Math Problem Statement
The math department at a university gives all of the students in a certain math class the same final exam. The scores are normally distributed with a mean of 80 and a standard deviation of 10. What percentage of the students is expected to receive a score lower than 70?
Solution
To determine the percentage of students expected to receive a score lower than 70, we need to find the probability that a student's score falls below 70 in a normal distribution with a mean of 80 and a standard deviation of 10.
Step 1: Standardize the Score
First, we convert the score of 70 into a standard score (also known as a z-score) using the formula:
where:
- (the score we are interested in),
- (the mean of the distribution),
- (the standard deviation of the distribution).
Plugging in the values:
So, the z-score for a score of 70 is -1.
Step 2: Find the Probability
Next, we use the z-score to find the corresponding probability. The z-score of -1 corresponds to the area to the left of this z-score on the standard normal distribution curve.
Looking up a z-score of -1 in the standard normal distribution table or using a calculator, we find:
Step 3: Interpret the Result
The probability means that approximately 15.87% of the students are expected to receive a score lower than 70.
Summary:
- Percentage of students scoring below 70: Approximately 15.87%.
Would you like more details on this process or any other questions related to normal distribution?
Here are 5 relative questions that expand on this topic:
- What percentage of students is expected to score higher than 90?
- How would the percentage change if the standard deviation was 5 instead of 10?
- What score corresponds to the top 10% of the students in the class?
- What is the probability that a student scores between 70 and 90?
- How would you calculate the z-score for a score of 85?
Tip: When dealing with normally distributed data, z-scores help convert raw data into a standardized form, making it easier to calculate probabilities and compare different data points.
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Math Problem Analysis
Mathematical Concepts
Normal Distribution
Probability
Formulas
z-score formula: z = (X - μ) / σ
Theorems
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Suitable Grade Level
University Level
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