INTRODUCTION TO
NORMAL CURVE
INTRODUCTION
Large physiological variations in many
biological phenomenon.
How to set limits of normality?
What Is abnormal reading?
If mean menstrual cycle - 28 days;
range - 21–35 days; then,
How many women have cycle
between 28 and 30 days or between
26 and 28 days
INTRODUCTION
When a large number of observations of any variable characteristic such as height, blood
pressure and pulse rate are taken at random to make it a representative sample, a
frequency distribution table is prepared by keeping group interval small, then it will be
seen that:
a. Some observations are above the mean and others are below the mean.
b. If they are arranged in order, deviating towards the extremes from the mean, on plus or minus side,
maximum number or frequencies will be seen in the middle around the mean and fewer at the extremes,
decreasing smoothly on both sides.
c. Normally, almost half the observations lie above and half below the mean and all observation are
symmetrical on each side of the mean.
GAUSSIAN DISTRIBUTION/ NORMAL
DISTRIBUTION
•A distribution of this nature or shape is
called normal distribution or Gaussian
distribution.
•A virtue of a large random sample.
•One of the standard distributions in nature.
What is normal
in the curve?
In terms of Mean and SD
•Mean ± 1 SD limits, include 68.27% or roughly 2/3rd
of all the observation.
•Mean ± 2 SD limits, include 95.45% of observations
while 4.55% of observations will be outside these
limits. Similarly, mean ± 1.96 SD limits, include 95%
of all observations.
•c. Mean ± 3 SD limits include 99.73%. Mean ± 2.58
SD limits, include 99%.
Characteristics of the normal distribution:
The following are some important characteristics of the
normal distribution:
1) It is symmetrical about its mean, µ.
(2) The mean, the median, and the mode are all equal
(3) The total area under the curve is one.
(4) If we draw perpendiculars at a distance of 1 SD from
the mean in both directions, the area enclosed will be
approx 68%., at 2SD- 95% and at 3SD- 99.7%
Text Book : BIOSTATISTICS
A Foundation for Analysis 6
5- The normal distribution
• depends on the two parameters and
.
• determines the location of the curve.
• Determines the scale of the curve,
i.e. the degree of flatness or peaked
ness of the curve.
Mean مكانه
• µ location parameter What is
• σ shape parameter depends on for
Flat or more at the normal?
SD
Text Book : BIOSTATISTICS
A Foundation for Analysis 7
The Standard normal distribution:
Also called as unit normal distribution اعرف بالصيغه حقت
الرموز و الكتابه
Is a special case of normal distribution
with mean equal 0 and a standard
deviation of 1.
Text Book :
BIOSTATISTICS
A Foundation for Analysis
in the Health Sciences
33
Characteristics of the standard normal
distribution
1. It is symmetrical about 0.
2. The total area under the curve above the x-axis is one.
3. We can use table (D) to find the probabilities and areas.
Text Book : BIOSTATISTICS
A Foundation for Analysis 10
in the Health Sciences
RELATIVE OR STANDARD NORMAL
DEVIATE OR VARIATE (Z)
•Deviation from the mean in a normal distribution or curve is called relative or standard
normal deviate
•Symbol Z.
•Measured in terms of SDs and indicates how much an observation is bigger or smaller than
mean in units of SD.
•So Z will be a ratio, calculated as below:
Example
If X is normal with µ = 3, σ = 2. Find the value of standard normal Z, If X= 6?
Answer:
= 6-3 = 1.5
2
EXAMPLE
Average weight of baby at birth is 3.05 kg with the SD of 0.39 kg. If the birth weights are
normally distributed would you regard:
a. Weight of 4 kg as abnormal?
b. Weight of 2.5 kg as normal?
Solution
a. Normal limits of weight at ±1.96 SD (3.05 ± 1.96 × 0.39) will be 2.29 kg and 3.81 kg.
The weight of 4 kg falls outside the normal limits (since 4 > 3.81) so it is taken as abnormal.
b. The weight of 2.5 kg lies within the normal limits of 2.29 and 3.81 so it is not taken as
abnormal.
PROBABILITIES FROM STANDARD
NORMAL CURVE
If Z for an observation height 165 cm is plus one, i.e. it is one SD (5 cm) higher than the mean
(160 cm), it will cover 50% observation to the left of mean, and 34% between mean and 165
-84%
Only 16% of the total observation will lie above the value mean +1 SD.
In other words, probability of having height above 165 cm is 16% or 0.16 out of 1.
To find the proportion of the individual who will exceed any particular observation (X) in a
standard universe, refer the (Z) value in the table value of the Unit Normal Distribution
The table helps to find the percentage of area or
observations in the normal distribution which lie
beyond various standard deviation units
Z = (X–µ)/σ from the mean
Z is 0 at the mean.
USING THE Z TABLES /UNIT NORMAL
DISTRIBUTION TABLE
When Z is + 1.5, the area of the curve beyond or the percentage of observation above the
value corresponding to Z will be 0.0668 or 6.68%.
Similarly when Z is –1.5, the proportional of observations below the value corresponding to
Z will be 6.68%.
Example: If the mean height µ is 160 cm with SD of 5 cm, calculate Z value for an observation
X =172.9 cm and interpret the result in the light of UND.
Table value for Z = 2.58 is 0.0049.
It means only 0.49% observations will exceed height 172.9 cm, if heights are normally
distributed.
FURTHER PRACTICE
Examples given on pages 104-106
QUESTIONS
REFERENCES
1. B. K. Mahajan (2018) Methods in Biostatistics for Medical Students and Research
Workers, Ninth Edition (Revised), Jaypee Publishing House, New Delhi-India, ISBN-10
– 9352703103 Pages 98-108
2. Wayne W. Daniel, Chad L. Cross (2013), Biostatistics: A Foundation for Analysis in
the Health Sciences, Wiley Publishing House, USA, Tenth Edition, ISBN-10: 1118302796.
Pages 116-123
THANK YOU
