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Statistics: Normal Distributions & The Empirical Rule

For each of the following problems, sketch a normal curve and label the mean and three standard deviations to the right and to the left. Then shade the region that the question is referring to. For questions with parts, sketch a curve for each part. 1. The playing life of a Sunshine radio is normally distributed with mean = 600 hours and standard deviation = 100 hours. What is the probability that a radio selected at random will last from 600 to 700 hours?

2.

The yearly wheat yield per acre on a particular farm is normally distributed with mean = 35 bushels and standard deviation = 8 bushels. What is the probability than an acre will yield between 19 and 35 bushels?

3.

Assuming that the heights of college women are normally distributed, with mean 65 in. and standard deviation 2.5 in. (based on information from Statistical Abstract of the United States, 112th Edition), answer the following questions.

a.

What percentage of women are taller than 65 in.?

b.

What percentage of women are between 62.5 in. and 67.5 in.?

c.

What percentage of women are between 60 in. and 70 in.?

For each of the following problems, sketch a normal curve and label the mean and three standard deviations to the right and to the left. Then shade the region that the question is referring to. For questions with parts, sketch a curve for each part. 4. The incubation time for Rhode Island Red chicks is normally distributed with mean of 21 days and standard deviation of approximately 1 day (based on information from World Book Encyclopedia). If 1000 eggs are being incubated, how many chicks do we expect will hatch in a. 19 23 days?

b.

20 22 days?

c.

21 days or fewer?

d.

In 18 24 days?

5.

A vending machine automatically pours soft drinks into 8-oz cups. The amount of soft drink dispensed into a cup is normally distributed with mean of 7.6 oz. and standard deviation of 0.4 oz. Answer the following questions. a. Estimate the probability that the machine will overflow an 8-oz. cup.

b.

Estimate the probability that the machine will not overflow an 8-oz cup.

c.

The machine has just been loaded with 850 cups. How many of these do you expect will overflow when served?

6.

At Burnt Mesa Pueblo, archeological studies have used the method of tree ring dating in an effort to determine when prehistoric people lived in the pueblo. Wood from several excavations gave a mean of (year) 1243 with a standard deviation of 36 years. (Bandelier Archaeological Excavation Project: Summer 1989 Excavations at Burnt Mesa Pueblo, edited by Kohler, Washington State University Department of Anthropology). The distribution of dates was more or less mound-shaped and symmetrical about the mean. Use the empirical rule to draw a normal curve showing the mean and 3 standard deviations to each side

a.

Estimate a range of years centered about the mean in which about 68% of the data (tree ring dates) will be found.

b.

Estimate a range of years centered about the mean in which about 95% of the data (tree ring data) will be found.

c.

Estimate a range of years centered about the mean in which almost all the data (tree ring dates) will be found.

7.

Effect of Helium-Neon Laser Auriculotherapy on Experimental Pain Threshold is the title of an article in the journal Physical Therapy (Vol, 70, No.1, pp.24 30). In this article laser therapy was discussed as a useful alternative to drugs in pain management of chronically ill patients. To measure pain threshold, a machine was used that delivered low-voltage direct current to different parts of the body (wrist, neck, and back). The machine measured current in milliamperes (mA). The pre-treatment experimental group in the study had an average threshold of pain (pain was first detectable) at = 3.15 mA with standard deviation = 1.45 mA. Assume that the distribution of threshold pain so measured in milliamperes is symmetrical and more or less mound shaped. Use the empirical rule to a. estimate a range of milliamperes centered about the mean in which about 68% of the experimental group will have a threshold of pain.

b.

estimate a range of milliamperes centered about the mean in which about 95% of the experimental group will have a threshold of pain.