BSU5335 – Unit I Session 07: The Normal Distribution

Session 7

The Normal Distribution

Contents
Introduction, p55
7.1 Characteristics of a Normal curve, p56
7.2 Standard Normal Distribution, p58
7.3 Characteristics of a Standard Normal Curve, p61
Summary, p64
Learning Outcomes, p64

Introduction
In Session 2, we learned that frequency distribution of a quantitative
variable (continuous or discrete) can be illustrated using a frequency
polygon. If a frequency polygon of a quantitative variable is symmetrical
and bell-shaped then such a variable, we say, is normally distributed. In
health statistics, we often examine quantitative data, which are typically, but
not always, approximately normally distributed. Examples for normally
distributed variables include, weight, blood pressure, haemoglobin levels of
pregnant mothers, time required to go to the nearest MCH clinic, LDL level
and Intelligence Quotient (IQ). As sample size increases, the shapes of the
most of the non-normal frequency distributions would also become normal.

The curve of a normal distribution (also called the Gaussian distribution) is

symmetrical about the mean. The graph of the normal distribution depends
on two factors; the mean and the standard deviation. The mean of the
distribution determines the location of the center of the graph, and the
standard deviation determines the height and width of the graph. Figure 7.1
illustrates the normal curve drawn for fasting blood sugar levels of a group

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BSU5335 – Unit I Session 07: The Normal Distribution

of people. In theory, the curve that is drawn by connecting mid points of the
top of its rectangles is the normal curve.

This bell shaped curve is called the Normal Curve

Figure 7.1: Normal curve

If the standard deviation is large, the curve is short and wide; when the
standard deviation is small, the curve is tall and narrow.

7.1 Characteristics of a Normal curve

Some of the basic characteristics of a normal curve are given below (see
figure 7.2).

• It is a smooth, bell-shaped curve

• Normal curve is symmetrical about the mean and is uni-modal.
• It has asymptotic tails (taper off but never touch)
• The median, mean and mode are the same
• The area under the curve is equal to one or 100%

Every normal curve (regardless of its mean or standard deviation) conforms

to the following rules. (See figure 7.2)

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BSU5335 – Unit I Session 07: The Normal Distribution

▪ About 68% of the area under the curve falls within 1 standard
deviation of the mean.
▪ About 95% of the area under the curve falls within 2 standard
deviations of the mean.
▪ About 99.7% of the area under the curve falls within 3 standard
deviations of the mean.
Bellshaped curve

µ-3σ µ-2σ µ-σ µ µ+σ µ+2σ µ+3σ

Mean
Median
Mode
Figure 7.2. Normal distribution

Example: the heart rates (bpm) of 84 adults are given below.

61 68 71 74 77 80 83
66 55 70 77 73 79 82
57 67 70 73 77 82 79
75 69 72 64 78 81 86
59 67 70 73 77 79 83
77 68 70 73 61 80 83
62 68 80 74 77 71 83
63 69 74 71 78 81 85
69 64 72 78 75 81 86
64 69 73 75 78 82 89
89 70 73 76 79 82 66
62 68 70 73 77 80 83

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BSU5335 – Unit I Session 07: The Normal Distribution

In the above data set the mean heart rate (HR) = 74.0 bpm
and SD = 7.5 bpm
Therefore, mean ± 1 SD = 74.0 ± 7.5, [66.5 bpm- 81.5 bpm]
In other words, about 68% of the adults are having their HR between
66.5 bpm - 81.5 bpm.
Also, mean ± 2 SD = 74.0 ± 2 x 7.5, [59.0 bpm - 89.0 bpm]
So, about95% of the adults are having their HR between
59.0 bpm - 89.0 bpm.
Also, mean ± 3 SD = 74.0 ± 3 x 7.5, [51.5 bpm - 96.5 bpm]
So, about99% of the adults are having their HR between
51.5 bpm –96.5 bpm.

Sometimes we get distributions of variables which are approximately

normally distributed and are skewed (see figure 7.3). When the distribution
is skewed, the mean and median will not be equal, with a negatively skewed
distribution, the mean value is lower than the median value. With a
positively skewed curve, the mean value is larger than the median value.

Figure 7.3. Skewed distributions

7.2 Standard Normal Distribution

The standard normal distribution is a special case of the normal distribution.
It is the distribution that occurs when a normal random variable has a mean
of zero and a standard deviation of one.

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BSU5335 – Unit I Session 07: The Normal Distribution

The values of the random variable of a standard normal distribution is called

standard normal deviates or a z-scores. A z-score "normalizes" the data so it
can be compared with other data sets comes from other populations. Every
value of a normal random variable X can be transformed into a z score as
follows.
If we have a data set with mean μ and standard deviation σ, then

Since all the values of X falling between x1 and x2 have corresponding Z

values between z1 and z2, the area under the curve betweenx1 and x2 equals
the area under the Z curve betweenz1 and z2.
Hence, we have the following equivalent probabilities:

The Z-table is used to calculate the required probabilities.

Activity 7.1

Suppose the heights of adult males are normally distributed with a mean of 70 inches
and standard deviation of 2 inches.
a. What percentage of adult males are between 72 and 73 inches of height?
b. What height corresponds to the point where 20% of all adults are taller than
that value?
c. Approximately what proportion of adult males are taller than 73 inches?

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BSU5335 – Unit I Session 07: The Normal Distribution

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BSU5335 – Unit I Session 07: The Normal Distribution

7.3 Characteristics of a Standard Normal Curve (Z

curve)

Some of the basic characteristics of the Z-curve are given below (see Fig.
7.4).

• It has a symmetrical bell shape curve

• The mean is 0 and the standard deviation is 1

• The area under the curve is 1 (or 100%)

• The units of the x axis are standard deviations (called z scores)

-3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 Z values
Figure 7.4. Standard Normal distribution

Examples
Find the proportion of the area described in Z scores given below, using the
z-table.
(a) P (Z > 1.06) (b) P (Z < -2.15) (c) P (-1.06 < Z < 4)

(a) P (Z > 1.06)

Here we need to take the whole of the right hand side (area 0.5) and subtract
the area from z=0 to z=1.06, which we get from the z-table.

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BSU5335 – Unit I Session 07: The Normal Distribution

Z curve

1.06

P (Z >1.06)= 0.5 − P (0<Z<1.06) = 0.5−0.355 = 0.1446

So in the z distribution nearly 14.5% of the observations are on or above the
Z value 1.06.

(b) P (Z < -2.15)

-2.15
This time, we need to take the area of the whole left side (0.5) and subtract
the area from z=0 to z= - 2.15
P (Z<−2.15) = 0.5 − P (0>Z> -2.15)
= 0.5 − 0.4842 = 0.0158
So in the z distribution nearly 1.6 % of the observations are on or below the
value
– 2.15.

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(c) P (-1.06 < Z < 4)

-1.06 4.00

We find the area on the left side from z = −1.06 to z = 0 (which is the same
as the area from z=0 to z=1.06), then add the area between z = 0 to z = 4.00
(on the right side):
P (−1.06<Z<4.00) = P (0>Z> - 1.06) + P (0<Z<4.00)
= 0.3554 + 0.5 = 0.8554
In the z distribution nearly 85.5% of observations are between the values -
1.06 and 4.00.
In the example given above, (heart rates of 84 individuals) what percentage
of individuals had their heart rate between 70 bpm and 80 bpm?
(Note that the mean HR was 74 bpm and SD was 7.5 bpm)
We know that

70 - 74
z value corresponding to 70 bpm = = - 0.53
7.5
80 - 74
z value corresponding to 80 bpm = = + 0.80
7.5
In Z tables, the area between – 0.53 and + 0.8 is equal to 0. 2019 + 0.2881.
Therefore the area between the z values -0.53 and +0.8 is 0.49.

Thus, nearly 49% of individuals in the above sample are having their HR
between 70 – 80 bpm.

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BSU5335 – Unit I Session 07: The Normal Distribution

Activity 7.2

Assume that blood-glucose levels of adult women in a population are normally

distributed with mean of 90 mg/dL and standard deviation of 38 mg/dL.
a. Suppose the “abnormal range” was defined as glucose levels outside 1
standard deviation of the mean (i.e., either 1 standard deviation above the
mean, or 1 standard deviation below the mean). Individuals with abnormal
levels of blood-glucose will be retested. What percentage of individuals would
be called “abnormal” and need to be retested? What is the normal range of
glucose levels in mg/dL units?

b. Suppose the abnormal range was defined to be glucose levels outside 2

standard deviations of the mean. What percentage of individuals would now be
called “abnormal”? What is the normal range of glucose levels (mg/dL)?

Summary
• The curve of a normal distribution (also called the Gaussian
distribution) is symmetrical about the mean. The graph of the normal
distribution depends on two factors; the mean and the standard
deviation

• Normal curve is a smooth, bell-shaped curve and it is symmetrical

about the mean and uni-modal.

Learning Outcomes
At the end of the lesson the student should be able to
• Illustrate the normal distribution.
• Describe properties of normal distribution.
• Describe the standard normal distribution
• Apply the properties of standard normal distribution in nursing
research

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BSU5335 – Unit I Session 07: The Normal Distribution

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