Module on Standard Scores

and the Normal Curve

Standard Scores and the Normal
Curve
The normal distribution is central
in the study of statistics as it is the
basis for solving various types of
statistical problems. The normal
distribution is represented by the
normal curve. It has a mean of zero
(0) and a standard deviation of one
(1), which is called the standard
normal curve.
 Some Important Characteristics of a
Normal Curve
 It is bell-shaped.
 It is symmetric with its maximum height at the
mean.
 The area of the normal curve is one (1) or
100%.
 It is asymptotic. (i.e. the tails no matter how
far extended will never touch the horizontal
axis)
 It is a hypothetical curve.
 The mean, median, and mode of the normal
curve fall at the same point. In other words,
mean = median = mode.
 The normal curve area may be subdivided into
at least three standard scores each to the left
and to the right of the vertical axis.
 Areas Under The Normal Curve
Two or more distribution maybe normal and yet they differ in
terms of their means and standard deviations. It is possible to
transform any normal distribution into a distribution of standard
scores: z scores.
Standard scores refers to the distance of an observed value
( X ) from the mean in terms of standard deviation. The standard
scores tell how many the standard deviations the observed value lie
above or below the mean of its distribution.
In making use of the properties of the normal curve to solve
certain types of statistical problems, one must first learn how to find
areas under the curve.
The first step in finding the areas under the normal curve is to
convert the normal curve of any given variable into a standardized
normal curve by using the formula,
X–X
z = -----------
s
where: z = standard score
X = mean
s = standard deviation
X = a given value of a particular variable
Landmarks on a Standard Normal
Curve
The most statistical procedures
involving the normal curve involve the
proportions of the curve or areas that
occur in various section of the curve. For
this reason, it is considered as
landmarks on the curve. The most
important of these is the mean. Since
the normal curve is symmetrical, 50% of
the normal distribution is located on
either side of the mean. The other
important landmarks are the Z – scores
of  1.00,  2.00, and  3.00.
Illustration:

X – 3s) (X – 2s) (X – 1s) X (X + 1s) (X + 2s) (X + 3s)

34.14% 34.14%
13.59% 13.59%

0.14% 2.14% 2.14% 0.14%

-3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
 Uses of Normal Curve
 To find probability of any event which lies
under its area.

 To provide a useful approximation to many

other distribution including discrete ones such
as the binomial distribution.

 Describe the distribution of numerous random

variables that arises in practice, such as the
heights or weights of a group of people, the
total annual sales of a firm, the grades of
students and the measurement error that
arise in the performance of an experiment.
Example 1 : Find the area under the normal curve from
z = - 0.68 to z = 0.
Req’d A
Solution:

-3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3

- 0.68

From the table: at z = 0.68 Area is: 0.2517 or 25.17%

 Example 2. Find the probability that z is greater than or equal to
2.2
{P(z≥2.2)}.

Solution:

Req’d A

-3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
2.2

From the table: at z = 2.2 Area is: 0.4861

Required area:
0.5000
- 0.4861
0.0139 or 1.39%
Example 3. Find the area from z = -2.33 to z = 1.65.

Solution:

Req’d A

-3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
-2.33 1.65

From the table: at z = -2.33 Area is: 0.4901

at z = 1.65 Area is: 0.4505

Required area: 0.4901

+ 0.4505
0.9406 or 94.06%
 Example 4. Find the area under the normal curve
from
z = 0.81 to z = 1.94.

Solution: Req’d A

-3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3

0.81 1.94

From the table: at z = 0.81 Area is: 0.2910

at z = 1.94 Area is: 0.4738

Required area: 0.4738

- 0.2910
0.1828 or 18.28%
Supposed we reversed the situation of the given data, instead of
finding the area, we shall find the corresponding z- scores of
the given area. Consider the following examples below:

Example 1 : Find the z-score when the area to the left of z is

0.9826.
0.9826

-3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3

z=?

Solution:

0.9826
- 0.5000
0.4826

Area is: 0.4826 therefore (from table), z = 2.11

Example 2. Find the z-score when the area is from z = 0 to +z is 0.3944.

Solution:

0.3944

-3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
z=?

Area is: 0.3944 therefore (from table), z = 1.25

 Example 3. Find the z-score when area to the right of z is
0.1230.
Solution:
0.1230

-3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
z=?

0.3770

-3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
z=?

0.5000
- 0.1230
0.3770

Area is: 0.3770 therefore (from table), z = 1.16

 Example 4. Find the z-score when area between –1.5 and z is
0.0217.

Solution:

0.0217
0.4332

-3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3

- 1.5

0.4332
- 0.0217
0.4115

Area is: 0.4115 therefore (from table), z = 1.35

 Application of the Normal Curve
Example: The average weekly income of 2,000
workers is P 151.00 with a standard deviation of
P 15.00. Assuming that the weekly incomes are
normally distributed, find the number of workers
who earn:

 from P 119.50 to P 155.50 per week,

 less than or equal to P 127.50 per week, and

 greater than or equal to P 185.50 per week

 Solution to Case 1:

From the normal curve of the variable – weekly income, we

cannot find the area corresponding to the shaded area. We can only do
so by converting the above normal curve into a standardized normal
curve, and converting the given values or limits by using the formula
for standard scores.

P 119.50 P 151.00 P 155.50

For P 119.50: X– X 119.50 – 151.00

z = ------------ = ------------------------ = - 2.1
s P 15.00

For P 155.50: X– X 155.50 – 151.00

z = ------------ = ------------------------ = 0.3
s P 15.00
 This is the standardized normal curve where X which is P 151.00
is equal to zero in terms of the z – scores.

P 119.50 is – 2.1
P 155.50 is 0.3

Req’d A

-3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
- 2.1 0.3

From the table:

Area from z = 0 to z = 0.3 is 0.1179
Area from z = 0 to z = - 2.1 (by symmetry) is 0.4821
Total shaded area = 0.6000 or 60%
This means that 60% of the 2,000
workers have weekly income from
P 119.50 to P 155.50.

Therefore, the number of

workers whose income fall from
P 119.50 to P 155.50:

= 60% of 2,000
= 0.6 ( 2,000 )
= 1, 200 workers
 Solution to Case 2:

The area to the left of P 127.50 is shaded since we

want to find the number of workers earning less than or equal
to this amount.

P 127.50

For P 127.50: X–X 127.50 – 151.00

z = ------------ = ------------------------ = - 1.56
s P 15.00
 The standardized normal
curve is:

Req’d A

-3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3

- 1.56

The area from z = 0 to z = - 1.56 is, by symmetry, the same as the area
from z = 0 to z = 1.56.

From the table: at z = 1.56 area is: 0.4406

Solving for the shaded area, we have:

0.5000
- 0.4406
0.0594 or 5.94%
 This means that only 5.94% of
2,000 workers earn weekly income
less than or equal to P 127.50.
Therefore, the number of workers
earning less than or equal to P
127.50 per week is:

= 5.94% of 2,000
= 0.0594 ( 2,000 )
=118.8 say
119 workers
 Solution to Case 3:

The area to the right of P 185.50 is shaded since we want to find

the number of workers who earn greater than or equal to this amount per
week.

P 185.50

For P 185.50: X–X 185.50 – 151.00

z = ------------ = ------------------------ = 2.3
s P 15.00
The standardized normal curve is:

Req’d A

-3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3

2.3

The area from z = 0 to z = 2.3 is 0.4893.

Solving for the shaded area, we have:

0.5000
- 0.4893
0.0107 or 1.07%
 This means that only 1.07% of
2,000 workers earn weekly income
greater than or equal to P 185.50.
Therefore, the number of workers
earning greater than or equal to P
185.50 per week is:

= 1.07% of 2,000
= 0.0107 ( 2,000 )
= 21.4 say
22 workers only
 TABLE OF STANDARD NORMAL CURVE AREAS
Z .00 .01 .02 .03 .04 .05 .06 .07 .08 .09

0.0 .0000 .0040 .0080 .0120 .0160 .0199 .0239 .0279 .0319 .0359

0.1 .0398 .0438 .0478 .0517 .0557 .0596 .0636 .0675 .0714 .0753

0.2 .0793 .0832 .0871 .0910 .0948 .0987 .1026 .1064 .1103 .1141

0.3 .1179 .1217 .1255 .1293 .1331 .1368 .1406 .1443 .1480 .1517

0.4 .1554 .1591 .1628 .1664 .1700 .1736 .1772 .1808 .1844 .1879

0.5 .1915 .1950 .1985 .2019 .2054 .2088 .2123 .2157 .2190 .2224

0.6 .2257 .2291 .2324 .2357 .2389 .2422 .2454 .2486 .2517 .2549

0.7 .2580 .2611 .2642 .2673 .2704 .2734 .2764 .2794 .2823 .2852

0.8 .2881 .2910 .2939 .2967 .2995 .3023 .3051 .3078 .3106 .3133

0.9 .3159 .3186 .3212 .3238 .3264 .3289 .3315 .3340 .3365 .3389

1.0 .3413 .3438 .3461 .3485 .3508 .3531 .3554 .3577 .3599 .3621

1.1 .3643 .3665 .3686 .3708 .3729 .3749 .3770 .3790 .3810 .3820

1.2 .3849 .3869 .3888 .3907 .3925 .3944 .3962 .3980 .3997 .4015

1.3 .4032 .4049 .4066 .4082 .4099 .4115 .4131 .4147 .4162 .4177

1.4 .4192 .4207 .4222 .4236 .4251 .4265 .4279 .4292 .4306 .4319

1.5 .4332 .4345 .4357 .4370 .4382 .4394 .4406 .4418 .4429 .4441

1.6 .4452 .4463 .4474 .4484 .4495 .4505 .4515 .4525 .4535 .4545

1.7 .4554 .4564 .4573 .4582 .4591 .4599 .4608 .4616 .4625 .4633

1.8 .4641 .4649 .4656 .4664 .4671 .4678 .4686 .4693 .4699 .4706

1.9 .4713 .4719 .4726 .4732 .4738 .4744 .4750 .4756 .4761 .4767

2.0 .4772 .4778 .4783 .4788 .4793 .4798 .4803 .4808 .4812 .4817

2.1 .4821 .4826 .4830 .4834 .4838 .4842 .4846 .4850 .4854 .4857

2.2 .4861 .4864 .4868 .4871 .4875 .4878 .4881 .4884 .4887 .4890

2.3 .4893 .4896 .4898 .4901 .4904 .4906 .4909 .4911 .4913 .4916

2.4 .4918 .4920 .4922 .4925 .4927 .4929 .4931 .4932 .4934 .4936

2.5 .4938 .4940 .4941 .4943 .4945 .4946 .4948 .4949 .4951 .4952

2.6 .4953 .4955 .4956 .4957 .4959 .4960 .4961 .4962 .4963 .4964

2.7 .4965 .4966 .4967 .4968 .4969 .4970 .4971 .4972 .4973 .4974

2.8 .4974 .4975 .4976 .4977 .4977 .4978 .4979 .4979 .4980 .4981
 Problem
The mean diameter of a sample of 200
washers produced by a machine is 0.502
inches and the standard deviation is 0.005
inches. The purpose of which these
washers are intended allows a maximum
tolerance in the diameter of 0.496 to 0.508
inches; otherwise, the washers are
considered defective. Determine the
percentage of defective washers produced
by the machine assuming that the
diameters are normally distributed.