Normal Distribution

✦ The normal distribution is sometimes called the bell curve

because the graph of its probability density looks like a
bell.

✦ It is also known as the Gaussian distribution, after the

German mathematician Carl Friedrich Gauss who first
described it.

✦ It is a probability function that describes how the values

of a variable are distributed.

Normal Curve

50 100 150
The red curve is a model called the normal curve ,
which is used to describe continuous random variables
that are said to be normally distributed.
A continuous random variable is normally distributed,
or has a normal probability distribution, if its relative
frequency histogram has the shape of a normal curve.

No data will ever be exactly/perfectly normally

distributed in reality. If so, how do we know
whether or not a collected data set is normally
distributed?
We can begin with a visual display of the data in a
histogram to see if the data set is normally
distributed. However, a visual check, alone, may not
be sufficient to know whether the data are normally
distributed. There are statistical measures,
skewness and kurtosis, which, along with a
histogram, allow us to determine whether the set is
normally distributed.
Why is it important to know if the data follows
a normal distribution?

The most important reason is that many human

characteristics fall into an approximately normal
distribution and that the measurement scores are
assumed to be normally distributed when
running most statistical analyses. Therefore, the
statistical results you get at the end may not be
trustworthy if the variable is not normally
distributed.

Properties of Normal Curve

1. The normal curve is bell-shaped and symmetric
about the mean, μ.
2. Because mean, median and mode are equal, the
normal curve has a single peak and the highest
point occurs at x = μ.
3. The normal curve has
inflection points at μ − σ Inflection point Inflection point

and μ + σ.
μ−σ μ μ+σ

Properties of Normal Curve

4. The area under the normal curve is 1.

5. The area under the normal curve to the right

of μ equals the area under the curve to the
left of μ, which equals 0.50
6. The normal curve approaches, area = 1
but never touches the x-axis
as it extends farther and
farther away from the mean. 0.50 0.50
 μ1 = μ2, σ1 < σ2 μ1 < μ2, σ1 < σ2

Mean:
✦ Changing the mean shifts the entire
curve left or right on the X-axis.
Standard Deviation:
✦ Changing the standard deviation
either tightens or spreads out the
μ1 < μ2, σ1 = σ2
width of the distribution along the X-
axis.
Larger standard deviations produce distributions that are more
spread out.

Determine whether the graph represent a normal

curve.

A. C.

B. D.

All of them did not represent the normal curve.

Role of Area under a Normal

Curve
Suppose that a random variable X is normally
distributed with mean μ and standard deviation σ . The
area under the normal curve for any interval of values of
the random variable X represents either
✦ the proportion of the population with the characteristic
described by the interval of values or
✦ the probability that a randomly selected individual
from the population will have the characteristic
described by the interval of values.
 Standard Normal Distribution
A normal random variable having mean
value μ = 0 and standard deviation σ = 1 is
called a standard normal random variable,
and its density curve is called the standard
normal curve.

It will always be denoted by the letter Z.

Standardizing a Normal Random Variable

The normal random variable of a standard
x−μ
z=
normal distribution is called a standard
score or a z-score. Every normal random
variable X can be transformed into a z score
σ
via the following equation:
where X is a normal random variable, μ is the mean of X, and
σ is the standard deviation of X.
Probabilities for a standard normal
random variable are computed
using Standard Normal
Distribution Table which shows
a cumulative probability associated
with a particular z-score.

Remember!
Positive values of z-score indicate how far above
the mean a score falls and negative values
indicate how far below the mean a score falls.

Whether positive or negative, larger z-scores

mean that scores are far away from the mean and
smaller z-scores means that scores are close to
the mean.
Standard Normal Distribution Table 1 (Positive Side P(Z < z))

Polytechnic University of the Philippines

College of Science
Department of Mathematics and Statistics

Standard Normal Distribution Table 2 (Negative Side P(Z < − z))

Polytechnic University of the Philippines

College of Science
Department of Mathematics and Statistics

Patterns for Finding Areas under a Standard Normal Curve

Using Table 1
A. Area to the right of a negative z value or to the left of a
positive z value.
Use Table 1 directly
0 z1 z1 0
B. Area between z values on either side of 0.
= -
z1 0 z2 0 z2 z1 0
1 − Area
C. Area between z values on same side of 0.

= -
z1 z2 0 z1 0 z2
1 − Area 1 − Area
Patterns for Finding Areas under a Standard Normal Curve

Using Table 1
D. Area to the right of a positive z value or to the left of a
negative z value.

= -
0 z1 0 0 z1
Area = 1

E. Area between a given z value and 0.

= -
0 z1 0 z1 0
Area = 0.50

Patterns for Finding Areas under a Standard Normal Curve

Using Table 2
A. Area to the right of a positive z value or to the left of a
negative z value.
Use Table 2 directly
z1 0 0 z1
B. Area between z values on same side of 0.
= -
z1 z2 0 z1 0 z2

C. Area between z values on either side of 0.

= +
z1 0 z2 0 z2 z1 0
0.50 − Area 0.50 − Area

Patterns for Finding Areas under a Standard Normal Curve

Using Table 2
D. Area to the right of a negative z value or to the left of a
positive z value.

= +
z1 0 z1 0 0
0.50 − Area Area = 0.50
E. Area between a given z value and 0.

= -
0 z1 0 0 z1
Area = 0.50
Example 1:
Scores on a standardized college entrance examination (CEE)
are normally distributed with mean 510 and standard
deviation 60. A selective university considers for admission
only applicants with CEE scores over 560. Find proportion of
all individuals who took the CEE who meet the university's
CEE requirement for consideration for admission.
Solution:
Given: μ = 510,σ = 60 and x = 560
Area = P(X > 560)
Step 1: Draw a normal curve and
shade the desired area.

X
450 510 570
560

Using Table 1 By-hand Approach!

Step 2: Convert the value of x to a z-score.
P(X > 560) = P (Z > z) Area = P(Z > 0.83)
560 − 510 = 0.2033
( )
=P Z>
60
= P(Z > 0.83)
= 1 − P(Z ≤ 0.83)
= 1 − 0.7967 Z
−2 −1 0 1 2
= 0.2033
0.83
Use the Complement Rule
and determine one minus
the area.
The proportion of all CEE scores that exceed 560 is
0.2033 or 20.33%.

Using Table 2 By-hand Approach!

Step 2: Convert the value of x to a z-score.
P(X > 560) = P (Z > z) Area = P(Z > 0.83)
560 − 510 = 0.2033
( )
=P Z>
60
= P(Z > 0.83)
= 0.2033 Z
−2 −1 0 1 2
0.83
The proportion of all CEE
scores that exceed 560 is
0.2033 or 20.33%.
 Step 2: Used Excel to determine the area under
any normal curve. Technology Approach!
Use “TRUE” for
cumulative since we
want the area under the
normal curve.

The proportion of all CEE

scores that exceed 560 is
0.2033 or 20.33%.

Example 2:
A pediatrician obtains the heights of her three-year-old female
patients. The heights are approximately normally distributed,
with mean 38.72 inches and standard deviation 3.17 inches.
Determine the proportion of the three-year-old females that
have a height less than 35 inches.
Solution:
Given: μ = 38.72,σ = 3.17 and x = 35
Step 1: Draw a normal curve and shade
the desired area.
Area = P(X < 35)

X
35.55 38.72 41.89
35

Using Table 1 By-hand Approach!

Step 2: Convert the value of x to a z-score.
P(X < 35) = P (Z < z) Area = P(Z < − 1.17) = 0.1210
35 − 38.72
( 3.17 )
=P Z<
= P(Z < − 1.17)
= 1 − P(Z ≥ − 1.17)
= 1 − 0.8790 Z
−2 −1 0 1 2
= 0.1210
Use the Complement Rule −1.17
and determine one minus
the area.
The proportion of the pediatrician’s three-year-old
females who are less than 35 inches tall is 0.1210 or
12.10%.
Using Table 2 By-hand Approach!
Step 2: Convert the value of x to a z-score.
P(X < 35) = P (Z < z) Area = P(Z < − 1.17) = 0.1210
35 − 38.72
( 3.17 )
=P Z<
= P(Z < − 1.17)
= 0.1210
Z
−2 −1 0 1 2

−1.17

The proportion of the pediatrician’s three-year-old

females who are less than 35 inches tall is 0.1210 or
12.10%.

Step 2: Used Excel to determine the area under

any normal curve. Technology Approach!

Use “TRUE”
for cumulative
since we want
the area under
the normal
curve.

The proportion of the

pediatrician’s three-
year-old females who
are less than 35 inches
tall is 0.1210 or 12.10%.

Example 3:
A pediatrician obtains the heights of her three-year-old female
patients. The heights are approximately normally distributed,
with mean 38.72 inches and standard deviation 3.17 inches.
Determine the probability that a randomly selected three-year-
old girl is between 35 and 40 inches tall, inclusive.
Solution:
Given: μ = 38.72,σ = 3.17, and 35 ≤ X ≤ 40
Area = P(35 ≤ X ≤ 40)
Step 1: Draw a normal curve and
shade the desired area.

X
35.55 38.72 41.89
35 40
Using Table 1 By-hand Approach!
Step 2: Convert the value of x to a z-score.
P(35 ≤ X ≤ 40) = P(z ≤ Z ≤ z)
35 − 38.72 40 − 38.72
( 3.17 3.17 )
=P ≤Z≤
= P(−1.17 ≤ Z ≤ 0.40)
= P(Z ≤ 0.40) − [1 − P(Z ≥ − 1.17)]
= 0.6554 − [1 − 0.8790] Area = P(−1.17 ≤ Z ≤ 0.40)
= 0.6554 − 0.1210
= 0.5344
The probability a randomly
selected three-year-old female
is between 35 and 40 inches tall X
−2 −1 0 1 2
is 0.5344.
−1.17 0.40

Using Table 2 By-hand Approach!

Step 2: Convert the value of x to a z-score.
P(35 ≤ X ≤ 40) = P(z ≤ Z ≤ z)
35 − 38.72 40 − 38.72
( 3.17 3.17 )
=P ≤Z≤
= P(−1.17 ≤ Z ≤ 0.40)
= [0.50 − P(Z ≥ 0.40) + [0.50 − P(Z ≤ − 1.17)]
= [0.50 − 0.3446] + [0.50 − 0.1210]
= 0.1554 + 0.3790
= 0.5344 Area = P(−1.17 ≤ Z ≤ 0.40)
The probability a randomly selected
three-year-old female is between 35
and 40 inches tall is 0.5344.

X
−2 −1 0 1 2
−1.17 0.40

Step 2: Used Excel to determine the area under

any normal curve. Technology Approach!

Use “TRUE” for

cumulative since
we want the area
under the normal
curve.