20 Questions

Normal Distribution
1. The continuous random variable Y is normally distributed with mean 100 and variance
256.

(a) Find P(Y < 80).

(3)
(b) Find k such that P(100  k  Y  100 + k) = 0.5l6.
(5)

2. My expenditure at a supermarket each week is modeled b a normal distribution with mean

1
£65.00 and standard deviation £σ. My expenditure exceeds £80.00 with probability .
12
(i) Calculate the value of σ, giving your answer correct to 4 significant figures.
(4)
(ii) Calculate the probability that, in one randomly chosen week, my expenditure is
less than £55.00
(2)

3. (i) State conditions under which the normal distribution can be used as an approximation
to the distribution B(n, p).
(2)

A series of digital messages, each consisting of 8000 bits, is transmitted. For each bit,
the probability that it is wrongly received is 0.005. A message is unreadable if more
than 50 bits are wrongly received.

(ii) Using a suitable approximation, find the probability that a message is unreadable.
(6)

4. Over a long period it has been found that the number of typing errors made by a secretary
is, on average, 6 per hour.
(i) State an assumption which you need to make in order to model the number of
typing errors in a randomly chosen hour by a Poisson distribution.
(1)

Assuming that this model is valid, and that the relevant periods of time are randomly
chosen,
 (ii) calculate the probability that, in one hour, the secretary makes more than 5 typing
errors,
(2)
(iii) calculate the probability that, in ten minutes, the secretary makes exactly two
typing errors,
(3)
(iv) use a suitable approximation to calculate the probability that, in four hours, the
secretary makes more than 30 typing errors.
(5)

5. The duration of the pregnancy of a certain breed of cow is normally distributed with
mean  days and standard deviation  days. Only 2.5% of all pregnancies are shorter
than 235 days and 15% are longer than 286 days.

(a) Show that   235 = 1.96 .

(2)
(b) Obtain a second equation in  and  .
(3)
(c) Find the value of  and the value of  .
(4)
(d) Find the values between which the middle 68.3% of pregnancies lie.
(2)
6. A random variable X has a normal distribution.

(a) Describe two features of the distribution of X.

(2)
A company produces electronic components which have life spans that are normally
distributed. Only 1% of the components have a life span less than 3500 hours and
2.5% have a life span greater than 5500 hours.

(b) Determine the mean and standard deviation of the life spans of the components.
(6)
The company gives warranty of 4000 hours on the components.

(c) Find the proportion of components that the company can expect to replace under the
warranty.
(4)

7. A drinks machine dispenses coffee into cups. A sign on the machine indicates that each
cup contains 50 ml of coffee. The machine actually dispenses a mean amount of 55 ml
per cup and 10% of the cups contain less than the amount stated on the sign. Assuming
that the amount of coffee dispensed into each cup is normally distributed find

(a) the standard deviation of the amount of coffee dispensed per cup in ml,
(4)
 (b) the percentage of cups that contain more than 61 ml.
(3)
Following complaints, the owners of the machine make adjustments. Only 2.5% of cups now
contain less than 50 ml. The standard deviation of the amount dispensed is reduced to 3 ml.

Assuming that the amount of coffee dispensed is still normally distributed,

(c) find the new mean amount of coffee per cup.

(4)
8. The lifetimes of batteries used for a computer game have a mean of 12 hours and a standard
deviation of 3 hours. Battery lifetimes may be assumed to be normally distributed.

Find the lifetime, t hours, of a battery such that 1 battery in 5 will have a lifetime longer than
t.
(6)
9. The random variable X is normally distributed with mean  and variance  2.

(a) Write down 3 properties of the distribution of X.

(3)

Given that  = 27 and  = 10

(b) find P(26 < X < 28).

(4)
10. The random variable X is normally distributed with mean 79 and variance 144.

Find

(a) P(X < 70),

(3)
(b) P(64 < X < 96).
(3)
It is known that P(79 – a  X  79 + b) = 0.6463. This information is shown in the figure
below.

0.6463

79 – a 79 79 + b
 Given that P(X  79 + b) = 2P(X  79 – a),

(c) show that the area of the shaded region is 0.1179.

(3)
(d) Find the value of b.
(4)

11. A scientist found that the time taken, M minutes, to carry out an experiment can be modelled
by a normal random variable with mean 155 minutes and standard deviation 3.5 minutes.

Find

(a) P(M > 160),

(3)
(b) P(150 ≤ M ≤ 157),
(4)
(c) the value of m, to 1 decimal place, such that P(M ≤ m) = 0.30.
(4)

12. The heights of a group of athletes are modelled by a normal distribution with mean 180 cm
and a standard deviation 5.2 cm. The weights of this group of athletes are modelled by a
normal distribution with mean 85 kg and standard deviation 7.1 kg.

Find the probability that a randomly chosen athlete

(a) is taller than 188 cm,

(3)
(b) weighs less than 97 kg.
(2)
(c) Assuming that for these athletes height and weight are independent, find the probability
that a randomly chosen athlete is taller than 188 cm and weighs more than 97 kg.
(3)
(d) Comment on the assumption that height and weight are independent.
(1)

13. From experience a high jumper knows that he can clear a height of at least 1.78 m once in 5
attempts. He also knows that he can clear a height of at least 1.65 m on 7 out of 10 attempts.

Assuming that the heights the high jumper can reach follow a Normal distribution,

(a) draw a sketch to illustrate the above information,

(3)
(b) find, to 3 decimal places, the mean and the standard deviation of the heights the high
jumper can reach,
(6)
(c) calculate the probability that he can jump at least 1.74 m.
(3)

14. The measure of intelligence, IQ, of a group of students is Normally distributed with
mean 100 and standard deviation 15.

(a) Find the probability that a student selected at random has an IQ less than 91.
(4)
The probability that a randomly selected student has an IQ of at least 100+k is 0.2090.

(b) Find, to the nearest integer, the value of k.

(6)

15. The random variable X has a normal distribution with mean 20 and standard deviation 4.
(a) Find
(3)
(b) Find the value of d such that =0.4641
(4)

The weights of bags of popcorn are normally distributed with mean of 200g and 60%
of all bags weighing between 190g and 210g.

(a) Write down the median weight of the bags of popcorn.

(1)
(b) Find the standard deviation of the weights of the bags of popcorn.
(5)
A shopkeeper finds that customers will complain if their bag of popcorn weighs
less than 180g.

(c) Find the probability that a customer will complain.

(3)

16. A packing plant fills bags with cement. The weight X kg of a bag of cement can be
modeled by a normal distribution with mean 50kg and standard deviation 2kg.

(a) Find
(3)
(b) Find the weight that is exceeded by 99% of the bags.
(5)

Three bags are selected at random.

(c) Find the probability that two weigh more than 53kg and one weighs less than 53kg.
(4)
17. The random variable Xhas a normal distribution with mean 30 and standard deviation
5.

(a) Find
(2)
(b) Find the value of d such that
(4)
(c) Find the value of e such that
(2)
(d) Find
(2)

18. The lifetime of bulbs used in a lamp are normally distributed.

A company X sells bulbs with a mean lifetime of 850 hours and a standard deviation
of 50 hours.

(a) Find the probability of a bulb, from company X, having a lifetime of less than 830
hours.
(3)
(b) In a box of 500 bulbs, from company X, find the expected number having a lifetime of
less than 830 hours.
(2)

A rival company Y sells bulbs with a mean lifetime of 860 hours and 20% of these
bulbs have a lifetime of less than 818 hours.

(c) Find the standard deviation of the lifetime of bulbs from Company Y.
(4)

Both companies sell the bulbs for the same price.

(d) State which company you would recommend. Give reasons for your answer.
(2)

19. The length of time, L hours, that a phone will work before it needs charging is
normally distributed with a mean of 100 hours and a standard deviation of 15 hours.

(a) Find
(3)

(b) Find the value of d such that

(3)
Alice is about to go on a 6 hour journey. Given that it is 127 hours since Alice last charged
her phone ,

(c) Find the probability that her phone will not need charging before her journey is
completed.
(4)

20. The heights of an adult female population ar enormally distributed with mean 162cm and
standard deviation 7.5cm.

(a) Find the probability that a randomly chosen adult female is taller than 150cm.
(3)

Sarah is a young girl. She visits her doctor and is told that she is in the 6oth percentile
for height.

(b) Assuming that Sarah remains at the 60th percentile, estimate her height as an adult.
(3)

The heights of an adult male population are normally distributed with standard
deviation 9.0cm.

Given that 90% of adult males are taller than the mean heights of adult females,

(c) find the mean height of an adult male.

(4)