AQA Statistics 1 The normal distribution

Section 2: Percentage points

Solutions to Exercise
1. X ~ N(2500, 30)
X 2500
Z
30
(i) Need a such that 35% of the components have lifetimes greater than a.
P( X a ) 0.35

P( X a ) 0.65
P(Z 0.3853) 0.65
a 2500
0.3853
30
a 2512 hours

35%

=2500
z=0

x =a

(ii) 50% of the components have lifetimes greater than the mean.
So 50% of the components would last 2500 hours.
(iii) Need b such that 80% of the components have lifetimes greater than b.
P( X b ) 0.8
P( Z 0.8416) 0.8 P( Z 0.8416) 0.8
80%
b 2500
0.8416
30
b 2475 hours
=2500
x =b
z=0
2. X ~ N(, 3)
X
Z
3
P( X 16) 0.15

P( X 16) 0.85
P( Z 1.0364) 0.85
16
1.0364 12.89
3

15%

x=
z=0

12 12.89
0.30
3
P( X 12) P( Z 0.30)

x = 16

X 12 Z

P( Z 0.30)
0.618 (3 s.f.)

x=12
z=-0.297
1 of 4

=12.892
z=0
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AQA S1 Normal distribution 2 Exercise solutions

3. Z

P( X 428) 0.18
P( X 428) 0.82
P ( Z 0.9154) 0.82
428
0.9154

18%

x = x=428
z=0

P( X 416) 0.3
P( X 416) 0.7
P( Z 0.5244) 0.7
416
0.5244

30%

x = x=416
428 0.9154
z=0
416 0.5244
Subtracting:
12 0.391
30.7
428 0.9154 30.7 399.9
The mean is 400 g and the standard deviation is 30.7 g.

4. Z

X
~ N(0, 1)

P( X 1230) 0.07

7%

P( X 1230) 0.93
P( Z 1.4758) 0.93
1230
1.4758

x=
z=0

P( X 1070) 0.12
P( Z 1.1750) 0.88
1070
1.1750

x = 1230

P( Z 1.1750) 0.12
12%

1230 1.4758
x = 1070 x =
1070 1.1750
z=0
160 2.6508
Adding:
60.36
1230 1.4758 60.36 1141
The mean is 1141 hours and the standard deviation is 60.36 hours.

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AQA S1 Normal distribution 2 Exercise solutions

5. Z

By symmetry mean

P( X 53) 0.75
P ( Z 0.6745 ) 0.75
53 44
0.6745

35 53
44
2
75%

x = 44 x = 53
z=0

13.34
Variance is the square of the standard deviation.
The mean is 44 and the variance is 178.

6. X ~ N(508.3, 4.8)
X 508.3
Z
4.8
500 508.3
X 500 Z
1.73
4.8
P( X 500) P( Z 1.73)

1 P( Z 1.73)
1 0.9582
0.0418

x = 500
z = -1.73

x = 508.3
z=0

P( X 500) 0.005
P( Z 2.5758) 0.995 P( Z 2.5758) 0.005
0.5%
500
2.5758 512.4
4.8

7. (i) Z

x = 500

x=
z=0

P( X 30.6) 0.3
P( X 30.6 0.7
P ( Z 0.5244) 0.7
30.6
0.5244

15%

P( X 29.2) 0.15
P( Z 1.0364) 0.85
29.2
1.0364

30%

x x==29.2 x x==30.6
z=0
z=0
P( Z 1.0364) 0.15

30.6 0.5244
29.2 1.0364

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AQA S1 Normal distribution 2 Exercise solutions

1.4 1.5608
0.897
30.6 0.52 0.897 30.1
The mean is 30.1 cm and the standard deviation is 0.897 cm.
Adding:

29.9 30.1
0.26
0.897
P( X 29.9) P( Z 0.26)

(ii) X 29.9 Z

P( Z 0.26)
0.6026

29.8 30.1
0.33
0.897
P( X 29.8) P( Z 0.33)

(iii) X 29.8

1 P( Z 0.33)
1 0.6293
0.3707

x = 30.1
z=0

x = 29.9
z = -0.26

30.5 30.1
0.45
0.897
P( X 30.5 ) P( Z 0.45 )

X 30.5

1 P( Z 0.45 )
1 0.6736
0.3264

x = 29.8
z = -0.33

Percentage rejected = 37.07 + 32.64 = 69.7%

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x = 30.1
z=0

x = 30.5
z = 0.45

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