Statistics for Business and Economics (14e)

Chapter 6 - Continuous Probability Distributions

6.1 – Uniform Probability Distribution
6.2 – Normal Probability Distribution
6.3 – Normal Approximation of
Binomial Probabilities
6.4 – Exponential Probability
Distribution

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 Statistics for Business and Economics (14e)

Continuous Probability Distributions (1 of 2)

• A continuous random variable can assume any value in an interval on the real line
or in a collection of intervals.
• It is not possible to talk about the probability of the random variable assuming a
particular value.
• Instead, we talk about the probability of the random variable assuming a value
within a given interval.

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Continuous Probability Distributions (2 of 2)

The probability of the random variable assuming a value within some given interval
from x1 to x2 is defined to be the area under the graph of the probability density
function between x1 and x2.

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Uniform Probability Distribution (1 of 5)

• A random variable is uniformly distributed whenever the probability is
proportional to the interval’s length.
• The uniform probability density function is:

where: a = smallest value the variable can assume

b = largest value the variable can assume

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Uniform Probability Distribution (2 of 5)

• The expected value of x is E(x) = (a + b)/2.
• The variance of x is Var(x) = (b – a)2/12.

• Probaility function between two given values =

𝐿𝑎𝑟𝑔𝑒𝑟 𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑒−𝑠𝑚𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑒 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑔𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑛 𝑑𝑎𝑡𝑎
𝑏−𝑎

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 Statistics for Business and Economics (14e)

Uniform Probability Distribution (3 of 5)

Example: Slater's Buffet
Slater’s customers are charged for the amount of salad they take. Sampling suggests
that the amount of salad taken is uniformly distributed between 5 ounces and 15
ounces.
The uniform probability density function is

where:
x = salad plate filling weight

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Uniform Probability Distribution (4 of 5)

What is the probability that a customer will take between 12 and 15 ounces of
salad?

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Uniform Probability Distribution (5 of 5)

• The expected value of x is E(x) = (a + b)/2
= (5 + 15)/2
= 10
• The variance of x is Var(x) = (b – a)2/12
= (15 – 5)2/12
= 8.33

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A sample Problem on uniform probability distribution

A factory produces steel rods that have a length uniformly distributed between 5 meters and
15 meters.
1.What is the probability that a randomly selected rod is between 8 and 12 meters long?
2.What is the mean and standard deviation of the length of the rods?

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Area as a Measure of Probability

• The area under the graph of f(x) and probability are identical.
• This is valid for all continuous random variables.
• The probability that x takes on a value between some lower value x1 and some
higher value x2 can be found by computing the area under the graph of f(x) over
the interval from x1 to x2.

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Normal Probability Distribution (1 of 7)

• The normal probability distribution is the most important distribution for
describing a continuous random variable.
• It is widely used in statistical inference.
• It has been used in a wide variety of applications including:
• Heights of people
• Amounts of rainfall
• Test scores
• Scientific measurements
• Abraham de Moivre, a French mathematician, published The Doctrine of Chances
in 1733.
• He derived the normal distribution.

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Normal Probability Distribution (2 of 7)

Normal Probability Density Function

where:
𝜇 = mean
𝜎 = standard deviation
𝜋 = 3.14159
e = 2.71828

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 Statistics for Business and Economics (14e)

Explanation:
• The normal distribution is symmetric around the mean μ.
1
• The factor ensures that the total area under the curve of the distribution
𝜎 2𝜋
is 1, satisfying the requirement that it is a probability distribution.
1 (𝑥−𝜇)2
• The term - controls
the shape of the curve, where x values closer to the
2
2 𝜎
mean μ have higher probabilities, and the probabilities decrease as x moves
further away from μ

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 Statistics for Business and Economics (14e)

Normal Probability Distribution (3 of 7)

The entire family of normal probability distributions is defined by its mean μ and
its standard deviation σ.

The highest point on the normal curve is at the mean, which is also the median
and mode.

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Normal Probability Distribution (4 of 7)

The mean can be any numerical value: negative, zero, or positive.

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Normal Probability Distribution (5 of 7)

The standard deviation determines the width of the curve: larger values result
in wider, flatter curves.

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 Statistics for Business and Economics (14e)

Normal Probability Distribution (6 of 7)

Probabilities for the normal random variable are given by areas under the curve.
The total area under the curve is 1 (0.5 to the left of the mean and 0.5 to the
right).

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Normal Probability Distribution (7 of 7)

Empirical Rule
68.26% of values of a normal
random variable are within ±1
standard deviation of its mean.
95.44% of values of a normal
random variable are within ±2
standard deviations of its mean.
99.72% of values of a normal
random variable are within ±3
standard deviations of its mean.

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Standard Normal Probability Distribution (1 of 10)

A random variable having a normal distribution with a mean of 0 and a standard
deviation of 1 is said to have a standard normal probability distribution.

The letter z is used to designate the standard normal random variable.

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 Statistics for Business and Economics (14e)

Standard Normal Probability Distribution (2 of 10)

Converting to the Standard Normal Distribution

We can think of z as a measure of the number of standard deviations x is from μ.

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Standard Normal Probability Distribution (3 of 10)

Example: Pep Zone
Pep Zone sells auto parts and supplies including a popular multi-grade motor oil.
When the stock of this oil drops to 20 gallons, a replenishment order is placed.
The store manager is concerned that sales are being lost due to stockouts while
waiting for a replenishment order.
It has been determined that demand during replenishment lead-time is normally
distributed with a mean of 15 gallons and a standard deviation of 6 gallons.
The manager would like to know the probability of a stockout during replenishment
lead-time. In other words, what is the probability that demand during lead-time
will exceed 20 gallons?

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Standard Normal Probability Distribution (4 of 10)

Solving for the Stockout Probability

Step 1: Convert x to the standard normal distribution.

Step 2: Find the area under the standard normal curve to the left of 𝑧 = 0.83.

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Standard Normal Probability Distribution (5 of 10)

Cumulative Probability Table for the Standard Normal Distribution

z .00 .01 .02 .03 .04 .05 .06 .07 .08 .09
. . . . . . . . . . .
.5 .6915 .6950 .6985 .7019 .7054 .7088 .7123 .7157 .7190 .7224
.6 .7257 .7291 .7324 .7357 .7389 .7422 .7454 .7486 .7517 .7549
.7 .7580 .7611 .7642 .7673 .7704 .7734 .7764 .7794 .7823 .7852
.8 .7881 .7910 .7939 .7967 .7795 .8023 .8051 .8078 .8106 .8133
.9 .8129 .8186 .8212 .8238 .8264 .8289 .8315 .8340 .8365 .8389
. . . . . . . . . . .

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 Statistics for Business and Economics (14e)

Standard Normal Probability Distribution (6 of 10)

Solving for the Stockout Probability
Step 3: Compute the area under the standard normal curve to the right of z =
0.83.

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 Statistics for Business and Economics (14e)

Standard Normal Probability Distribution (7 of 10)

Solving for the Stockout Probability

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Standard Normal Probability Distribution (8 of 10)

If the manager of Pep Zone wants the probability of a stockout during
replenishment lead-time to be no more than .05, what should the reorder point
be?

(Hint: Given a probability, we can use

the standard normal table in an inverse
fashion to find the corresponding z
value.)

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 Statistics for Business and Economics (14e)

Standard Normal Probability Distribution (9 of 10)

Solving for the Reorder Point
Step 1: Find the z-value that cuts off an area of .05 in the right tail of the
standard normal distribution by looking up the complement of the right tail
area 1 – 0.05 = 0.95.

z .00 .01 .02 .03 .04 .05 .06 .07 .08 .09
. . . . . . . . . . .
1.5 .9332 .9345 .9357 .9370 .9382 .9394 .9406 .9418 .9429 .9441
1.6 .9452 .9463 .9474 .9484 .9495 .9505 .9515 .9525 .9535 .9545
1.7 .9554 .9564 .9573 .9582 .9591 .9599 .9608 .9616 .9625 .9633
1.8 .9641 .9649 .9656 .9664 .9671 .9678 .9686 .9693 .9699 .9706
1.9 .9713 .9719 .9726 .9732 .9738 .9744 .9750 .9756 .9761 .9767
. . . . . . . . . . .

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Standard Normal Probability Distribution (10 of 10)

Solving for the Reorder Point
Step 2: Convert z.05 to the corresponding value of x.

A reorder point of 25 gallons will place the probability of a stockout during lead
time at (slightly less than) 0.05.

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Normal Probability Distribution

Solving for the Reorder Point

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Standard Normal Probability Distribution

Solving for the Reorder Point
By raising the reorder point from 20 gallons to 25 gallons on hand, the
probability of a stockout decreases from about .20 to .05.
This is a significant decrease in the chance that Pep Zone will be out of stock
and unable to meet a customer’s desire to make a purchase.

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Using Excel to Compute Normal Probabilities

Excel has two functions for computing cumulative probabilities and x values for any
normal distribution:
• NORM.DIST is used to compute the cumulative probability given an x value.
• NORM.INV is used to compute the x value given a cumulative probability.

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Sample Problem on normal distribution

The scores on a standardized test are normally distributed with a mean of 500
and a standard deviation of 100.
1.What is the probability that a randomly selected student scores above 600
on the test?
2.What is the probability that a randomly selected student scores between
450 and 550?

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One more Problem: The average height of adult men in a certain

country is 70 inches with a standard deviation of 3 inches.
Assuming that the heights are normally distributed, answer the
following questions:

1.What proportion of men are shorter than 68 inches?

2.What height corresponds to the 90th percentile of the
distribution?
3.What proportion of men are between 68 and 74 inches tall?

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End of Chapter 6

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