Statistics and SENIOR

HIGH
Probability SCHOOL

The Probabilities and Percentiles

Under the Normal Curve

Quarter 3

Module 7
 EXPECTATION

Learning Objective:
At the end of the learning episode, you are expected to:
1. compute probabilities and percentiles using the standard normal
table.

PRETEST
Direction: Choose the letter that corresponds to the correct answer.
1. Which of the following is the probability of the area less than z = 0?
a. 0% b. 50% c. 75% d. 100%

2. What is the probability of the area below z = -1.25?

a. 0.1056 b. 0.1038 c. 0.1025 d. 0.

3. Find the probability of the area which is at least z = 1.

a. 1 b. 0.8413 c. 0.1587 d. 0

4. Compute the probability of the area in between z = -3 and z = 3.

a. 0.6826 b. 0.9544 c. 0.9974 d. 1

5. Which of the following represents the above 75th percentile of the distribution?
a. to the left of z=-0.675 b. to the right of z = -0.675
c. below z= 0.675 d. above z =0.675

LESSON
Above mean if z is positive and it is below the mean when
z is negative.

The probability, or proportion, or the percentage associate with

the specific sets of measurement values. The value of probability is a
number from 0 to 1. All probabilities associated with the standard normal
random variables can be shown as areas under the standard normal curve.
In finding the probabilities under the normal curve, we will use the z-Table
which is also known as Table of Areas under the Normal Curve and
probability notation in equating the desired probability of an area.
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 The Probability Notations Under the Normal Curve
The following mathematical notations for a random variable are
used in various solutions concerning the normal curve.
P ( z < a ) denotes the probability that the z-score is less than a
P ( z > a ) denotes the probability that the z-score is greater than a
P ( a < z < b ) denotes the probability that the z-score is between a and b
where: a and b are z-score values.
Note: It is important to correctly interpret the phrases such as:
P(z<a) P(z>a) P(a<z<b)
less than z greater than z z is between a and b
at most z at least z
not more than z more than z
below z above z
to the left of z to the right of z

Example 1: Find the probability of the area below z = 0.50.

Step 1: Draw a normal curve.
Step 2: Locate the z-score value.
Step 3: Draw a line through z = 0.50
Step 4: Shade the region to the left of z = 0.50
Step 5: Consult the z-Table and find the area that corresponds to z = 0.50
Step 6: Examine the graph and use probability notation P(z < a)
P (z < 0.50) = 0.6915 or P (z < 0.50) = 69.15%

P(z<0.50) =
0.6915 or
69.15%
µ
-3 -2 -1 0 0.501 2 3 Z
Thus, the probability of the area below z = 0.50 is 0.6915 or 69.15%.

Example 2: Find the area that is at least z = -2.

Step 1: Draw a normal curve.
Step 2: Locate the z-score value.
Step 3: Draw a line through z = -2.00
Step 4: Shade the region to the right of z =-2.00.
Step 5: Consult the z-Table and find the area that corresponds to z =-2.00
and it is 0.0228
Step 6: Examine the graph and use probability notation P(z > a) = 1 – P(z < a)

P (z > -2.00) = 1 – P(z<-2.00)

= 1 – 0.0228
2
P(z >-2) = 0.9772 or 97.72%
 P(z>-2)
= 0.9772 or 97.72%
µ
-3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 Z
Thus, the probability of the area that is at least z = -2 is 0.9772 or
97.72%.

Example 3: Find the area between z = -1.5 and z = 2.

Step 1: Draw a normal curve.

Step 2: Locate the z-score value.
Step 3: Draw a line through z = -1.5 and z = 2.
Step 4: Shade the region between z = -1.5 and z = 2.
Step 5: Consult the z-Table and find the area that corresponds to z =2 and

P(-1.5<z<2) = P(z<2) – P(z<-1.5)

= 0.9772 – 0.0668

= 0.9104

P(-1.5<z<2) = 0.9104 or 91.04%

P(-1.5<z<2)
= 0.9104 or
91.04%

-1.5 µ
-3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 Z
Thus, the probability of the area between z = -1.5 and z = 2 is
0.9104 or 91.04%.

Example 4: Find the 85th percentile of a normal distribution.

Step 1: Draw the appropriate normal curve.

Step 2: Express the given percentage as probability.
Step 3: Refer to the z-Table. Locate the area 0.8500.
Step 4: Find z by interpolation. Since 0.8500 is between two z-values
1.03+1.04 2.07
1.03 and 1.04, find its average as follows 2
= 2 = 1.035
Step 5: Locate z = 1.035 under the curve in Step 1.
Step 6: Draw a line and shade the region to the left of z = 1.035.
Step 7: Describe the shaded region. 3
Example 4: Find the 85th percentile of a normal distribution.

Step 1: Draw the appropriate normal curve.

Step 2: Express the given percentage as probability.
Step 3: Refer to the z-Table. Locate the area 0.8500.
Step 4: Find z by interpolation. Since 0.8500 is between two z-values
1.03+1.04 2.07
1.03 and 1.04, find its average as follows 2
= 2 = 1.035
Step 5: Locate z = 1.035 under the curve in Step 1.
Step 6: Draw a line and shade the region to the left of z = 1.035.
Step 7: Describe the shaded region.

The shaded region under the normal curve is the 85th percentile
of the distribution.

85 %

µ 1.035
-3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 Z
The 85th percentile of the distribution is the shaded region to the
left of z = 1.035 as shown in the normal curve.

Example 5: In a job fair sponsored by the 3 big companies, 2500 applicants

applied for a job.Their mean age was found to be 35 with a standard deviation of 5
years.

a. Draw a normal curve distribution showing the z-scores and the raw scores
b. What is the probability of the job applicants who are below 33 years old?
c. How many applicants have ages between 28 and 44 years?
d. Find the percentage of the applicants who are above 39 years old.

Answer in a.

µ
-3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 Z
20 25 30 35 X

Answer in b.
Step 1: Find z, when X = 33, µ = 35, σ = 5

Use the formula :

z=
𝑋−µ 4
𝜎
 Substituting to the formula:
33−35
z= 5

−2
z= 5
z = -0.40

Step 2: Refer to the z-Table. Locate the area -0.40 and corresponds to
0.3446.

Step 3: Draw a line and shade the region to the left of z=-0.40.

0.3446 or
34.46%
µ
-3 -1 0.4 1 2 3 Z
20 25 30 33 35 40 X
Thus, the probability of the job applicants who are below 33 years
old is 0.3446 or 34.46%.

Answer in c.
𝑋−µ
Step 1: Find z, using the formula : z =
𝜎
Substituting to the formula: when X=28, µ=35, σ=5 ; for X=44, µ=35, σ=5
28−35 44−35
z= z=
5 5

7 9
z =− z =5
5
z = -1.40 z = 1.80
Step 2: Refer to the z-Table. Locate the area z=-1.4 and z= 1.8, these
correspond to 0.0808 and 0.9641.
Step 3: Examine the graph and use probability notation
P (a<z<b) = P(z<b) - P(z<a)

P(-1.4<z<1.8) = P(z<1.8) – P(z<-1.4)

= 0.9641 – 0.0808

88.33%

µ
-3 -2 -1.4-1 0 1 1.82 3 Z
20 25 28 30 35 40 4445 50 X 5
Step 4: Find the 88.33% of 2500.
(0.8833)(2500)=2,202.25 (Note: Round – up 2,202.25 is 2,203.)

Thus, the number of applicants ages between 28 and 44 years is 2,203.

Answer in d.
𝑋−µ
Step 1: Find z, when X=39, µ=35, σ=5. Use the formula : z =
𝜎

39−35
Substituting to the formula: z = 5

4
z =5

z = 0.80

Step 2: Refer to the z-Table. Locate the area of z=0.80 and it corresponds
to 0.7881.
Step 3: Draw a line and shade the region to the right of z=0.80
.
Step 4: Examine the graph and use probability notation

P(z > a) = 1 – P(z < a)

P (z > 0.80) = 1 – P(z<0.80)

= 1 – 0.7881

= 0.2119

P(z >0.80) = 21.19%

21.19%
µ 0.81
-3 -2 -1 0 2 3 Z
20 25 30 35 3940 45 50 X

Thus, the percentage of the applicants who are above 39 years old is
21.19%.
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 ACTIVITIES
ACTIVITY 1: PRACTICE

Direction: Answer the following and illustrate each under the normal curve:

1. Compute the probability area to the left of z = -1.25.

2. Compute the probability area above z = 1.
3. Find the probability area between z = -0.25 and z = 1.5.
4. Find the 90th percentile of a normal curve.
5. Compute the upper 5% of the normal curve.

ACTIVITY 2: Keep Practicing

Direction: In Barangay Mapagkalingap, there are 500 families who are

members of SAP. Their mean of family members is 6 with a standard
deviation of 2.
1. What is the probability of the families with less than 7 members?

2. How many families have 4 to 11 members?

3. Find the percentage of families with more than 9

POSTTEST
I. Compute for the probabilities/percentiles of the following areas using
the standard normal table, then illustrate under the normal curve.
1. the area less than z = 0

2. the area above z = 1.75

3. the area in between z = -3 and z = -1.03

4. the 75th percentile of the distribution

5. above 25th percentile of the distribution

II. Given the 600 points in a loyalty card of a customer with the mean
µ = 150 and standard deviation σ = 25.
1. What is the probability for less than 125 points of the costumer?

2. How many points are in between 100 and 200?

3. What is the percentage of above 220 points of the costumer?

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