EXERCISE

(Normal Probability Distribution)

Question 1

Give FIVE (5) characteristics of normal probability distribution.

Characteristics of a normal probability distribution, the distribution is bell shaped and symmetrical around
the mean, the total area under the curve is equal to 1, the left and right tails of the normal probability
distribution extend indefinitely, never quite touching the horizontal axis and the mean, median & mode are
the same value.

Question 2

The number of bags lost by a small airline per week is approximately normally distributed with a mean of
427 bags and a standard deviation of 35 bags. What is the probability that they
a) lose exactly 430 bags next week?
X −μ
z=
σ
Z= (430-427)/35
= 0.0857
= 0.09
P(z=0.09)
b) lose at most 420 bags next week?
Z= (420-427)/35
= -0.2
P (z < -0.2) = 0.4207
c) lose more than 450 bags next week?
Z= (450-427)/35
= 0.6571
= 0.66
P(z>0.66) =1-P(z<0.66)
= 1-0.7454
= 0.2546
d) lose between 440 bags and 480 bags next week?
z1= (440-427)/35 z2= (480-427)/35
= 0.371 = 1.514
= 0.4 = 1.5
P(0.4<z<1.5) =P(z<1.5) – P(z>0.4)
= 0.93319-0.65542
= 0.27777
Question 3

The number of pets lost by a community in Apartment Sentosa per year is approximately normally
distributed with a mean of 45 pets and a standard deviation of 4. What is the probability that they

a) lose exactly 45 pets?

X −μ
z=
σ
Z= (45-45)/4
=0
P(z=0)
b) lose at most 40 pets?
Z= (40-45)/4
= -1.25
P (z < -1.25)
= 0.10565

c) lose more than 42 pets?

Z= (42-45)/4
= -0.75
P(z>-0.75) =1-P(z>-0.75)
= 1-0.22663
= 0.77337

d) lose between 48 pets and 52 pets?

z1= (48-45)/4 z2= (52-45)/4
= 0.75 = 1.75
P (0.75<z<1.75) = P (z<1.75) – P(z>0.75)
= 0.95994-0.77337

= 0.18657
Question 4

A large group of students took a test in Mathematics and the final grades have a mean of 70 and a

standard deviation of 10. If we can approximate the distribution of these grades by a normal distribution,

what is the probability of the students

a) scored higher than 80?

X −μ
z=
σ
Z= (80-70)/10
=1
P(z<1) = 0.84134
b) scored higher than 70?

Z= (70-70)/10
=0
P(z>0) = 0.50000

c) scored less than 50?

Z= (50-70)/10
= -2
P (z < -2)
= 0.02275
d) scored between 55 and 77?
z1= (55-70)/10 z2= (77-70)/10
= -1.5 = 0.7
P (-1.5<z<0.7) = P (z<0.7) – P(z>-1.5)
= 0.75804-0.06681

= 0.69123
Question 5
The weight of 1000 students in a local university are normally distributed with a mean of 68.5 kg and a
standard deviation of 2.7 kg. What is the probability that their weight are
a) less than 63 kg?
X −μ
z=
σ
Z= (63-68.5)/2.7
= -2.037
= -2.04
P (z < -2.04)
= 0.02068
b) greater than 73?

Z= (73-68.5)/2.7
= 1.6667
= 1.67
P(z>1.67) = 1-P(z>1.67)
= 1-0.95254
= 0.04746
c) less than 69 kg?
Z= (69-68.5)/2.7
= 0.185
= 0.19
P (z < 0.19)
= 0.57535
d) between 67.5 kg and 71 kg?
z1= (67.5-68.5)/2.7 z2= (71-68.5)/2.7
= -0.370 = 0.9259
= -0.37 = 0.93
P (-0.37<z<0.93) = P (z<0.93) – P(z>-0.37)

= 0.82381-0.35569

= 0.46812
Question 6

The average waiting time to be seated at a popular restaurant is 23.5 minutes, with a standard deviation
of 3.6 minutes. Assume the variable is normally distributed. When a customer arrives at the restaurant for
dinner, find the probability that the customer will have to wait the following time:
a) less than 18 minutes?
X −μ
z=
σ
Z= (18-23.5)/3.6
= -1.5277
= -1.53
P (z < -1.53)
= 0.06301

b) between 17 minutes and 22 minutes?

z1= (17-23.5)/3.6 z2= (22-23.5)/3.6
= -1.8056 = -0.4167
= -1.81 = -0.42
P (-1.81<z<-0.42) = P (z< -1.81) – P(z> -0.42)

= 0.3515-0.33724

= 0.01426

c) between 20 minutes and 25 minutes?

z1= (20-23.5)/3.6 z2= (25-23.5)/3.6
= -0.9723 = 0.4167
= -0.97 = 0.42
P (-0.97<z<0.42) = P (z<0.42) – P(z>-0.97)

= 0.66276-0.16602

= 0.49674

d) more than 30 minutes?

Z= (30-23.5)/3.6
=1.8056
=1.81
P(z>1.81) =1-P (z>1.81)
= 0.03515

Question 7
The mean admission charge for a movie is RM5.80. The distribution of movie admission charges is

normally distributed with a standard deviation of RM0.80. What is the probability that the admission

charge for a randomly selected movie will be

a) less than RM3.50?

X −μ
z=
σ
Z= (3.50-5.80)/0.80
= -2.875
= -2.88
P(z<-2.88)
= 0.002

b) between RM4.75 and RM5.80?

z1= (4.75-5.80)/0.80 z2= (5.80-5.80)/0.80

= -1.3125 =0
= -1.31 =0
P (-1.31<z<0) = P (z<0) – P(z>-1.31)

= 0.50000-0.09510

= 0.4049

c) more than RM7.00?

Z= (7.00-5.80)/0.80
=1.5
P(z>1.5) = 1.0 - P(z>1.5)
= 0.0668
d) between RM4.30 and RM6.50?

z1= (4.30-5.80)/0.80 z2= (6.50-5.80)/0.80

= -1.875 = 0.875
= -1.88 = 0.88
P (-1.88<z<0.88) = P (z<0.88) – P(z>-1.88)
= 0.81057-0.03005

= 0.78052
Question 8
Intelligence quotient (I.Q.) scores for people are normally distributed with a mean of 100 and a standard
deviation of 16. If a person is selected at random, what is a probability that his or her is

a) Less than 90?

Z= (90-100)/16
= -0.625
= -0.63
P (z < -0.63)

= 0.26435

b) Between 100 and 115?

z1= (100-100)/16 z2= (115-100)/16
=0 = 0.9375
=0 = 0.94
P (0<z<0.94) = P (z<0.94) – P(z>0)
= 0.82639-0.50000
= 0.32639

c) More than 125?

Z= (125-100)/16
= 1.5625
= 1.56

P(z>1.56) = 1.0 - P(z >1.56)

= 0.0594
Question 9
The distribution of weekly salaries at a large company is right skewed with a mean of RM1000 and a
standard deviation of RM350. What is the probability in estimating the mean weekly salary for all
employees of the company will be
a) Between RM900 and RM1100?
z1= (900-1000)/350 z2= (1100-1000)/350
= -0.2857 = 0.2857
= -0.29 = 0.29
P (-0.29<z<0.29) = P (z<0.29) – P(z>-0.29)
= 0.61409-0.38591
= 0.2282

b) Below RM900?
Z= (900-1000)/350
= -0.2857
= -0.29
P(z< -0.29)
= 0.3859

c) Greater than RM850?

Z= (850-1000)/350
= -0.4286
= -0.43

P(z>-0.43) = 1-P(z>-0.43)

= 0.6664

d) Exactly RM1000?
Z= (1000-1000)/350
=0
P(z=0) = 0.50000
Question 10
The fill amount of bottles of a soft drink is normally distributed with a mean of 2.0 liters and a standard
deviation of 0.05 liter. If you select a random sample of 25 bottles, what is the probability that the sample
mean will be
a) Between 1.99 liters and 2.0 liters?
z1= (1.99-2.0)/0.05 z2 = (2.0-2.0)/0.05
= -0.2 =0
P (-0.2<z<0) = P (z<0) – P(z>-0.2)
= 0.50000-0.42074
= 0.0793

b) Below 1.98 liters?

Z= (1.98-2.0)/0.05
= -0.4
P (z < -0.4)

= 0.3446

c) Greater than 2.01 liters?

Z= (2.01-2.0)/0.05
= 0.2

P(z>0.2) = 1-0.57926

= 0.4207

d) Between 2.05 liters and 2.1 liters?

z1= (2.05-2.0)/0.05 z2= (2.1-2.0)/0.05
=1 =2
P (2<z<1) = P (z<2) – P(z>1)
= 0.97725-0.84134
= 0.13591
Question 11
The amount of money requested in home loan applications at Dawn River Federal Savings are
approximately normally distributed with a mean of RM70,000 and a standard deviation of RM20,000. A
loan application is received this morning. What is the probability that the amount requested is
a) More than RM80,000?
Z= (80000-70000)/20000
= 0.5
P(z>0.5) = 1-0.69146

= 0.3085
b) Between RM65,000 and RM80,000?
z1= (65000-70000)/20000 z2= (80000-70000)/20000
= -0.25 = 0.5
P (-0.25<z<0.5) = P (z<0.5) – P(z>-0.25)
= 0.69146-0.40129
=0.2902

c) More than RM65,000?

Z= (65000-70000)/20000
= -0.25
P(z>-0.25) = 1-0.40129

= 0.5987

d) Less than RM63,000?

Z= (63000-70000)/20000
= -0.35
P(z<-0.35)

= 0.3632
Question 12
The speed of vehicles passing through the construction zone are normally distributed with a population
mean of 46 miles per hour and a standard deviation of 4 miles per hour. What is the probability that a
randomly selected vehicles passing through this construction zone are
a) Between 50 and 55 miles per hour?
z1= (50-46)/4 z2 =(55-46)/4
=1 = 2.25
P (1<z<2.25) = P (z<2.25) – P(z>1)
= 0.98778-0.84134
= 0.14644

b) Exactly 46 miles per hour?

Z= (46-46)/4
=0
P(z=0) = 0.5

c) Exceeding 49 miles per hour?

Z= (49-46)/4
= 0.75
P(z>0.75)=1-0.77337
= 0.2266
d) Less than 50 miles per hour?
Z= (50-46)/4
=1
P(z<1)
= 0.8413

e) Between 40 and 50 miles per hour?

z1= (40-46)/4 z2= (50-46)/4
= -1.5 =1
P (-1.5<z<1) = P (z<1) – P(z>-1.5)
= 0.84134-0.06681
= 0.77453