Chapter 6: Problem 4
The national average SAT score (for Verbal and Math) is 1028 . If we assume a normal distribution with \(\sigma=92,\) what is the 90th percentile score? What is the probability that a randomly selected score exceeds \(1200 ?\)
Short Answer
Expert verified
The 90th percentile score is approximately 1146, and the probability of exceeding 1200 is about 3.07%.
Step by step solution
01
Understanding the Problem
We have a normal distribution of SAT scores with a mean (5) of 1028 and standard deviation (85) of 92. We need to find the 90th percentile score, which is the score below which 90% of the scores fall. We also need to calculate the probability of a randomly selected score exceeding 1200.
02
Finding the 90th Percentile
The 90th percentile is the score 'x' such that 90% of the scores are below 'x'. For a standard normal distribution, a z-score for the 90th percentile is approximately 1.28. Using the formula for converting between a score and a z-score: \[ x = 5 + z imes 85 \]where \( z = 1.28, \mu = 1028, \sigma = 92 \). Calculate:\[ x = 1028 + 1.28 imes 92 \]\[ x 1145.76 \]Therfore, the 90th percentile score is approximately 1146.
03
Calculating Probability of a Score Exceeding 1200
To find the probability that a score exceeds 1200, we first calculate the z-score for 1200:\[ z = \frac{(1200 - 1028)}{92} \]\[ z 1.87 \]Using the standard normal distribution table or calculator, the cumulative probability to the left of z=1.87 is approximately 0.9693. Since we want the probability of scoring more than 1200, we subtract this value from 1:\[ P(X > 1200) = 1 - 0.9693 = 0.0307 \]Thus, there's a 3.07% probability of a randomly selected score exceeding 1200.
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
SAT Scores
SAT scores are a crucial aspect of the college application process. They are designed to assess a student's readiness for college-level work. The scores from the SAT are used by schools to help decide a student's academic potential. The SAT covers two main areas: Verbal and Math.
- Verbal: Assesses reading and writing skills.
- Math: Measures mathematical skills acquired up to the beginning of grade 12.
Percentiles
A percentile is a measure used in statistics indicating the value below which a given percentage of observations in a group of observations fall. For SAT scores, knowing which percentile corresponds to a particular score can provide insight into how a score ranks among all test-takers.
- The 90th percentile means that 90% of the scores fall below this value.
- In our scenario, calculating the 90th percentile determines what score a student needs to outperform 90% of their peers.
Z-score
The z-score is a statistical measurement that describes a value's relation to the mean of a group of values. If a z-score is 0, it indicates that the data point's score is identical to the mean score. The z-score can help determine how far away a score is from the average and how unusual it is.
- The formula: \[ z = \frac{(X - \mu)}{\sigma} \]
- Where \( X \) is the score, \( \mu \) is the mean, and \( \sigma \) is the standard deviation.
Probability Calculation
Probability calculations help us understand the likelihood of a score occurring within a certain range. This is done using the area under the normal curve, which represents probabilities.
- To find the probability of a randomly selected score exceeding 1200, we calculate its z-score.
- This z-score then indicates the position of the score within the distribution.
- Using a z-table, or a similar tool, calculates the cumulative probability up to this z-score.
- To find the probability of exceeding this score, subtract this cumulative probability from 1.