Chapter 5: Problem 57
In a normal distribution with \(\mu=-15\) and \(\sigma=0.4\) find the \(x\) -value that corresponds to the a) 46 th percentile b) 92 nd percentile
Short Answer
Expert verified
46th percentile: x = -15.04
92nd percentile: x = -14.436
Step by step solution
01
Identify Percentile for Part (a)
The 46th percentile corresponds to a cumulative probability of 0.46 in a standard normal distribution, because percentiles represent the probability of a value being below a certain point.
02
Find z-score for Part (a)
Using a standard normal distribution table or a calculator with an inverse normal distribution function, find the z-score that corresponds to a cumulative probability of 0.46. This approximately gives us a z-score of -0.10.
03
Transform z-score to x-value for Part (a)
Using the formula for transforming a z-score to an x-value in a normal distribution, which is given by: \[ x = ext{mean} + z imes ext{standard deviation} \]For this problem, \( x = -15 + (-0.10) imes 0.4 \)Calculate to find \( x \).
04
Calculate Transformation for Part (a)
Substitute the values into the transformation formula:\[ x = -15 + (-0.10) imes 0.4 = -15 - 0.04 = -15.04 \]Thus, the x-value for the 46th percentile is -15.04.
05
Identify Percentile for Part (b)
The 92nd percentile means the cumulative probability is 0.92. We need to find the corresponding z-score for this cumulative probability.
06
Find z-score for Part (b)
Look up the z-score corresponding to 0.92 in the standard normal distribution table or using an inverse norm function in a calculator. This gives us approximately a z-score of 1.41.
07
Transform z-score to x-value for Part (b)
Use the same transformation formula: \[ x = ext{mean} + z imes ext{standard deviation} \]For the 92nd percentile, substitute the known values:\( x = -15 + 1.41 imes 0.4 \)Calculate the x-value.
08
Calculate Transformation for Part (b)
Perform the calculation:\[ x = -15 + 1.41 imes 0.4 = -15 + 0.564 = -14.436 \]So, the x-value for the 92nd percentile is -14.436.
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Percentile Calculation
Understanding how percentiles work is important when dealing with normal distributions. A percentile shows the value below which a given percentage of observations fall in a dataset. For instance, the 46th percentile is the value below which 46% of the data lie.
In a normal distribution, percentiles are equated with cumulative probabilities. On the normal curve, the area to the left of a value represents its percentile as a percentage.
To calculate the percentile in a normal distribution:
In a normal distribution, percentiles are equated with cumulative probabilities. On the normal curve, the area to the left of a value represents its percentile as a percentage.
To calculate the percentile in a normal distribution:
- Determine the cumulative probability for the required percentile. For example, a 46th percentile has a cumulative probability of 0.46.
- Identify the z-score corresponding to this cumulative probability using a standard normal distribution table or calculator.
- Finally, convert that z-score to an actual data value (x-value) using the mean and standard deviation of your distribution.
Z-Score Transformation
Z-score transformation is a method of translating a value from a normal distribution into the standard normal distribution, which has a mean of 0 and a standard deviation of 1. This transformation is useful for identifying where an observation lies in a dataset.
The transformation is governed by the formula:
The transformation is governed by the formula:
- Calculate the z-score by using the formula \[ z = \frac{x - \mu}{\sigma} \]where \( x \) is the data point, \( \mu \) is the mean, and \( \sigma \) is the standard deviation of the original dataset.
- To find a specific data value from a z-score, use the reverse transformation: \[ x = \mu + z \times \sigma \]
Cumulative Probability
Cumulative probability in a normal distribution represents the likelihood that a variable takes a value less than or equal to a certain point. For each value, cumulative probability is depicted by the area under the normal curve to the left of that value.
To comprehend cumulative probabilities:
To comprehend cumulative probabilities:
- Cumulative probabilities are utilized to find percentiles. For a value at a cumulative probability of 0.92, it lies at the 92nd percentile, meaning 92% of the data fall below it.
- Using the standard normal distribution table or software, you can find cumulative probabilities for various z-scores. These values help in determining where a specific value ranks within the distribution.
- Once you have the cumulative probability, you can find the corresponding z-score and transform it to get the actual data point in your distribution.