solve the equation using GDC (M1)

e.g. solver, graph, trial and error (more than two trials must be shown)

σ = 2.38 A1 N3 5
[7]

11. (a) evidence of appropriate approach (M1)

e.g. 1 – 0.85, diagram showing values in a normal curve
P(w ≥ 82) = 0.15 A1 N2

(b) (i) z = –1.64 A1 N1

(ii) evidence of appropriate approach (M1)

x   68  76.6
,
e.g. –1.64 =  

correct substitution A1
68  76.6
e.g. –1.64 = 
σ = 5.23 A1 N1

(c) (i) 68.8 ≤ weight ≤ 84.4 A1A1A1 N3

Note: Award A1 for 68.8, A1 for 84.4, A1 for giving
answer as an interval.

(ii) evidence of appropriate approach (M1)

e.g. P(–1.5 ≤ z ≤1.5), P(68.76 < y < 84.44)
P(qualify) = 0.866 A1 N2

(d) recognizing conditional probability(M1)

 P( A  B )
e.g. P(A│B) = P( B)
P(woman and qualify) = 0.25 × 0.7 (A1)
0.25  0.7
P(woman│qualify) = 0.866 A1
P(woman│qualify) = 0.202 A1 N3
[15]

12. X ~ N (7, 0.52)

(a) (i) z = 2 (M1)

P(X < 8) = P(Z < 2) = 0.977 A1 N2

(ii) evidence of appropriate approach (M1)

e.g. symmetry, z = 2
P(6 < X < 8) = 0.954 (tables 0.955) A1 N2
Note: Award M1A1(AP) if candidates refer to
2 standard deviations from the mean,
leading to 0.95.

(b) (i)

A1A1 N2
Note: Award A1 for d to the left of the mean, A1
for area to the left of d shaded.

(ii) z =  1.645 (A1)

 d 7
 1.645
0.5 (M1)

d = 6.18 A1 N3

(c) Y ~ N(, 0.52)

P(Y < 5) = 0.2 (M1)
z =  0.84162... A1
5
  0.8416
0 .5 (M1)

 = 5.42 A1 N3
[13]