Probability of normal distribution

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  • #1
g.lemaitre
267
2

Homework Statement



find the normal approximation for the binomial probability P(x = 4,5) where n=14 and p = .5.

Homework Equations



μ = np
σ = sqrt(npq)

z = (x - μ)/σ

The Attempt at a Solution



p = .5 q = .5

μ = 14*.5 = 7

σ = sqrt(14 * .5 * .5) = 1.87

z = (4 - 7)/1.87 = -1.61

(my book uses tables to convert the z score into the probability of getting x < 4)

z = -1.61 = .5 - .4463 = .0537

The book says the answer is .1812 which is not what I'm getting.


z =
 
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  • #2
it's rare that such a simple problem takes this long. let me provide the example from the book

Screenshot2012-10-06at63129PM.png


Screenshot2012-10-06at63132PM.png
 
  • #3
g.lemaitre said:
it's rare that such a simple problem takes this long. let me provide the example from the book

Screenshot2012-10-06at63129PM.png


Screenshot2012-10-06at63132PM.png

The normal approximation is not very good in this example (because N = 25 is not very large and z is more than 2 standard deviations below the mean). P_exact = 0.0148904, while the continuity-corrected normal approximation is about 0.020152 (so using the normal gives about a 35% error). The normal approximation would be better if N were larger or z were closer to the mean.

RGV
 

Related to Probability of normal distribution

1. What is a normal distribution?

A normal distribution is a probability distribution that is symmetrical and bell-shaped. It is often used to describe real-world phenomena such as height, weight, and test scores.

2. How is the probability of a normal distribution calculated?

The probability of a normal distribution is calculated using the standard normal distribution table, which provides the probabilities for different values of the standard normal variable. This variable is calculated by subtracting the mean from a given value and dividing by the standard deviation.

3. What is the 68-95-99.7 rule in normal distribution?

The 68-95-99.7 rule is a commonly used rule in normal distribution. It states that approximately 68% of data falls within one standard deviation of the mean, 95% falls within two standard deviations, and 99.7% falls within three standard deviations.

4. What is the difference between a normal distribution and a standard normal distribution?

A normal distribution is any probability distribution that follows a bell-shaped curve, while a standard normal distribution is a specific normal distribution with a mean of 0 and a standard deviation of 1. The standard normal distribution is often used for calculations and comparisons.

5. How is the normal distribution used in hypothesis testing?

The normal distribution is often used in hypothesis testing to determine the probability of obtaining a certain sample mean from a population. It is also used to calculate critical values and confidence intervals, which are important in determining the significance of a hypothesis test.

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