Math Problem Statement

A normal population has mean μ = 35 and standard deviation σ = 6. (a) What proportion of the population is between 21 and 31? (b) What is the probability that a randomly chosen value will be between 28 and 38? Round the answers to at least four decimal places.

Solution

To solve these questions, let's break down each part of the problem:

Given:

  • Mean μ=35\mu = 35
  • Standard deviation σ=6\sigma = 6

We are working with a normal distribution, so we can use the Z-score formula: Z=XμσZ = \frac{X - \mu}{\sigma}

Part (a): Proportion of the population between 21 and 31

  1. Find the Z-scores for X=21X = 21 and X=31X = 31.

    • For X=21X = 21: Z=21356=146=2.3333Z = \frac{21 - 35}{6} = \frac{-14}{6} = -2.3333
    • For X=31X = 31: Z=31356=46=0.6667Z = \frac{31 - 35}{6} = \frac{-4}{6} = -0.6667
  2. Use a Z-table or standard normal distribution calculator to find the probabilities corresponding to these Z-scores:

    • P(Z<2.3333)0.0099P(Z < -2.3333) \approx 0.0099
    • P(Z<0.6667)0.2525P(Z < -0.6667) \approx 0.2525
  3. The proportion of the population between 21 and 31 is: P(2.3333<Z<0.6667)=0.25250.0099=0.2426P(-2.3333 < Z < -0.6667) = 0.2525 - 0.0099 = 0.2426

Part (b): Probability that a randomly chosen value will be between 28 and 38

  1. Find the Z-scores for X=28X = 28 and X=38X = 38.

    • For X=28X = 28: Z=28356=76=1.1667Z = \frac{28 - 35}{6} = \frac{-7}{6} = -1.1667
    • For X=38X = 38: Z=38356=36=0.5Z = \frac{38 - 35}{6} = \frac{3}{6} = 0.5
  2. Find the probabilities corresponding to these Z-scores:

    • P(Z<1.1667)0.1210P(Z < -1.1667) \approx 0.1210
    • P(Z<0.5)0.6915P(Z < 0.5) \approx 0.6915
  3. The probability of a randomly chosen value being between 28 and 38 is: P(1.1667<Z<0.5)=0.69150.1210=0.5705P(-1.1667 < Z < 0.5) = 0.6915 - 0.1210 = 0.5705

Final Answers

  1. The proportion of the population between 21 and 31 is approximately 0.2426.
  2. The probability that a randomly chosen value will be between 28 and 38 is approximately 0.5705.

Would you like more detailed explanations on any step?


Here are 5 related questions to explore further:

  1. How would the answers change if the standard deviation were different?
  2. What is the probability that a value will be less than 28 in this distribution?
  3. How do we interpret a Z-score in terms of probability?
  4. How do the properties of the normal distribution affect these probabilities?
  5. How can these calculations be applied in real-world scenarios?

Tip: When working with normal distributions, calculating Z-scores helps translate values into a common scale, making it easier to find probabilities using standard tables or calculators.

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Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Normal Distribution
Probability
Z-score

Formulas

Z-score formula: Z = (X - μ) / σ

Theorems

Properties of the Normal Distribution
Empirical Rule for Normal Distribution

Suitable Grade Level

College/University