Chapter

Seven

McGraw-Hill/ © 2005 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All

 Chapter Seven
Continuous Probability
Distributions
GOALS
When you have completed this chapter, you will
be able to:
ONE
Understand the difference between discrete and continuous
distributions.
TWO
Compute the mean and the standard deviation for a uniform
distribution.
THREE
Compute probabilities using the uniform distribution.
FOUR
List the characteristics of the normal probability distribution. Goals
 Chapter Seven continued

Continuous Probability
Distributions
GOALS
When you have completed this chapter, you
will be able to:
FIVE
Define and calculate z values.
SIX
Determine the probability an observation will lie between two points
using the standard normal distribution.
SEVEN
Determine the probability an observation will be above or below a
given value using the standard normal distribution.
EIGHT
Use the normal distribution to approximate the binomial probability
distribution.
Goals
A Discrete distribution A Continuous
is based on random distribution usually
variables which can results from measuring
assume only clearly something.
separated values.
In addition, the result is
usually found by
counting . Continuous
distributions include:
Discrete distributions o Uniform
studied include: o Normal
o Binomial o Others
o Hypergeometric Discrete and continuous
o Poisson. distributions
 A Continuous random variable has an
infinite number of values within a particular range.

So, in Continuous distributions , we think of

the probability a variable will have a value within a
specified range rather than the probability for a
specific value

Discrete and continuous

distributions
The Uniform distribution
Is rectangular in shape
Is defined by minimum and maximum values
The height of the distribution is constant or

uniform for all values between a and b where a and b

are the minimum and maximum values.

The uniform distribution

 P(x)
The Uniform distribution
It has a mean located in the

middle of the interval

between the minimum and x
maximum values. a+b
It computed as follows:
m
= 2
Hasa standard deviation
computed as follows: where a and b are
the minimum and
maximum values
s=
(b-a)2
12
The uniform distribution
Uniform Distribution:
The Equation of the Uniform Probability
Distribution (Calculate its height) as:
1
P(x) = if a < x < b and 0 elsewhere
(b-a)

For distributions describing a continuous

random variable, areas within the distribution
represent probabilities:
1
Area = height* base =(b-a) *(b-a)=1.00
The uniform distribution
Suppose the time What is the mean wait time?
that you wait on the
telephone for a live m =a + b
2
representative of 5+25
your phone company = = 15
2
to discuss your What is the standard
problem with you is deviation of the wait time?
uniformly
distributed between (b-a)2
s=
5 and 25 minutes. 12
= (25-5) 2
= 5.77
12

Example 1
What is the probability of waiting more than ten minutes?

The area from 10 P(10 < wait time < 25) = height*base
to 25 minutes is = 1
15 minutes. (25-5) *15
Thus: = .75

What is the probability of waiting between 15 and 20

minutes?
The area from 15 P(15 < wait time < 20) = height*base
to 20 minutes is = 1
5 minutes. *5 = .25
(25-5)
Thus: Example 2 continued
 The Normal probability distribution

is bell-shaped and has a single peak at the center of the

distribution.
Areas below the curve define probabilities.
The total area under the normal curve is 1.00
Is symmetrical about the mean.
Is asymptotic. That is the curve gets closer and closer to
the X-axis but never actually touches it.
Has its mean, m, to determine its location and its standard
deviation, s, to determine its dispersion.
The entire family of normal distribution is differentiated
by two parameters: the mean and the standard deviation.
Probabilitiesof the normal random variable are given by
areas under the normal curve. The total area is 1.
 Characteristics of a Normal Distribution
r a l i t r b u i o n : m = 0 , s2 = 1

Normal curve is
0 . 4 symmetrical
Theoretically,
Theoretically,
curve extends to
curve extends to
0 . 3

Infinity + ∞
Infinity -∞
0 . 2
f ( x

0 . 1

. 0

- 5
a
Mean, median, and
x

mode are equal

Normal Probability
Distributions with
Equal Means but
Different Standard
Deviations

Unequal means,
equal
standard deviations

Unequal means,
unequal
standard deviations
 The standard normal
distribution is a normal It is also called the
distribution with a mean
of 0 and a standard z distribution.
deviation of 1.
A z-value is the signed distance between a
selected value, designated X, and the population
mean m, divided by the population standard
deviation, s. The formula of the Standard
Normal Value is:
X  
z

So, a z value is the distance from the mean,
The Standard Normal
measured in units of the standard deviation. Probability Distribution
 The bi-monthly
X   starting salaries of
M BA
z recent MBA
 graduates follows
the normal
distribution with a
= $2,200 - $2000 mean of $2,000 and
$200 a standard deviation
of $200. What is
= 1.00
the z-value for a
salary of $2,200?

Example 2
What is the X  
z
z-value for 
$1,700? $1,700  $2,000
  1.50
$200

A z-value of 1 indicates that the value of

$2,200 is one standard deviation above the
mean of $2,000. A z-value of –1.50
indicates that $1,700 is 1.5 standard deviation
below the mean of $2000.
EXAMPLE 2 continued
About 68.3 percent of the
area under the normal
curve is within one
standard deviation of the
mean.
m + 1s
i.e. 68.3 % of the values of a normal random
variable are within plus or minus one
standard deviation of its mean.

About 95.4 percent is within two standard

deviations of the mean.
m + 2s
i.e. 95.4 % of the values of a normal random variable are within plus or minus two standard
deviation of its mean.
Practically all is within three standard
deviations of the mean. Areas Under the Normal
m + 3s. Curve
i.e99.7% of the values of a normal random variable are within plus or minus three standard
deviation of its mean.
The daily water usage per
person in New Providence,
New Jersey is normally
distributed with a mean of
20 gallons and a standard
deviation of 5 gallons.
About 68 percent of those
living in New Providence
will use how many gallons
of water?
About 68% of the daily
water usage will lie between
15 and 25 gallons (+ 1s ).
Example 3
 RHODE
295 IS LA N D
P rovidence
S cituate
What is the probability that
R es

W arw ick
a person from New
Providence selected at
95
random will use between 20
N ew port
and 24 gallons per day?

X   24  20
z   0.80
 5

X   20  20
z   0.00
 5
EXAMPLE 4
The area under a normal
curve between a z-value of
0 and a z-value of 0.80 is
0.2881.
See the following diagram
We conclude that 28.81
percent of the residents
use between 20 and 24
gallons of water per day.

Example 4 continued
 What percent of
the population use
between 18 and 26
gallons per day?

X   26  20
z   1.20
 5

X   18  20
z   0.40
 5
EXAMPLE 4 continued
 The area The area
associated with a associated with a
z-value of –0.40 z-value of 1.20 is
is .1554.
Adding these
.3849.
areas, the result is

.5403.

We conclude that 54.03 percent of the

residents use between 18 and 26 gallons
of water per day.
EXAMPLE 4 continued
Professor Mann has
determined that the scores
in his statistics course are
approximately normally
distributed with a mean of
72 and a standard
deviation of 5. He
announces to the class that
the top 15 percent of the
scores will earn an A.
What is the lowest score a
student can earn and still
receive an A?
EXAMPLE 5
 To begin let X be the score that
separates an A from a B.
If 15 percent of the students score
more than X, then 35 percent must
score between the mean of 72 and X.

The z-value associated corresponding to 35

percent is about 1.04.

EXAMPLE 5 continued
We let z equal 1.04 and
solve the standard normal Those with a
equation for X. The result score of 77.2 or
is the score that separates more earn an A.
students that earned an A
from those that earned a B.

X  72
1.04 
5
X 72  1.04(5) 72  5.2 77.2

EXAMPLE 5 continued
Links
• An Introduction to the Continuous Uniform Distribution
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qt8CPIadWQ

• How to calculate z scores used in statistics class

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXOS4Q3nJQY&feature=channel&list=UL