Understanding
the Normal
Curve
Distribution
Introduction to Normal Distributions
Objectives:
illustrate a normal random variable.
determine/enumerate the
characteristics of a normal random
variable/probability distribution.
cite
real-life examples involving
normal distribution.
sketch/construct a normal curve
which represents a normal
distribution
Topic Outline:
Introduction
Definition of terms and statistical
symbols used
Properties of Normal Distributions
Finding Areas Under the Standard
Normal Curve
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Larson/Farber 5th ed 4
Larson/Farber 5th ed 5
Larson/Farber 5th ed 6
Larson/Farber 5th ed 7
Properties of Normal
Distributions
Normal distribution
A continuous probability distribution for a random
variable, x.
The most important continuous probability distribution
in statistics.
The graph of a normal distribution is called the normal
curve.
x
Properties of Normal
Distributions
1. The mean, median, and mode are equal.
2. The normal curve is bell-shaped and is symmetric about
the mean.
3. The total area under the normal curve is equal to 1.
4. The normal curve approaches, but never touches, the x-
axis as it extends farther and farther away from the mean.
Total area = 1
μ x
5. Between μ – σ and μ + σ (in the center of the
curve), the graph curves downward. The graph
curves upward to the left of μ – σ and to the
right of μ + σ. The points at which the curve
changes from curving upward to curving
downward are called the inflection points.
μ – 3σ μ – 2σ μ–σ μ μ+σ μ + 2σ μ + 3σ
Means and Standard
Deviations
A normal distribution can have any mean and any positive
standard deviation.
The mean gives the location of the line of symmetry.
The standard deviation describes the spread of the data.
μ = 3.5 μ = 3.5 μ = 1.5
σ = 1.5 σ = 0.7 σ = 0.7
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Example: Understanding
Mean and Standard Deviation
1. Which normal curve has the greater mean?
Solution:
Curve A has the greater mean (The line of
symmetry of curve A occurs at x = 15. The line of
symmetry of curve B occurs at x = 12.)
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Example: Understanding
Mean
2.
and Standard
Which curve has the greater standard deviation?
Deviation
Solution:
Curve B has the greater standard deviation (Curve
B is more spread out than curve A.)
Empirical Rule
The empirical rule is also referred to as
the 68-95-99.7% rule. What it tells us is that
for a normal distributed variable, the
following are true:
Approximately 68% of the data lie within 1
standard deviation from the mean.
Approximately 95% of the data is within 2
standard deviations from the mean.
Approximately 99.7% of the data lie within
3 standard deviations from the mean.
Example: Using the empirical
rule in a normal distribution
You collect SAT scores from students in a new test
preparation course. The data follows a normal
distribution with a mean score (M) of 1150 and a
standard deviation (SD) of 150.
Solution:
Following the empirical rule:
Around 68% of scores are between 1,000 and 1,300,
1 standard deviation above and below the mean.
Around 95% of scores are between 850 and 1,450, 2
standard deviations above and below the mean.
Around 99.7% of scores are between 700 and 1,600,
3 standard deviations above and below the mean.
Example: Using the empirical
rule in a normal distribution
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The Standard Normal
Distribution
Standard normal distribution
A normal distribution with a mean of 0 and a
standard deviation of 1.
Area = 1
z
–3 –2 –1 0 1 2 3
• Any x-value can be transformed into a z-score by
using the formula
Value Mean x
z
Standard deviation
Table of Areas under the normal
curve
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Table of Areas under the
normal curve
There are four steps process of Finding the Areas
Under the normal curve given a z-value.
Step 1. Express the given z-value into three-
digit form.
Step 2. using the z-table, find the first two digits
on the left column.
Step 3. Match the third digit with the appropriate
column on the right.
Step 4. Read the area (or probability) at the
intersection of the row and column.
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Example: Using The Standard Normal
Table or z-table
Find the area that corresponds to a z-score of
[Link].
Solution:
Find 1.00 in the left hand column.
Move across the row to the column under 0.00
The area to the left of z = 1.00 is 0.3413.
Example: Using The Standard Normal
Table or z-table
Find the area that corresponds to a z-score of z = -
2.58.
Solution:
Find 2.5 in the left hand column.
Move across the row to the column under 0.08
The area of z = -2.58 is 0.4951.
The z-score
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Example: Reading Scores
Given the mean, µ = 50 and the standard deviation,
σ = 4 of a population of Reading scores. Find the z-
value that corresponds to a score X = 58.
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