The Normal Curve

Recall: Mean, Variance, and Standard Deviation of Ungrouped data

Mean : Variance:

Standard Deviation:
 Test Your Prerequisite Skills !
1. Using a calculator, solve for the mean and the standard deviation
of the given set of data.
a. 15, 18, 16, 17, 21
2. Convert the given decimal into percent.
a. 0.6471 b. 0.9476 c. 0.3172
3. Simplify the given linear expression using the given value of .
Lesson 1: The Normal
Random Variable
 Warm Up!
The Largest Span!

Materials Needed: ruler, calculator

Instructions:
1. This activity will be done as a class. Assign someone who will preside as facilitator.
2. Every student in the class will measure the distance from the tip of his/her little finger
to the tip of his/her thumb using a ruler. This distance is called a span.
3. The facilitator will record the span of each student in the class and arrange them in
ascending order.
4. Using a calculator, solve for the mean of the data.
5. Compare your span to the mean span of the class. How far is your span from the mean
span of the class?
 Terms to Remember!
 NORMAL DISTRIBUTION(continuous probability distribution) -
most of the scores tend to be closer to the mean.
 NORMAL RANDOM VARIABLE (continuous random variable) -
The random variable of this distribution.
 NORMAL CURVE, which represents a normal distribution, is
defined by the following probability density function:
 Terms to Remember!
 NORMAL CURVE, which represents a normal distribution, is
defined by the following probability density function:
The mean of a normal distribution is always in the center of the
normal curve.
The standard deviation - “spreadness” of the distribution.
Let’s Practice!

 Example 1
 Example 1

 Solution:
 Example 1

 Solution:
Let’s Practice!
 Example 2
 Example 2
 Example 2
 Example 2
Let’s Practice!
 Example 3
Let’s Practice!
 Example 3
Let’s Practice!
 Example 3
 Copy and Answer

3
Lesson 2: Characteristics
of a Normal Random
Variable
 Warm Up!

Is This What Average Looks Like?

Materials Needed: tape measure, calculator

Instructions:
1. This activity will be done as a class. Assign someone who will preside as facilitator.
2. Using a tape measure, measure your height in centimeters.
3. The facilitator will record the height of each student. Solve for the mean and standard
deviation of the heights using a calculator.
4. Determine the number of students whose height is within one standard deviation above
and below the mean. What percentage are these students from the population of the class?
5. Determine the number of students whose height is within two standard deviations above
and below the mean. What percentage are these students from the population of the class?
 Characteristics of a Normal Random Variable

1. A normal distribution is symmetric about its mean.

2. The mean, median, and mode of a normal distribution are

all equal.
3. A normal distribution is thicker at the center and less thick
at the tails.
Characteristics of a Normal Random Variable

4. Approximately 68.26% of the area of a

normal distribution is within one standard
deviation of the mean.
Characteristics of a Normal Random Variable

5. Approximately 95.44% of the area of a

normal distribution is within two standard
deviations of the mean.
 Characteristics of a Normal Random Variable

6. Approximately 99.74% of the area of a

normal distribution is within three standard
deviations of the mean.
 Let’s Practice!

EXAMPLE 1:
In a normally distributed set of data containing
46,248 scores, how many scores are expected to fall
within one standard deviation away from the mean?
 Let’s Practice!

Solution:
According to the empirical rule, 68.26% of the scores would fall within one
standard deviation away from the mean. We can get the number of scores
that are within that range if we multiply the percentage to the number of
scores.
EXAMPLE 2:
 EXAMPLE 2:

Solution:
Step 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. 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.
 EXAMPLE 2:

Step 2: Solve for the scores two Next, solve for the score two
standard deviations away from the standard deviations below the
mean. mean.
First, solve for the score two
standard deviations above the mean.
 EXAMPLE 2:

 Step 3: Compare the scores using a number line.

 The mean, the scores two standard deviations away from the mean,
and the score X=40 are presented in the number line below.

The score lies higher than the score two standard deviations
above the mean. Thus, the score is an outlier.
 Example 3:

 In a certain normally distributed set of scores, the score two

standard deviations below the mean is 5.1 and the score two
standard deviations above the mean is 6.2.
Solve for the mean and standard deviation of the set of
scores.
Example 3:
 In a certain normally distributed set of scores, the score two standard
deviations below the mean is 5.1 and the score two standard deviations above
the mean is 6.2.
Solve for the mean and standard deviation of the set of scores.

Solution:
Step 1:
Solve for
the mean of
the set of
scores.
Example 3:
 In a certain normally distributed set of scores, the score two standard
deviations below the mean is 5.1 and the score two standard deviations above
the mean is 6.2.
Solve for the mean and standard deviation of the set of scores.

Step 2:
Solve for
the
standard
deviation
of the set
of scores.
 Example 4:

 According to a research, the average young adult spends

5.6 hours in front of a computer, with a standard deviation
of 1.1 hours. What is the probability that a randomly
chosen young adult spends more than 7.8 hours in front of
a computer? Assume that the number of hours is normally
distributed.
Example 4:
 According to a research, the average young adult spends 5.6 hours in
front of a computer, with a standard deviation of 1.1 hours. What is
the probability that a randomly chosen young adult spends more
than 7.8 hours in front of a computer? Assume that the number of
hours is normally distributed.
Solution:
To determine the probability of choosing a
young adult who spends more than 7.8 hours in
Step 1: Make
a plan in front of a computer, we must first identify how
solving the many standard deviations 7.8 is above the
problem. mean. From there, we can determine the
percentage of people who spends more than
7.8 hours in front of a computer.
Example 4:
 According to a research, the average young adult spends 5.6 hours in front of a computer, with a
standard deviation of 1.1 hours. What is the probability that a randomly chosen young adult
spends more than 7.8 hours in front of a computer? Assume that the number of hours is normally
distributed.
Solve for the mean and standard deviation of the set of scores.

Step 2: Determine how many standard deviations is 7.8 above the mean.
Example 4:
 According to a research, the average young adult spends 5.6 hours in front of a computer, with a standard
deviation of 1.1 hours. What is the probability that a randomly chosen young adult spends more than 7.8 hours
in front of a computer? Assume that the number of hours is normally distributed.
Solve for the mean and standard deviation of the set of scores.
Step 3: Determine the percentage of values that are more than two standard deviations
above the mean.
According to the empirical rule, 95.44% of the scores are within two standard deviations
from the mean. By subtracting that percentage from 100%, we can get the percentage of
scores that are more two standard deviations below the mean or more than two standard
deviations above the mean, that is, 4.56% of the scores.
Since the distribution is symmetric, we can divide the percentage by two in order to obtain
the percentage of the scores that are more than two standard deviations above the mean.

Therefore, there is a 2.28% chance that a randomly selected young adult spends more than
7.8 hours in front of a computer.
Example 3:
The Normal
Curve
 Heads Up!

Materials Needed: a coin

Instructions:
1. This activity will be done as a class. Assign someone who will preside as facilitator.

2. Every student in the class will flip a coin four times and count how many times a head appeared.

3. The facilitator will record the number of people who got 0 head, 1 head, 2 heads, 3 heads, and 4
heads.
4. Using the information in step 3, create a bar graph with the number of heads on the x-axis and the
frequency of people on the y-axis.

5. Observe the graph. How will you describe the graph that you just made?
 A normal curve or a bell curve is a
graph that represents the probability
density function of the normal
probability distribution.
 The normal curve is also called the
Gaussian curve after the mathematician
Karl Friedrich Gauss.
Normal Curve
 Normal Curve
 probability density function
A normal distribution with a higher
standard deviation is more spread out
while a normal distribution with a lower
standard deviation is more compact.
The total area bounded by the normal curve is 1.
The area of the region between the scores one standard
deviation away from the mean is 0.6826.
The area of the region between the scores two standard
deviations away from the mean is 0.9544.
The area of the region between the scores three standard
deviations away from the mean is 0.9974.
Let’s Practice!

Example 1: In a normally distributed

data, find the area of the scores more
than one standard deviation above the
mean.
Let’s Practice!  Example 1: In a normally distributed data, find the area of the
scores more than one standard deviation above the mean.
Solution:
 Example 2:

Solution:
Step 1: Solve for the scores one, two, and three standard deviations
away from the mean.
Example 2:
 Example 2:

Step 2: Construct the

normal curve using set of
scores from Step 1.
Using the mean as the
center and the set of
scores in Step 1, we can
construct the normal
curve as follows.
Example 3:
 Example 3:

Solution:
Step 1: Locate the scores 8.7 and 11.1 in the normal distribution.

Thus, the scores 11.1 and 8.7 are scores one and two standard deviations below the mean,
respectively.
 Example 3:

 Step 2: Obtain the area of the scores within

one standard deviation from the mean and
the area of the scores within two standard
deviations from the mean.
 By the empirical rule, the area of the scores
within one standard deviation from the mean
is 0.6826.

Moreover, the area of the scores within two

standard deviations from the mean is 0.9544.
 Example 3:

Step 3: Obtain the area of the scores between and .

In order to get the area, we must first obtain the area
of the scores between one and two standard
deviations away from the mean, as illustrated in the
normal curve below.

To get this, subtract the areas and . The

resulting area is .
The area between and is the shaded area
shown on the right.
Example 4:

A university gives out scholarships to

students who scored more than two
standard deviations above the mean score
of all students in their admission test. What
is the percentage of the students that
receive the scholarship? Assume that the
data is normally distributed.
Example 4:

A university gives out scholarships to students who scored more than two
standard deviations above the mean score of all students in their admission
test. What is the percentage of the students that receive the scholarship?
Assume that the data is normally distributed.
Solution:
Step 1: Make a plan in solving the word problem.

To determine the percentage of students that receive the scholarship, we

have to determine the area of the scores under the normal curve that
represent this group of students. The area represents the percentage of
students that belong to that group. Since their scores in the admission test
are more than two standard deviations above the mean, we can easily
illustrate this on a normal curve.
Example 4:

A university gives out scholarships to students who scored more than two
standard deviations above the mean score of all students in their admission
test. What is the percentage of the students that receive the scholarship?
Assume that the data is normally distributed.

Step 2: Illustrate the

percentage of the people as
an area in a normal curve.

Since their scores are more

two standard deviations
above the mean, we have the
following shaded region.
Example 4:

A university gives out scholarships to students who scored more than two
standard deviations above the mean score of all students in their admission
test. What is the percentage of the students that receive the scholarship?
Assume that the data is normally distributed.
Step 3: Solve for the area of
the shaded region in the
normal curve.
First, determine the area of
the scores within two
standard deviations away
from the mean.
Since this area is bounded by the scores two standard deviations away from the
mean, the area of this region is 0.9544.
Example 4:

A university gives out scholarships to students who scored more than two
standard deviations above the mean score of all students in their admission
test. What is the percentage of the students that receive the scholarship?
Assume that the data is normally distributed.

Subtract this area from the

total area under the normal
curve. The shaded region
below represents the area
that will be left.

1 - 0.9544 = 0.0456
Example 4:

A university gives out scholarships to students who scored more than two
standard deviations above the mean score of all students in their admission
test. What is the percentage of the students that receive the scholarship?
Assume that the data is normally distributed.

The area of the shaded region is . However, the

area that we need is the area of the scores
more than two standard deviations above the
mean.
Divide 0.0456 by 2 to
Since the normal curve is symmetric, we can determine the area of the
divide this value by so that we will be left with shaded region.
the area that we need. The shaded region
below represents the area that we are looking Therefore, the area of the
for. region is 0.0228.
Example 4:

A university gives out scholarships to students who scored more than two
standard deviations above the mean score of all students in their admission
test. What is the percentage of the students that receive the scholarship?
Assume that the data is normally distributed.