Chapter 5

The Standard Deviation as a Ruler

and the Normal Model

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assignments due this Friday.

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under Course Content, Unit 1.

Chapter Outline
Standardizing observations for comparisons
The Normal Model
68-95-99.7 Rule for Normal Model
Finding Percentiles and Areas for given

observations from a Normal Model

Finding Observations for given Percentiles or
Areas from a Normal Model

Comparing Two Variables

ACT Score
SAT Score
Different scale
Measuring similar values
How do you compare them?

Example 1
The average score on the ACT English exam is

21.0 with a standard deviation of 4.0. The

average score on the SAT Verbal exam is 520
with a standard deviation of 100.
Ann scores a 27 on the ACT English exam
Denise scores a 770 on the SAT Verbal exam

Who has a better score, Denise or Ann?

Standardizing
Observations
y = observation of quantitative variable
How does the value of y relate to the mean

value?
How does the value of y for this quantitative
variable relate to another observation of a
different quantitative variable?

Standardizing Variables
yy
z
s
z has no units (just a number)
Puts observations on same scale.
Mean (center) at 0.
Standard deviation (spread) of 1.
Does not change overall shape of the

distribution.

Standardizing Variables
z = # of standard deviations observation is

away from mean.

Negative z observation is below mean.
Ex. z = -1.5 mean observation is 1.5 std. dev. below
mean
Ex. z = -0.5 mean observation is 0.5 std. dev. below
mean
Positive z observation is above mean.

Ex. z = 1.5 mean observation is 1.5 std. dev. above

mean
Ex. z = 0.5 mean observation is 0.5 std. dev. above
mean

Recall: Example 1
The average score on the ACT English exam is

21.0 with a standard deviation of 4.0. The

average score on the SAT Verbal exam is 520
with a standard deviation of 100.
Ann scores a 27 on the ACT English exam
Denise scores a 770 on the SAT Verbal exam

How do we answer who has a better score,

Denise or Ann?
Compute z-scores for each and compare

Example 1
Ann

Denise
Who has a better score, Denise or Ann?
Denise because she has a larger z-score.
Denise is 2.5 standard deviations above the
mean while Ann is only 1.5 standard deviations
about the mean.

Example 2
The average score on the ACT Math exam is

20.7 with a standard deviation of 4.1. The

average score on the SAT Mathematics exam
is 510 with a standard deviation of 100.
Jim scores a 15 on the ACT Math exam
Joe scores a 340 on the SAT Mathematics exam

Who has a better score, Jim or Joe?

Example 2
Jim

Joe

-1.70

Who has a better score, Jim or Joe?

Jim because he has a larger z-score.
Jim is only 1.39 standard deviations below the
mean while Joe is 1.70 standard deviations
below the mean.

Distributions and
Standardizing
Standardizing
Allows you to make comparisons of
observations between different variables.
Without the distribution information, you still
dont know anything about the percentile value
of your observation.
This percentile value depends on the
distribution.

Models for Data

Distributions
Different Models According to Different

Aspects of Distributions.
Shape
Center
Variability

Normal Model
Shape
Unimodal
Symmetric
Bell-Shaped
Determined by two parameters
Mean ()
Standard Deviation ()

Connection to Data
No Data Distribution follows a normal model

exactly.
Many data distributions are very close though.
How do you know?
Histogram
Normal Quantile Plot (Lab)

A Closer Look at Normal Models

Mean
Locates center of curve
Splits curve in half
Standard deviation
Controls variability of curve
Ruler of distribution
Write as N(, )

Example
Height of Men is normally distributed
Mean = 70 inches
Standard Deviation = 3 inches
So, height of men is distributed N(70, 3)
What percent of men have heights less than

70 inches?
50%

What percent of men have heights greater

than 70 inches?
50%

Example Height of Men

68-95-99.7 Rule for Normal Models

Approx. 68% of observations are within 1 of

the mean .
If = 0 and = 1, approx. 68% of the
observations are between -1 and 1.

68-95-99.7 Rule for Normal Models

Approx. 95% of observations are within 2 of

the mean .
If = 0 and = 1, approx. 95% of the
observations are between -2 and 2.

68-95-99.7 Rule for Normal Models

Approx. 99.7% of observations are within 3 of

the mean .
If = 0 and = 1, approx. 99.7% of the
observations are between -3 and 3.

Example
Height of Men ~ N(70, 3)
68-95-99.7 Rule
68% of men will have heights between which
two values?
= 70 3 = 67 and
+ = 70 + 3 = 73 inches.

Example Height of Men

68% rule implies:

68% rule implies:

68/2
=
34%

68% rule implies:

68/2
=
34%

68% rule implies:

(100-68)/2
=
16%

68% rule implies:

100-16
=
84%

68% rule implies:

(100-68)/2
=
16%

68% rule implies:

100-16
=
84%

Example
Height of Men ~ N(70, 3)
68-95-99.7 Rule
95% of men will have heights between which
two values?
2 = 70 3*2 = 64 and
+ 2 = 70 + 3*2 = 76 inches.

Example
95% rule implies:
What percent of men have heights between 64
and 70 inches?

47.5%

What percent of men have heights between 70

and 76 inches?

47.5%

Example
95% rule implies:
What percent of men have heights less than 64 inches?

2.5%

What percent of men have heights greater than 64

inches?

97.5%

What percent of men have heights greater than 76

inches?

2.5%

What percent of men have heights less than 76 inches?

97.5%

Example
Height of Men ~ N(70, 3)
68-95-99.7 Rule
99.7% of men will have heights between which
two values?
3 = 70 3*3 = 61 and
+ 3 = 70 + 3*3 = 79 inches.

Example
99.7% rule implies:
49.85% of men have heights between 61 and
70 inches.
49.85% of men have heights between 70 and
79 inches.
0.15% of men have heights less than 61 inches.
99.85% of men have heights greater than 61
inches.
0.15% of men have heights greater than 79
inches.
99.85% of men have heights less than 79
inches.

Beyond the 68-95-99.7

rule
Z-table
Connection between normal values and
percentiles for standard normal model.
Standard normal model
Denoted by Z
Mean = 0
Standard Deviation = 1

Z Table
Table gives proportion of curve below a

particular z score (the percentile for the value

z)
z values range from 3.90 to 3.90 on the table
Row ones and tenths place for z
Column hundredths place for z

Percentile for z = -1.50

Percentile for z = -1.50

P(z<-1.50)
=.0668

Percentile for z = 1.98

Percentile for z = 1.98

P(z<1.98)
=.9761

Wednesday
Announcements
Chapter 4 homework assignments due Friday.
Read your syllabus.
Check on Blackboard for more information on the

Unit 1 assessment. There are practice problems

available on Blackboard (not required but
recommended). You can ask me questions about any
of the practice problems before September 22 nd.
Check your answers for the first 3 online homework
assignments.
Solutions to written homework assignments are on
Blackboard.

Proportion greater than z = -1.65

Proportion greater than z = -1.65

P(z>-1.65)
=1P(z<-1.65)
=1.0495=.
9505
OR
P(z>-1.65)
=P(z<1.65)
=.9505

Proportion greater than z = 0.73

Proportion greater than z = 0.73

P(z>0.73)
=1P(z<0.73)
=1.7673=.
2327
OR
P(z>0.73)
=P(z<-0.73)
=.2327

Proportion between z = 0.5 and z

= 1.4

Proportion between z = 0.5 and z

= 1.4
P(0.5<z<1.4)
=P(z<1.4)P(z<0.5)
=.9192.6915
=.2277

Proportion between z = -2.3 and z =

-0.05

Proportion between z = -2.3 and z =

-0.05
P(-2.3<z<-0.05)
=P(z<-0.05)P(z<-2.3)
=.4801.0107
=.4694

Finding z from a given percentile

Finding z from a given percentile

z=-0.15

Finding z from a given percentile

Finding z from a given percentile

z=2.13

Finding z from a given

area

Finding z from a given

area
First:1.8264=.
1736
z=-0.94

Finding z from a given

area

Finding z from a given

area
First:1.2327=.
7673
z=0.73

Finding z from a given

area

Finding z from a given

area
zisclosestto
-1.28

Finding z from a given

area

Finding z from a given

area
First:1.25=.75
zisclosestto.67

Standardizing
Changes any normal model to a standard

normal model.

y
z

z = # of standard deviations away from mean

Negative z = number is below the mean

Positive z = number is above the mean

Example
The height of men follows a normal

distribution with mean 70 inches and standard

deviation 3 inches.

Standardize y = 68.

Standardize y = 74.

Working with Normal

Model
Finding Areas
1. Standardize y to get z.
2. Find percentile for z from Z-table.
3. Use percentile to obtain needed area.

Working with Normal

Model
Finding Normal Values
1. Determine percentile from given information
in problem.
2. Find z value for percentile from Z-table.
3. Calculate normal value y using equation

Example #1A
Height of Men ~ N(70, 3)
What proportion of men are shorter than 66

inches?

Example #1A
Height of Men ~ N(70, 3)
What proportion of men are shorter than 66

inches?

P(z<-1.33)=.
0918

Example #1B
Height of Men ~ N(70, 3)
What proportion of men are taller than 74

inches?

1.33

Example #1B
Height of Men ~ N(70, 3)
What proportion of men are taller than 74

inches?
P(z>1.33)=
1P(z<1.33)=
1.9082
=.0918
OR
P(z>1.33)=
P(z<-1.33)
=.0918

Example #1C
Height of Men ~ N(70, 3)
What proportion of men are between 68 and 71

inches tall?

-0.67

0.33

Example #1C
Height of Men ~ N(70, 3)
What proportion of men are between 68 and 71

inches tall?

P(z<-0.67)=.
2514
P(z<0.33)=.
6293

.6293.2514
=.3779

Example #1D
The height of men is known to follow a normal

model with mean 70 and standard deviation 3.

20% of men are taller than what height?
Look up .8 in table and work backwards to find z.
z = .84
y = 70 + .84(3) = 72.52

Example #1E
The height of men is known to follow a normal

model with mean 70 and standard deviation 3.

65% of men are shorter than what height?
Look up .65 in table and work backwards to find z.
z = .39
y = 70 + .39(3) = 71.17

Friday Announcements
Z-Table has been posted on Blackboard under Course

Content, Chapter 5, Lecture

You really do need to read your book. Your learning and
understanding comes not only from me, but also through
reading. Assigned readings are listed in the syllabus.
Hand in Chapter 4 written homework before you leave
today.
Chapter 5 homework (written and online) due next Friday.
Unit 1 Assessment is available next Monday through
Friday. Questions about practice problems need to be
emailed to me by Sunday evening.

CNN Statistics

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/cnn-in-poll-gaffe-as-us-network-suggest-

scotland-gives-110-per-cent-in-referendum-9742517.html

Unusual?
The height of men is known to follow a normal

model with mean 70 and standard deviation 3.

Would it be unusual to find a man that is more than 80

inches tall? Why or why not?

His z-score is 3.33. He is more than 3 standard deviations

above the mean. So, yes, that is unusual.

The probability of being 80 tall or more is .0004.

Would it be unusual to find a man that is less than 59

inches tall? Why or why not?

His z-score is -3.67. He is more than 3 standard

deviations below the mean. So, yes, that is unusual.

The probability of being less than 59 tall is .0001.

Unusual
If you have an observation that is more than 3

standard deviations away from the mean (zscore more than 3 or less than -3), it is
considered to be an unusual occurrence.
Your book mentioned that having a z-score
more than 3 or less than -3 is rare.

More examples: Handout

Solutions will be posted online after class.