Math Problem Statement
In a mid-size company, the distribution of the number of phone calls answered each day by each of the 12 receptionists is bell-shaped and has a mean of 39 and a standard deviation of 11. Using the 68-95-99.7 Rule (as presented in the book), what is the approximate percentage of daily phone calls numbering between 17 and 61?
Solution
To solve this problem using the 68-95-99.7 Rule, we need to understand what the rule tells us about the distribution of data:
- 68% of the data falls within 1 standard deviation of the mean.
- 95% of the data falls within 2 standard deviations of the mean.
- 99.7% of the data falls within 3 standard deviations of the mean.
Step 1: Find the range of values in terms of standard deviations from the mean.
Given:
- Mean () = 39
- Standard deviation () = 11
We need to find the percentage of daily phone calls between 17 and 61.
- Lower bound:
- Upper bound:
Step 2: Calculate how many standard deviations these values are from the mean.
For the lower bound (17):
For the upper bound (61):
So, 17 is 2 standard deviations below the mean, and 61 is 2 standard deviations above the mean.
Step 3: Apply the 68-95-99.7 Rule.
- 68% of the data is between 1 standard deviation below and above the mean (between 28 and 50).
- 95% of the data is between 2 standard deviations below and above the mean (between 17 and 61).
Therefore, 95% of the daily phone calls fall between 17 and 61.
Final Answer:
The approximate percentage of daily phone calls numbering between 17 and 61 is 95%.
Would you like more details or clarification on any part of this? Here are some follow-up questions that could expand on this topic:
- How can you apply the 68-95-99.7 Rule to a non-bell-shaped distribution?
- What does it mean if a data set does not follow a normal distribution?
- How would you calculate the probability of a number of calls outside this range?
- What is the significance of using standard deviations in this kind of analysis?
- How does the central limit theorem relate to the 68-95-99.7 Rule?
Tip: Always visualize the data in terms of standard deviations from the mean to quickly assess probabilities in a normal distribution.
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Math Problem Analysis
Mathematical Concepts
Statistics
Normal Distribution
Standard Deviation
68-95-99.7 Rule
Formulas
z = (X - μ) / σ
Theorems
68-95-99.7 Rule
Suitable Grade Level
Grades 9-12
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