Math Problem Statement

The lengths of pregnancies in a small rural village are normally distributed with a mean of 265 days and a standard deviation of 13 days. A distribution of values is normal with a mean of 265 and a standard deviation of 13.

What percentage of pregnancies last fewer than 299 days? P(X < 299 days) =  %

Enter your answer as a percent accurate to 1 decimal place (do not enter the "%" sign). Answers obtained using exact z-scores or z-scores rounded to 3 decimal places are accepted.

Enter your answer as a percent accurate to 1 decimal place (do not enter the "%" sign). Answers obtained using exact z-scores or z-scores rounded to 3 decimal places are accepted.

Solution

We are given a normal distribution with:

  • Mean, μ=265\mu = 265 days
  • Standard deviation, σ=13\sigma = 13 days

We need to find the percentage of pregnancies that last fewer than 299 days. To solve this, we'll calculate the z-score for 299 days and then use the standard normal distribution to find the corresponding probability.

Step 1: Calculate the z-score

The z-score formula is:

z=Xμσz = \frac{X - \mu}{\sigma}

Where:

  • X=299X = 299 days
  • μ=265\mu = 265 days
  • σ=13\sigma = 13 days

Substitute the values into the formula:

z=29926513=34132.615z = \frac{299 - 265}{13} = \frac{34}{13} \approx 2.615

Step 2: Find the probability

Now, we need to look up the z-score of 2.615 in the standard normal distribution table, or use a calculator that gives the cumulative probability for the z-score.

For z=2.615z = 2.615, the cumulative probability is approximately 0.9955.

Step 3: Convert to percentage

To convert this to a percentage, we multiply by 100:

0.9955×100=99.55%0.9955 \times 100 = 99.55\%

Thus, the percentage of pregnancies that last fewer than 299 days is approximately 99.6%.

Final Answer:

P(X<299days)=99.6P(X < 299 \, \text{days}) = 99.6

Let me know if you'd like further details or have additional questions!


Here are five related questions that may help you explore this topic further:

  1. How do you calculate the z-score for a different value of XX?
  2. How do you find the percentage of pregnancies lasting longer than a given number of days?
  3. What is the significance of the standard deviation in this problem?
  4. How does the normal distribution model real-world phenomena like pregnancy lengths?
  5. How can you calculate probabilities for a range of values in a normal distribution?

Tip: When using a z-score table, remember that it gives the cumulative probability from the left, so it's useful for finding percentages less than a specific value.

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Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Normal Distribution
Z-Scores
Probability

Formulas

Z-score formula: z = (X - μ) / σ
Cumulative Probability Formula for Z-scores

Theorems

Empirical Rule (68-95-99.7 Rule)
Z-Score Theorem

Suitable Grade Level

Grades 9-12