AP Statistics

Practice: Checking for Normalcy

Page 1 of 2

1. The data listed here are the weights (in pounds) of 27 packages of ground beef in a
supermarket meat display:
1.08
1.06
.89
.89

.99
1.14
.89
.98

.97
1.38
.96
1.14

1.18
.75
1.12
.92

1.41
.96
1.12
1.18

1.28
1.08
.93
1.17

.83
.87
1.24

(6 points)
A. Find the mean and standard deviation of the data set.
B. Find the percentage of measurements in the intervals x s, x 2s, and
x 3s. Show all work, including the number of data points in each interval,
the interval, written in the form (lower, upper), and the percentages.
C. How do the percentages obtained in part C compare with those given by the
Empirical Rule? Explain.
2. To estimate the amount of lumber in a tract of timber, an owner decided to count the
number of trees with diameters exceeding 12 inches in randomly selected 50-by-50 foot
squares. Seventy 50-by-50 foot squares were chosen via a simple random sample of all
squares in the tract, and the selected trees were counted in each tract. The data are
listed here:
7
9
3
10
9
6
10

8
6
9
2
6
11
8

7
4
5
7
8
9
8

10
9
9
4
8
11
5

4
10
9
8
8
7
9

8
9
8
5
7
7
9

6
8
7
10
8
11
8

8
8
5
7
9
7
5

9
7
8
7
6
9
9

10
9
8
7
8
13
8

(6 points)
A. Calculate the sample mean as an estimate of , the mean number of timber
trees for all 50-by-50-foot squares in the tract.
B. Calculate the sample standard deviation (s) for the data. Construct intervals,
calculate the percentage of squares falling into each of the three intervals, and
compare with the corresponding percentages given by the empirical rule.
C. Create a normal quantile plot in your graphing calculator and sketch the plot here.
Note: You don't have to know how to make a normal quantile plot by hand. However,
you do need to have a general idea of how they're made, and you need to be able to use
these plots to judge whether a distribution appears to be normal.
D. In the population, are the numbers of trees per 50-by-50-foot square normally
distributed? Justify your answer.
3. The randNorm function in the graphing calculator was used to generate the
following numbers with a mean of 75 and standard deviation of 5. Use the
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AP Statistics
Practice: Checking for Normalcy

Page 2 of 2

empirical rule, a histogram, and a normal quantile plot to determine if this data
could have come from a normal distribution. Explain clearly how each of these
tools provide evidence for your conclusion. (Note: It isn't necessary to sketch the
histogram or quantile plot, but do describe what they looked like when you made them
on your calculator.)
66
71
75
77
80

66
71
75
77
81

67
72
76
78
81

68
73
76
78
82

68
73
76
78
82

68
73
77
78
84

70
73
77
78
84

70
73
77
79
84

70
74
77
79
85

71
75
77
79
86

(6 points)
4. You have the following data set of ages of students in a community college chemistry
class.
19
19
21
18
19

25
45
21
20
24

20
21
23
20
30

20
21
22
21
19

19
20
18
20
20

20
22
21
23
20

21
19
20
22
21

20
29
34
24
22

(7 points)
A. Create a normal probability plot to determine whether these age data are
normally distributed. Offer supporting evidence for your conclusion. (You don't
need to draw the plot, but do describe what you see when you make the plot on
your calculator.)
B. Given what you know about this data, describe the shape of the distribution of
ages and comment on the existence of outliers. In this instance, it may be
useful to construct a histogram or box-and-whisker plot to find outliers and
support your answer.

Acknowledgements
Question 1:
This is question 2.20 (b, c, d) from page 69 of Introduction to Probability and Statistics, Tenth Edition, by W.
Mendenhall, R. Beaver, and B. Beaver. Copyright 1999 by Brooks Cole, division of Thompson Learning
Incorporated. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission of the publisher.
Question 2:
This question is based on question 2.25 from page 77 of Introduction to Probability and Statistics, Tenth Edition, by
W. Mendenhall, R. Beaver, and B. Beaver. Copyright 1999 by Brooks Cole, division of Thompson Learning
Incorporated. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission of the publisher.
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Copyright 2011 Apex Learning Inc. (See Terms of Use at www.apexvs.com/TermsOfUse)