1.

In our recent discussion you have learned about random variables and its
probability distributions; in determining the probability distribution we use
samples of discrete data to find their probability distribution.

2. Random variables have 2 types:

2.1 Discrete
- represents exact figures you can count, such as the numbers of students in a
class.
2.2 Continuous
- continuous data often includes measurable values representing a range of
information, such as the extent of the difference between the shortest and tallest
student in a class.
- Ex. mass, temperature, energy, speed, length

3. The process of determining the probability distribution of discrete random

variable is different from the process of continuous random variables.
4. So now, we are going to deal with the concept of normal probability distribution or
commonly known as normal curve.
5. In your JHS days you have learned about frequency distribution and how to
graph this kind of distribution, right? So, you also have learned that data can be
spread out.

Normal Probability Distribution

- A probability distribution of a random variables. It shows graphical
representations of random variables obtained through measurement such as the
height and weight of a students. It is sometimes called the “bell curve”. It is
used to describe the characteristics of population and help us visualize the
inferences we make about the population.

Characteristics of a Normal Curve

o The distribution curve is “bell-shaped”.

o The curve is symmetrical about its center. This means that, if we draw a
segment from the peak of the curve down to the horizontal axis, the segment
divides the normal curve into two equal parts or areas.
o The mean, median, and mode coincide at the center. This also means that in
a normal distribution, or a distribution described by a normal curve, the mean,
median and mode are equal.
o The width of the curve is determined by the standard deviation of the
distribution.
- If the curve of a distribution is too narrow it means the value of standard deviation
is small.
- But if the curve of a distribution is too wide it means the value of standard
deviation is large.
o The tails of the curve are plotted in both directions and flattened out indefinitely
along the horizontal axis. Always approaching the axis but never touching it. That
is, the curve is asymptotic (approaches to infinity) to the base line.
o The area under the curve is 1. Thus, it represents the probability or proportion
or the percentage associated with specific sets of measurement values.
ACTIVITY: FORM MY CURVE!
. Prepare a handy cardboard model of a normal curve.
. Use the cardboard model to sketch a normal curve. Leave marginal space at the tails.
. Check your sketch if it conforms to the properties of a normal probability distribution.

EMPIRICAL RULE

It tells you what percentage of your data falls within a certain number of standard
deviations from the mean.

1. 68% of the data falls within one standard deviation of the mean.
2. 95% of the data falls within two standard deviations of the mean.
3. 99.7% of the data falls within three standard deviations of the mean.

EXAMPLE 1: SKETCH ME! (Draw a Normal Distribution)

The height of SHS students is normally distributed with a mean of μ= 150 cm and a
standard deviation of σ= 10 cm. Sketch a normal curve that describes this distribution.
6. We already discussed how to get the probability of a discrete random variables
and we also learned the normal distribution and its characteristic. Let us also
learn how to relate the concept for this lesson which we will understand the Z-
SCORES.
Z-SCORE

- Is a measure of relative standing (this measure compares a value to the mean of

a data set).
- It is calculated by subtracting X̄ (sample mean) or μ (population mean) from the
measurement X and then dividing the result by s (sample standard deviation) or
σ (standard deviation).
- Represents the distance between a given measurement X and the mean,
expressed in standard deviations.
- Its either locates X within a sample or within population.
- It was found in a Z-TABLE.
Problem 1: STUDENTS’ HEIGHT DISTRIBUTION
The height of senior high school students in a certain school follows a normal
distribution with a mean of 165 cm and a standard deviation of 6 cm.
FORMULA:
(x−μ)
z=
σ
x: The raw score or data point of interest
μ: The population mean
σ: The population standard deviation
SOLUTION:
a. What percentage of students have a height between 159 cm and 171 cm?
Given:
x = 159 cm, 171 cm
μ = 165 cm
σ = 6 cm
(x−μ)
z=
σ
(159−165)
z 159 =
6
−6
z 159 =
6

z 159 =−1 ≈ 0.1587 (z-table)

(171−165)
z 171=
6
6
z 171=
6

z 171=1 ≈ 0.8413 (z-table)

The probability that a z-score is between -1 and 1. (looking for the

area under the standard normal distribution curve where the z-scores
fall between -1 and 1 on the x-axis)
P(-1 < z < 1) = 0.8413 – 0.1587
= 0.6826 ≈ 68.26%
ANSWER:
The percentage of students have a height between 159 cm and 171 cm is 68.26% or
about 68%.

b. If a student is randomly selected, what is the probability that they are

taller than 177 cm?
Given:
x = 177 cm
μ = 165 cm
σ = 6 cm
SOLUTION:
 (x−μ)
z=
σ
(177−165)
z 177 =
6
12
z 177 =
6

z 177 =2 ≈ 0.9772 (z-table) or 97.72%

The probability of getting a z-score greater than 2.0.

P(z > 2.00) = 1 – P(z>2.00)
= 1 – 0.9772
= 0.0228
= 2.28%
ANSWER:
The probability that a student is taller than 177 cm is 2.28%.
PROBLEM 2: MATH EXAM SCORES
The scores of students in a mathematics test are normally distributed with a
mean of 80 and a standard deviation of 10.
FORMULA:
(x−μ)
z=
σ
x: The raw score or data point of interest
μ: The population mean
σ: The population standard deviation
SOLUTION:
a. What percentage of students scored between 70 and 90?
Given:
x = 70, 90
μ = 80
σ = 10

(x−μ)
z=
σ
(70−80)
z 70=
10
−10
z 70=
10

z 70=−1 ≈ 0.1586 (z-table)

 (x−μ)
z=
σ
(90−80)
z 90=
10
10
z 90=
10

z 90=1 ≈ 0.8413 (z-table)

P(-1< z <1) = 0.8413 – 0.1586

= 0.6826 or 68.26%
ANSWER:
The percentage of students scored between 70 and 90 is 68.26% or about
68%.

b. If a student is randomly chosen, what is the probability that they

scored above 95?
GIVEN:
x = 95
μ = 80
σ = 10
(x−μ)
z=
σ
(95−80)
z 95=
10
15
z 95=
10
3
z 95= or 1.5 ≈ 0.93319 ≈ 0.9332 or 93.32%
2

P(z > 1.5) = 1 - 0.9332

= 0.668 or 6.68%
ANSWER:
The probability of student who scored above 95 is 6.68%.
 Understanding Mean, Variance, and Standard Deviation of a Discrete Random
Variable

“MEAN”
- the average of a set of numbers in a data set
"VARIANCE"
- is a measure of how spread out a set of data is from its mean,
calculated by averaging the squared deviations from the mean.
"STANDARD DEVIATION"
- is the square root of the variance
- Both variance and standard deviation tell you how spread out the
data is from the mean, with a larger value indicating greater spread.

PROBLEM 1: EXAM SCORES

A teacher records the number of correct answers in a 5-item quiz from a group of
students. The probability distribution of the number of correct answer (X) is given below:

X (Correct Answers) 0 1 2 3 4 5
P(X) 0.05 0.10 0.25 0.30 0.20 0.10

FORMULAS:
MEAN VARIANCE STANDARD DEVIATION

μ = ∑ X . P(X) σ2 = ∑ X2 . P(X) - μ2 σ = √∑ X2 . P(X) - μ2

x P (x) x . P(x) x2 x2 . P(x)

0 0.05 0 0 0
1 0.10 0.10 1 0.10
2 0.25 0.50 4 1
3 0.30 0.90 9 2.70
4 0.20 0.80 16 3.20
5 0.10 0.50 25 2.50
∑ = 2.80 ∑ = 9.50

μ = ∑ X . P(X) σ2 = ∑ X2 . P(X) - μ2 σ = √∑ X2 . P(X) - μ2

μ= 2.80 = 9.50 – 7.84 = √1.66

σ2= 1.66 σ = 1.288 ≈ 1.29

PROBLEM 2: DEFECTIVE LIGHT BULBS

A factory produces light bulbs, and quality control tests show that a certain percentage
of bulbs are defective. Let X be the number of defective light bulbs in a randomly
selected batch of 4 light bulbs, with the following probability distribution:

X (Defective LB) 0 1 2 3 4
P(X) 0.40 0.35 0.15 0.07 0.03

FORMULAS:
MEAN VARIANCE STANDARD DEVIATION

μ = ∑ X . P(X) σ2 = ∑ X2 . P(X) - μ2 σ = √∑ X2 . P(X) - μ2

x P (x) x . P(x) x2 x2 . P(x)

0 0.40 0 0 0
1 0.35 0.35 1 0.35
2 0.15 0.30 4 0.60
3 0.07 0.21 9 0.63
4 0.03 0.12 16 0.48
∑ = 0.98 ∑ = 2.06

a. Determine the expected number of defective light bulbs in a batch.

μ = ∑ X . P(X)
μ = 0.98
The expected number of defective light bulbs in a batch is 0.98.
In this case, the expected number of defective bulbs is 0.98, meaning that, on
average, you can expect about 1 defective bulb per batch of 4 bulbs.
b. Compute the variance and standard deviation of the distribution.
VARIANCE STANDARD DEVIATION
σ2 = ∑ X2 . P(X) - μ2 σ = √∑ X2 . P(X) - μ2
= 2.06 – 0.9604 = √1.0996
σ2 = 1.0996 ≈ 1.10 σ = 1.0486 ≈ 1.05