The Unit Normal Curve
The Unit Normal Curve
The curve is bell-shaped and is symmetric about the center which represents the three
measures of central tendency: mean, median and mode. This curve is also asymptotic to the
horizontal axis and extends from negative infinity to positive infinity.
µ
The normal curve
The most important continuous probability distribution in the entire field of statistics is
the normal distribution. Its graph is normal curve and describes the distribution of so many sets
of data that occur in nature, industry and research. One of the variables in nature whose
observation resembles the normal curve when graphed is the height of the Filipinos. Consider
the heights of males, most of them have heights 5’4’’ to 5’6’. There are few Filipino males has
height of below 5 feet and few has height of above 6 feet. The shape of the curve of the height
of Filipinos grouped according to gender when graphed is a normal curve. Another example is
the Mental Ability (MA). Majority of the people have average IQ. There fewer above-average
and dull people, and very few are genius or very dull.
Using the sample mean and standard deviation of a sample, the standard score z would
be in the equation:
Z = x – x̅
s
The abscissa is in term of z. The horizontal axis of the normal curve be interchangeably
x and z.
The standard normal distribution is the distribution of a normal random variable with mean
equal to zero (µ = 0) and standard deviation equal to one (σ = 1).
The unit normal curve is the graph of the standard normal distribution with the following
characteristics:
1. It is symmetrical about the vertical line drawn through z = 0.
2. The highest point in the curve is y = 0.3989
3. The curve is asymptotic. This means that both positive and negative ends approach
the horizontal axis but do not touch it.
4. For all practical purposes, the area under the curve from z = -3 to z = +3 equals 1,
hence the term unit normal curve.
5. The three measures of central tendency – mean, median and mode coincide.
y
0.3989
z
-3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3
Skewness
When the distribution has many more observations on the right side of the curve, we
say that the curve is negatively skewed. For example, when the examination is very easy many
students will get high scores so there are more high scorers, practically there are more
observations on the right side of the curve. Other examples of negatively skewed distributions
are: height of PBA players, weight of wrestlers.
x
Negatively skewed distribution
When a distribution has many more observations on the left side of the curve, we say that the
curve is positively skewed. For example, when the test is very difficult there would be more
flankers so there are more observations on the left side of the curve. Other examples of
positively skewed distributions are: salaries of low income workers, and weight of malnourish
children.
The area under the unit normal curve may represent several things like the probability of an
event, the percentile rank of a score, or the percent distribution of a whole population. For
example the area under the curve from z = z1 to z = z2, may represent the probability that z
assumes a value between z1 and z2.
Since the curve is perfectly symmetrical, the value of z may be taken as positive or negative but
the corresponding area is always taken positive. Refer the area under the unit normal curve on
the given table.
0.3413
z
0 1
Example 2. Find the between z = -1 and z = 0.
0.3413
z
-1 0
Example 3. Find the area above z = 1.
Solution: Since the whole area under the curve is 1, then the area is divided into 2 equal parts
at z = 0. This means that the area to the right of z = 0 is 0.5. To get then the area above z = 1
will be the right part of z = 1.This will be 0.5 – 0.3413 = 0.1587.
0.1587
0 1
0.5823
-0.5 0 1.23 z
0.2418
-1.89 -0.64 0
Exercises
STANDARD SCORES
In the midterm examination, suppose you got a score of 65 out of 100 in English and
55 out of 100 in Mathematics. Did you do better in English than in Mathematics? Are you happy
in your scores in both subjects? We can not tell unless additional information is provided. If the
mean performance of the whole class in English is 70 and the mean performance of the class in
Mathematics is 50, then you can say that you perform better in Mathematics than in English as
far as the class performance is concerned. Your score in English is 5 point below the class mean
performance while that in Mathematics your score is 5 points higher than the class mean
performance. However, the information is still incomplete to see the whole picture of your
performance in relation to the entire class.
To help us to interpret further the scores in the two tests we need another measure of
variability that is finding the standard score using the standard deviation. The standard score is
the deviation from the mean divided by the standard deviation.
The standard score tells us the number of standard deviations a score is above or below
the mean and gives us a very good approximation of your rank in class. It has the same
interpretation for all tests. That is why it is called the standard score. For instance, a standard
score of zero means average performance and a standard score of 2 means exceptionally good
performance.
Example 1. Suppose the standard deviation for the English is 8 and that of Mathematics is 6.
Solve the standard scores of the two tests.
Solution: For English, x = 65, x = 70, and s = 8
z = 65 - 70
8
= -0.625
For Mathematics: x = 55, x = 50, and s = 6
z = 55 – 50 = 0.833
6
Exercises
Solve the values of z and T.
Subjects x x s z T
Statistics 70 72 5
Investment Math 75 73 7
Trigonometry 56 46 8
Algebra 48 53 9
Geometry 68 66 3
Bus. Math 73 77 8
Actually z is called the standard score. We had related the unit normal to the standard
score. Whenever we have a normal distribution of variables, we can relate this distribution to
the standard normal distribution we mean that the number of those who scored below the
mean is more or less equal to those who scored above the mean. That is around 50% of the
students got scores below the mean and 50% got scores above the mean. The percentile rank
and probability can be solved by using the table of areas under the normal curve.
Example 1. Find and interpret the percentile rank of your score in the tests in English and
Mathematics.
Solution: For English, since the z = -0.625, the area under the curve between z = -0.625
or -0.63 and z = 0 is 0.2357. Then the area below z = -0.625 is 0.5000 – 0.2357 = 0.2643.
What does this mean? This means that your percentile rank in English is 23.57%ile rank which
you surpassed 23.57% of your classmates in English.
23.57%
z
-1 -0.63 0
For Mathematics, the z = 0.83 and the area under the curve is above 0.2967. Since it is
positive, then we add 0.5000 to get the area to the left of z = 0.83 which is 0.7967. The
percentile rank then is 79.67%ile rank. This means that in Mathematics test, you get score
higher than 79.67% of your classmates. It also means than 79.67% of your classmates. It also
means that you did batter in Mathematics test than in English test.
79.67%
0 0.83 1
1. The lower or the upper limit of an observation (x) is used in the approximations.
2. The lower limit is used when you are asked for the number of observations corresponding to:
a. below x
b. x and above
3. The upper limit is used when you are asked for the number of observations corresponding
to:
a. x and below
b. above x
4. The lower limit and upper limit are used when you are asked for the number of observations
corresponding to:
a. x
b. between x1 and x2
A qualifying test administered to 1,500 incoming first year students. The mean (x)
obtained is 90 and a standard deviation (s) is 10. If we assume normal distribution of the
scores, answer the following questions.
1. Approximately how many students got scores below 75?
2. Approximately how many students scored 100 and above?
3. Approximately how many students scored 70 and below?
4. Approximately how many students got score above 95?
5. Approximately, how many students got scores between 80 and 100?
6. How many students got a score of 90?
7. If the incoming first year students are being ranked, what is the percentile rank of a student
who got a score of 110?
6.06%
z
-1.55 0
The number of students scoring below 75: 1,500 (0.0606) = 91
17.11%
0 0.95
Number of student scoring 100 and above: 1,500 (0.1711) = 257
-1.95 0 z
Number of students scoring 70 and below: 1,500 (0.0256) = 38
4. x = 95.5 z = 95.5 – 90 z = 0.55
10
Area under the curve = 0.5 – 0.2088 = 0.2912
29.12%
z
0 0.55
70.62%
-1.05 0 1.05 z
6. x1 = 89.5 x2 = 90.5
z1 = 89.5 – 90 = -0.05 Area = 0.0199
10
z
-0.05 0 0.05
Number of students scored 90 = 1,500 (0.0398) = 60
z
0 2
Therefore, the student belongs to the 98th percentile rank. This means that he surpasses 98%
of the students who took the qualifying test and only 2% got scores higher than his score of
110.
Exercises
a. How many of the BSED students are better than the average BEED students?
b. How many of the BEED students got scores lower than the average BSED students?
c. What is the percentile equivalent among the BSED students of those who are in the 80th
percentile rank of the BEED students?
d. How many of the BSED students got scores higher than the highest score of BEED students?
Assume that all scores of both BSED and BEED fall between x = ± 3.
e. How many of the BEED got scores lower than the equivalent score of the 20th percentile rank
of BSED students?
0 z
z 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
0.0 .0000 .0040 .0080 .0120 .0160 .0199 .0239 .0279 .0319 .0359
0.1 .0398 .0438 .0478 .0517 .0557 .0596 .0636 .0675 .0714 .0754
0.2 .0793 .0832 .0871 .0910 .0948 .0987 .1026 .1064 .1103 .1141
0.3 .1179 .1217 .1255 .1293 .1331 .1368 .1406 .1443 .1480 .1517
0.4 .1554 .1591 .1628 .1664 .1700 .1736 .1772 .1808 .1844 .1879
0.5 .1915 .1950 .1985 .2019 .2054 .2088 .2123 .2157 .2190 .2224
0.6 .2258 .2291 .2324 .2357 .2389 .2422 .2454 .2486 .2518 .2549
0.7 .2580 .2612 .2642 .2673 .2704 .2734 .2764 .2794 .2823 .2852
0.8 .2881 .2910 .2939 .2967 .2996 .3023 .3051 .3078 .3106 .3133
0.9 .3159 .3186 .3212 .3238 .3264 .3289 .3315 .3340 .3365 .3389
1.0 .3414 .3438 .3461 .3485 .3508 .3531 .3554 .3577 .3599 .3621
1.1 .3643 .3665 .3686 .3708 .3729 .3749 .3770 .3790 .3810 .3830
1.2 .3849 .3869 .3888 .3907 .3925 .3944 .3962 .3980 .3997 .4015
1.3 .4032 .4049 .4066 .4082 .4099 .4115 .4131 .4147 .4162 .4177
1.4 .4192 .4207 .4222 .4236 .4251 .4265 .4279 .4292 .4306 .4319
1.5 .4332 .4345 .4357 .4370 .4382 .4394 .4406 .4418 .4429 .4441
1.6 .4452 .4463 .4474 .4484 .4495 .4505 .4515 .4525 .4535 .4545
1.7 .4554 .4564 .4573 .4582 .4591 .4599 .4608 .4616 .4625 .4633
1.8 .4641 .4649 .4656 .4664 .4671 .4678 .4686 .4693 .4699 .4706
1.9 .4713 .4719 .4726 .4732 .4738 .4744 .4750 .4756 .4761 .4767
2.0 .4772 .4778 .4783 .4788 .4793 .4798 .4803 .4808 .4812 .4817
2.1. .4821 .4826 .4830 .4834 .4838 .4842 .4846 .4850 .4854 .4857
2.2 .4861 .4864 .4868 .4871 .4875 .4878 .4881 .4884 .4887 .4890
2.3 .4893 .4896 .4898 .4901 .4904 .4906 .4909 .4911 .4913 .4916
2.4 .4918 .4920 .4922 .4925 .4927 .4929 .4931 .4932 .4934 .4936
2.5 .4938 .4940 .4941 .4943 .4945 .4946 .4948 .4949 .4951 .4952
2.6 .4953 .4955 .4956 .4957 .4959 .4960 .4961 .4962 .4963 .4964
2.7 .4965 .4966 .4967 .4968 .4969 .4970 .4971 .4972 .4973 .4974
2.8 .4874 .4975 .4976 .4977 .4977 .4978 .4979 .4979 .4980 .4981
2.9 .4981 .4982 .4982 .4983 .4984 .4984 .4985 .4985 .4986 .4986
3.0 .4987 .4987 .4987 .4988 .4988 .4989 .4989 .4989 .4990 .4990
3.1 .4990 .4991 .4991 .4991 .4992 .4992 .4992 .4992 .4993 .4993
3.2 .4993 .4993 .4994 .4994 .4994 .4994 .4994 .4995 .4995 .4995
3.3 .4995 .4995 .4995 .4996 .4996 .4996 .4996 .4996 .4996 .4997
3.4 .4997 .4997 .4997 .4997 .4997 .4997 .4997 .4997 .4997 .4998
3.5 .4998 .4998 .4998 .4998 .4998 .4998 .4998 .4998 .4998 .4998
3.6 .4998 .4998 .4998 .4999 .4999 .4999 .4999 .4999 .4999 .4999
3.7 .4999 .4999 .4999 .4999 .4999 .4999 .4999 .4999 .4999 .4999
3.8 .4999 .4999 .4999 .4999 .4999 .4999 .4999 .4999 .4999 .4999
3.9 .5000 .5000 .5000 .5000 .5000 .5000 .5000 .5000 .5000 .5000