Finding Z - Scores & Normal Distribution: Using The Standard Normal Distribution Week 9 Chapter's 5.1, 5.2, 5.3
Finding Z - Scores & Normal Distribution: Using The Standard Normal Distribution Week 9 Chapter's 5.1, 5.2, 5.3
What is this curve all about?
• The shape of the curve is bell-shaped
• The graph falls off evenly on either side of the
mean. (symmetrical)
• 50% of the distribution lies on the left of the mean
• 50% lies to the right of the mean. (above)
• The spread of the normal distribution is controlled
by the standard deviation.
• The mean and the median are the same in a normal
distribution. (and even the mode)
Features of Standard Normal Curve
• Mean is the center
• 68% of the area is within one S.D.
• 95% of area is within two S.D.’s
• 99% of area is within 3 S.D.’s
• As each tail increases/decreases, the graph
approaches zero (y axis), but never equals zero
on each end.
• For each of these problems we will need pull-out
table IV in the back of text
What is a Z – Score?
• Z-score’s allow us a method of converting,
proportionally, a study sample to the whole
population.
• Z-Score’s are the exact number of standard
deviations that the given value is away from
the mean of a NORMAL CURVE.
• Table IV always solves for the area to the left
of the Z-Score!
Finding the area to the left of a Z
(Ex. 1) – Find the area under the standard
normal curve that lies to the left of Z=1.34.
Finding the area to the right of a Z
(Ex. 2) - Find the area under the standard normal
curve that lies to the right of Z = -1.07.
Finding the area in-between two Z’s
(Ex. 3) - Find the area under the standard
normal curve that lies between Z=-2.04 and
Z=1.25.
Formula:
xi
Z
x = data value
u = population mean
Practice examples:
• For each of the following examples, Look
for the words "normally distributed" in a
question before using Table IV to solve
them.
• Don’t forget - Table IV always solves for
the area to the left of the Z-Score!
Finding Probabilities
The shaded area under the curve is equal to the
probability of the specific event occurring.
• Ex (4) - A shoe manufacturer collected data
regarding men's shoe sizes and found that the
distribution of sizes exactly fits a normal curve.
If the mean shoe size is 11 and the standard
deviation is 1.5.
(a)What is the probability of randomly selecting a
man with a shoe size smaller than 9.5?
(b)If I surveyed 40 men, how many would be
expected to wear smaller than 9.5?
How did we get that answer:
xi 9.5 11 This is how
Z Z 1 many SD’s
1.5 from the mean
(c) Find the Z-score so that the area to the left is .88
(d) Find the Z-score so that the area to the left is .9880
Transforming a Z-score to an x-value
x z
Look for the three ingredients to solve for x:
Population mean, standard deviation, and you
will need the Z-score that corresponds to the
given percent (or probability)