ENGINEERING DATA ANALYSIS
At the end of the lesson, students are able to:
Understand on how to use the table of areas
under a normal distribution;
Compute continuous probability distribution;
Apply distribution to decision making
process.
If a random variable assumes any
numerical value in an interval or
collection of intervals, then it is
called continuous random variables.
The probability distribution of the continuous
random variable x cannot be represented in
tabular form, but can be represented by a
formula
The formula will be a function of the numerical
values of the continuous variable X and will be le
denoted by f(x), which is usually called the
probability density function of random variable
X (PDF)
PDF is defined on some interval such that:
Not every real-values function can represent
a pdf, it must satisfy the following condition:
The most important continuous probability
distribution is the normal distribution.
Often referred to as the Gaussian
distribution, in honor of Karl Friedrich Gauss,
one of those who derived its equation.
A continuous random variable X having the
bell-shaped distribution is called a normal
random variable.
The mathematical equation for the
probability distribution of the normal variable
depends upon the two parameters, its mean
and standard deviation.
A standard normal distribution is a
normal probability distribution that
has a mean= 0 and a standard
deviation = 1 .
It is possible to transform all the observations of any normal
random variable X to a new set of observations of a normal
random variable Z with mean μ=0 and a standard deviation σ=1.
This is done by means of transformation
𝑥−𝜇
𝑧 distribution
•The integrals of the standard normal = from -∞ to a
𝜎
various value of Z are listed in the table of areas under the normal
curve or also known as the z-table.
The area under the normal curve are given in terms of z-values or scores.
Either the z-score locates x within a sample or within a population.
The formula for calculating z is:
𝑥−𝜇
𝑧= 𝜎
(z-score for population data)
𝑥−𝑥ҧ
𝑧= (z-score for sample data)
𝑠
where: x – given measurement 𝑥ҧ – sample
mean
Four-Step Process in Finding the Areas Under the Normal Curve
Given z-values.
Step 1: Express the given z-value into three-digit form.
Step 2: Using the z-table, find the first two digit on the left
column.
Step 3: Match the third digit with the appropriate column on the
right.
Step 4: Read the area (or probability) at the intersection of the
row and the column. This is the required area.
Find the area that corresponds to z = 1.36
Find the area that corresponds to z = 1
Find the area that corresponds to z = -2.58
Find the area between z=-0.58 and z= 1.67
Find the area less than z= 2.3
Find the area greater than z= 2
The loaves of rye bread are distributed to local store
by a certain bakery have an average length of 30cm
and standard deviation of 2cm. Assuming the loaves
are normally distributed, what percentage of the
loaves are
a. Shorter than 25.5cm?
b. Longer than 31.7cm?
c. Between 29.3cm and 33.5cm in length?
