Lesson 2

Characteristics of
a Normal Random
Variable
 Objectives

At the end of this lesson, the learner should be able to

● accurately determine the characteristics of a normal
random variable;

● correctly identify if a given score is an outlier; and

● correctly solve real-life problems involving characteristics of

a normal random variable.
 Essential Questions

● What are the advantages of a normal distribution over

other data distributions?

● What is the importance of knowing the empirical rule on

normal curves in getting the number of scores within a
specific range?
 Essential Questions

● https://i.pinimg.com/originals/5e/80/5c/5e805c90d0cdb7adf250bd1e19e4bb6e.jpg
 Warm Up!

This lesson will tackle about the characteristics of a normal

distribution. An interactive graph is available online where
you can change the value of the mean and the standard
deviation and observe the behaviour of the graph.

(Click the link to access the interactive graph.)

Bourne, Murray. “Normal Probability Distribution Graph

Interactive.” Interactive Mathematics. Retrieved 15 July 2019
from https://www.intmath.com/counting-probability/normal-
distribution-graph-interactive.php
 Warm Up!

Uncheck “Show standard normal curve.”

Check “Show probability calculation.”

Drag the red colored dots representing the mean and the
standard deviation and observe the behavior of the graph.

You can also drag the green colored dots so that the two are
of equal multiple of standard deviations from the mean.
 Guide Questions

● Where in the curve does the mean located?

● What is the probability that a score is within one standard

deviation away from the mean?

● What is the probability that a score is within two standard

deviations away from the mean?
 Learn about It!

Characteristics of a Normally Distributed Set of

1
Data
a. A normal distribution is symmetric about its mean.

In a normally distributed set of data, the mean will be

placed at the center if the data are arranged in ascending
order.
 Learn about It!

Characteristics of a Normally Distributed Set of

1
Data
a. A normal distribution is symmetric about its mean.

Moreover, approximately 50% of the data is less than the

mean and approximately 50% of the data is greater than the
mean.
 Learn about It!

Characteristics of a Normally Distributed Set of

1
Data
b. The mean, median, and mode of a normal distribution are all equal.

Since the mean, media, and more are all equal, the
median and the mode are also located at the middle of
the distribution.
 Learn about It!

Characteristics of a Normally Distributed Set of

1
Data
c. A normal distribution is thicker at the center and less thick at the tails.

”Thicker” at the center means that there are more scores

located near the center of the distribution and there are
fewer scores found near both ends of the distribution.
 Learn about It!

Characteristics of a Normally Distributed Set of

1
Data
d. Approximately 68.26% of the area of a normal distribution is within one
standard deviation of the mean.

Note that the area of a normal distribution refers to the

graphical representation of the percentage, proportion,
or probability of a normal distribution.
 Learn about It!

Characteristics of a Normally Distributed Set of

1
Data
d. Approximately 68.26% of the area of a normal distribution is within one
standard deviation of the mean.

In a given set of data, approximately 68.26% of the scores

are located between the scores one standard deviation above
and one standard deviation below the mean. This means that
in a normally distributed set of data, a score of that data has
a 68.26% chance of falling within one standard deviation from
the mean.
 Learn about It!

Characteristics of a Normally Distributed Set of

1
Data
d. Approximately 68.26% of the area of a normal distribution is within one
standard deviation of the mean.

We may write this as a probability notation.

𝑃 𝜇 − 𝜎 < 𝑋 < 𝜇 + 𝜎 = 0.6826

 Learn about It!

Characteristics of a Normally Distributed Set of

1
Data
e. Approximately 95.44% of the area of a normal distribution is within two
standard deviations of the mean

In a given set of data, approximately 95.44% of the scores

are located between the scores two standard deviations
above and two standard deviations below the mean.
 Learn about It!

Characteristics of a Normally Distributed Set of

1
Data
e. Approximately 95.44% of the area of a normal distribution is within two
standard deviations of the mean

This means that in a normally distributed set of data, a

score of that data has a 95.44% chance of falling within two
standard deviations from the mean.
 Learn about It!

Characteristics of a Normally Distributed Set of

1
Data
e. Approximately 95.44% of the area of a normal distribution is within two
standard deviations of the mean

We may write this as a probability notation.

𝑃 𝜇 − 2𝜎 < 𝑋 < 𝜇 + 2𝜎 = 0.9544

 Learn about It!

Characteristics of a Normally Distributed Set of

1
Data
f. Approximately 99.74% of the area of a normal distribution is within three
standard deviations of the mean

In a given set of data, approximately 99.74% of the scores

are located between the scores three standard deviations
above and three standard deviations below the mean.
 Learn about It!

Characteristics of a Normally Distributed Set of

1
Data
f. Approximately 99.74% of the area of a normal distribution is within three
standard deviations of the mean

This means that in a normally distributed set of data, a

score of that data has a 99.74% chance of falling within
three standard deviations from the mean.
 Learn about It!

Characteristics of a Normally Distributed Set of

1
Data
f. Approximately 99.74% of the area of a normal distribution is within three
standard deviations of the mean

We may write this as a probability notation.

𝑃 𝜇 − 3𝜎 < 𝑋 < 𝜇 + 3𝜎 = 0.9974

Learn about It!

Empirical Rule
1
2 states that 68.26% of the scores fall within one standard deviation away from the
mean, 95.44% of the scores fall within two standard deviations away from the
mean, and 99.74% of the scores fall within three standard deviations away from
the mean.
 Learn about It!

Outliers
1
3 scores that are more than two standard deviations away from the mean.

Example:
A normally distributed set of data has a mean of 𝜇 = 5
and a standard deviation of 𝜎 = 2. The score 𝑥 = 10 is an
outlier because it lies two standard deviations above the
mean.
 Learn about It!

Extreme Outliers
1
4 scores that are more than three standard deviations away from the mean.

Example:
A normally distributed set of data has a mean of 𝜇 = 15
and a standard deviation of 𝜎 = 3. The score 𝑥 = 5 is an
extreme outlier because it lies three standard deviations
below the mean.
 Try It!

Example 1: In a normally distributed set of data containing

5 624 scores, how many scores are expected to fall within
one standard deviation away from the mean?
 Try It!

Example 1: In a normally distributed set of data containing

5 624 scores, how many scores are expected to fall within
one standard deviation away from the mean?
Solution:
According to the empirical rule, 68.26% of the scores would
fall within one standard deviation away from the mean.

To get the number of scores that are within that range, we

get 68.26% of 5 624.
 Try It!

Example 1: In a normally distributed set of data containing

5 624 scores, how many scores are expected to fall within
one standard deviation away from the mean?
Solution:
5 624 ∙ 0.6826 = 3 838.9424
≈ 3839

Therefore, around 3 839 of the scores are expected to fall

within one standard deviation away from the mean.
 Try It!

Example 2: A particular normally distributed set of data has

a mean of 𝜇 = 53.28 and a standard deviation of 𝜎 = 8.41. Is
the score 𝑋 = 34 considered an outlier?
 Try It!

Example 2: A particular normally distributed set of data has

a mean of 𝜇 = 53.28 and a standard deviation of 𝜎 = 8.41. Is
the score 𝑋 = 34 considered an outlier?
Solution:
1. Make a plan in solving the problem.

A score is considered an outlier if it is more than two

standard deviations away from the mean.
 Try It!

Example 2: A particular normally distributed set of data has

a mean of 𝜇 = 53.28 and a standard deviation of 𝜎 = 8.41. Is
the score 𝑋 = 34 considered an outlier?
Solution:
Thus, we should first solve for the scores two standard
deviations away from the mean and determine whether the
given score lies beyond those points.
 Try It!

Example 2: A particular normally distributed set of data has

a mean of 𝜇 = 53.28 and a standard deviation of 𝜎 = 8.41. Is
the score 𝑋 = 34 considered an outlier?
Solution:
2. Solve for the scores two standard deviations away from
the mean.
 Try It!

Example 2: A particular normally distributed set of data has

a mean of 𝜇 = 53.28 and a standard deviation of 𝜎 = 8.41. Is
the score 𝑋 = 34 considered an outlier?
Solution:
First, solve for the score two standard deviations above the
mean.
𝜇 + 2𝜎 = 53.28 + 2 8.41
𝜇 + 2𝜎 = 53.28 + 16.82
𝜇 + 2𝜎 = 70.1
 Try It!

Example 2: A particular normally distributed set of data has

a mean of 𝜇 = 53.28 and a standard deviation of 𝜎 = 8.41. Is
the score 𝑋 = 34 considered an outlier?
Solution:
Next, solve for the score two standard deviations below the
mean.
𝜇 − 2𝜎 = 53.28 − 2 8.41
𝜇 − 2𝜎 = 53.28 − 16.82
𝜇 − 2𝜎 = 36.46
 Try It!

Example 2: A particular normally distributed set of data has

a mean of 𝜇 = 53.28 and a standard deviation of 𝜎 = 8.41. Is
the score 𝑋 = 34 considered an outlier?
Solution:
3. Compare the scores using a number line.

The mean, the scores two standard deviations away from

the mean, and the score 𝑋 = 34 are presented in the
number line on the next slide.
 Try It!

Example 2: A particular normally distributed set of data has

a mean of 𝜇 = 53.28 and a standard deviation of 𝜎 = 8.41. Is
the score 𝑋 = 34 considered an outlier?
Solution:

The score 𝑋 = 34 lies lower that the score two standard

deviations below the mean.

Therefore, the score 𝑋 = 34 is an outlier.

 Let’s Practice!

Individual Practice:

1. In a normally distributed set of data containing 12 658

scores, how many scores are expected to be more than
two standard deviations away from the mean?

2. In a normally distributed set of data with 𝜇 = 23.6 and

𝜎 = 4.4. Is the score 𝑋 = 33.1 considered an outlier?
 Let’s Practice!

Group Practice: To be done by 2-5 groups

The average height of Grade 3 students in a certain campus

is 120.2 cm with a standard deviation of 5.7 cm. What is the
probability that a randomly chosen Grade 3 student has a
height between 114.5 cm and 125.9 cm?
Key Points

Characteristics of a Normally Distributed Set of

1
Data
a. A normal distribution is symmetric about its mean.
b. The mean, median, and mode of a normal distribution are all equal.
c. A normal distribution is thicker at the center and less thick at the tails.
d. Approximately 68.26% of the area of a normal distribution is within one
standard deviation of the mean.
e. Approximately 95.44% of the area of a normal distribution is within two
standard deviations of the mean
f. Approximately 99.74% of the area of a normal distribution is within three
standard deviations of the mean
Key Points

Empirical Rule
1
2 states that 68.26% of the scores fall within one standard deviation away from the
mean, 95.44% of the scores fall within two standard deviations away from the
mean, and 99.74% of the scores fall within three standard deviations away from
the mean.

Outliers
1
3 scores that are more than two standard deviations away from the mean.

Extreme Outliers
1
4 scores that are more than three standard deviations away from the mean.
 Synthesis

● What are the different characteristics of a set of data that

is normally distributed?

● Why do you think that test scores tend to be closer to the

mean?

● How do we illustrate a normal distribution using a graph?