Math Problem Statement

Suppose the waiting times for a restaurant in Florida are normally distributed. Based on the z-score, determine if the waiting time is better than normal, worse than normal, or exactly average. Wait Time z-score: Z = 2.41. Is the wait time better than normal, worse than normal, or exactly average?

Solution

The question asks to interpret the wait time based on a z-score of Z = 2.41 and determine if the wait time is better than normal, worse than normal, or exactly average. Here’s how to analyze this:

Interpretation of z-scores:

  • A z-score measures how many standard deviations a value is from the mean of a normally distributed dataset.
  • Z = 0 indicates the value is exactly at the mean (or exactly average).
  • Z > 0 indicates the value is above the mean (or worse than average in terms of waiting time, as higher waiting times are generally worse).
  • Z < 0 indicates the value is below the mean (or better than average if lower waiting times are preferable).

Since Z = 2.41, this value is positive and represents a wait time that is 2.41 standard deviations above the mean. A positive z-score means the wait time is longer than the average, which indicates that the wait time is worse than normal.

Justification:

The wait time is worse than normal because the z-score is positive and significantly above the mean, suggesting that the wait is longer than what is typically expected.

Would you like more details on how to calculate or interpret z-scores?

Here are 5 related questions you might find helpful:

  1. How do you calculate a z-score for a given data point?
  2. What does a negative z-score represent in a real-world context?
  3. Can a z-score help in predicting probabilities in a normal distribution?
  4. How does a z-score relate to percentiles in a normal distribution?
  5. What does a z-score of +3 or higher indicate about the rarity of an event?

Tip: A z-score gives a quick sense of whether a value is typical or unusual by showing how far it is from the average, measured in standard deviations.

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Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Statistics
Z-scores
Normal Distribution

Formulas

Z = (X - μ) / σ

Theorems

68-95-99.7 Rule
Properties of Z-scores

Suitable Grade Level

Grades 10-12