NORMAL DISTRIBUTIONS EXERCISE [154 marks]

1. [Maximum mark: 15] SPM.1.SL.TZ0.7

A large company surveyed 160 of its employees to find out how much time they
spend traveling to work on a given day. The results of the survey are shown in
the following cumulative frequency diagram.

(a) Find the median number of minutes spent traveling to work. [2]

(b) Find the number of employees whose travelling time is within

15 minutes of the median. [3]

Only 10% of the employees spent more than k minutes traveling to work.
 (c) Find the value of k. [3]

The results of the survey can also be displayed on the following box-and-
whisker diagram.

(d) Write down the value of b. [1]

(e.i) Find the value of a. [2]

(e.ii) Hence, find the interquartile range. [2]

(f ) Travelling times of less than p minutes are considered outliers.

Find the value of p. [2]

2. [Maximum mark: 5] SPM.1.SL.TZ0.2

Let A and B be events such that P (A) ,
= 0.5 P (B) = 0.4 and
P (A ∪ B) = 0.6 .

Find P ( A | B). [5]

3. [Maximum mark: 15] SPM.2.SL.TZ0.8
The length, X mm, of a certain species of seashell is normally distributed with
mean 25 and variance, σ . 2

The probability that X is less than 24.15 is 0.1446.

(a) Find P(24.15 < X < 25). [2]

(b.i) Find σ, the standard deviation of X. [3]

(b.ii) Hence, find the probability that a seashell selected at random

has a length greater than 26 mm. [2]

A random sample of 10 seashells is collected on a beach. Let Y represent the

number of seashells with lengths greater than 26 mm.

(c) Find E(Y). [3]

(d) Find the probability that exactly three of these seashells have a
length greater than 26 mm. [2]

(e) A seashell selected at random has a length less than 26 mm.

Find the probability that its length is between 24.15 mm and 25

mm. [3]
4. [Maximum mark: 15] SPM.2.SL.TZ0.8
The length, X mm, of a certain species of seashell is normally distributed with
mean 25 and variance, σ . 2

The probability that X is less than 24.15 is 0.1446.

(a) Find P(24.15 < X < 25). [2]

(b.i) Find σ, the standard deviation of X. [3]

(b.ii) Hence, find the probability that a seashell selected at random

has a length greater than 26 mm. [2]

A random sample of 10 seashells is collected on a beach. Let Y represent the

number of seashells with lengths greater than 26 mm.

(c) Find E(Y). [3]

(d) Find the probability that exactly three of these seashells have a
length greater than 26 mm. [2]

(e) A seashell selected at random has a length less than 26 mm.

Find the probability that its length is between 24.15 mm and 25

mm. [3]
5. [Maximum mark: 5] SPM.2.SL.TZ0.5
The following table below shows the marks scored by seven students on two
different mathematics tests.

Let L1 be the regression line of x on y. The equation of the line L1 can be written in
the form x = ay + b.

(a) Find the value of a and the value of b. [2]

(b) Let L2 be the regression line of y on x. The lines L1 and L2 pass

through the same point with coordinates (p , q).

Find the value of p and the value of q. [3]

6. [Maximum mark: 6] SPM.2.SL.TZ0.4

A six-sided biased die is weighted in such a way that the probability of obtaining
a “six” is 7

10
.

(a) The die is tossed five times. Find the probability of obtaining at
most three “sixes”. [3]

(b) The die is tossed five times. Find the probability of obtaining
the third “six” on the fifth toss. [3]
7. [Maximum mark: 6] SPM.2.AHL.TZ0.6
In a city, the number of passengers, X, who ride in a taxi has the following
probability distribution.

After the opening of a new highway that charges a toll, a taxi company
introduces a charge for passengers who use the highway. The charge is $ 2.40 per
taxi plus $ 1.20 per passenger. Let T represent the amount, in dollars, that is
charged by the taxi company per ride.

(a) Find E(T). [4]

(b) Given that Var(X) = 0.8419, find Var(T). [2]

8. [Maximum mark: 7] SPM.2.AHL.TZ0.4
The following table below shows the marks scored by seven students on two
different mathematics tests.

Let L1 be the regression line of x on y. The equation of the line L1 can be written in
the form x = ay + b.

(a) Find the value of a and the value of b. [2]

Let L2 be the regression line of y on x. The lines L1 and L2 pass through the same
point with coordinates (p , q).

(b) Find the value of p and the value of q. [3]

(c) Jennifer was absent for the first test but scored 29 marks on the
second test. Use an appropriate regression equation to estimate
Jennifer’s mark on the first test. [2]

9. [Maximum mark: 6] EXN.1.SL.TZ0.3

The following table shows the probability distribution of a discrete
random variable X where x = 1, 2, 3, 4.

Find the value of k, justifying your answer. [6]

10. [Maximum mark: 15] EXN.2.SL.TZ0.8
The time, T minutes, taken to complete a jigsaw puzzle can be modelled by a
normal distribution with mean μ and standard deviation 8. 6.

It is found that 30% of times taken to complete the jigsaw puzzle are longer
than 36. 8 minutes.

(a) By stating and solving an appropriate equation, show, correct

to two decimal places, that μ = 32. 29. [4]

Use μ = 32. 29 in the remainder of the question.

(b) Find the 86th percentile time to complete the jigsaw puzzle. [2]

(c) Find the probability that a randomly chosen person will take
more than 30 minutes to complete the jigsaw puzzle. [2]

Six randomly chosen people complete the jigsaw puzzle.

(d) Find the probability that at least five of them will take more
than 30 minutes to complete the jigsaw puzzle. [3]

(e) Having spent 25 minutes attempting the jigsaw puzzle, a

randomly chosen person had not yet completed the puzzle.

Find the probability that this person will take more than 30
minutes to complete the jigsaw puzzle. [4]
11. [Maximum mark: 8] EXN.2.SL.TZ0.4
The following table shows the systolic blood pressures, p mmHg, and the ages, t
years, of 6 male patients at a medical clinic.

(a.i) Determine the value of Pearson’s product‐moment correlation

coefficient, r, for these data. [2]

(a.ii) Interpret, in context, the value of r found in part (a) (i). [1]

The relationship between t and p can be modelled by the regression line of p on

t with equation p = at + b .

(b) Find the equation of the regression line of p on t. [2]

A 50‐year‐old male patient enters the medical clinic for his appointment.

(c) Use the regression equation from part (b) to predict this
patient’s systolic blood pressure. [2]

(d) A 16‐year‐old male patient enters the medical clinic for his
appointment.

Explain why the regression equation from part (b) should not
be used to predict this patient’s systolic blood pressure. [1]
12. [Maximum mark: 9] EXM.1.SL.TZ0.2
A set of data comprises of five numbers x 1 , x2 , x3 , x4 , x5 which have been
placed in ascending order.

(a) Recalling definitions, such as the Lower Quartile is the

n+1
th
4

piece of data with the data placed in order, find an expression

for the Interquartile Range. [2]

(b) Hence, show that a data set with only 5 numbers in it cannot
have any outliers. [5]

(c) Give an example of a set of data with 7 numbers in it that does

have an outlier, justify this fact by stating the Interquartile
Range. [2]
13. [Maximum mark: 15] EXM.2.SL.TZ0.1
The principal of a high school is concerned about the effect social media use
might be having on the self-esteem of her students. She decides to survey a
random sample of 9 students to gather some data. She wants the number of
students in each grade in the sample to be, as far as possible, in the same
proportion as the number of students in each grade in the school.

(a) State the name for this type of sampling technique. [1]

The number of students in each grade in the school is shown in table.

(b.i) Show that 3 students will be selected from grade 12. [3]

(b.ii) Calculate the number of students in each grade in the sample. [2]

In order to select the 3 students from grade 12, the principal lists their names in
alphabetical order and selects the 28th, 56th and 84th student on the list.

(c) State the name for this type of sampling technique. [1]

Once the principal has obtained the names of the 9 students in the random
sample, she surveys each student to find out how long they used social media
the previous day and measures their self-esteem using the Rosenberg scale. The
Rosenberg scale is a number between 10 and 40, where a high number
represents high self-esteem.
 (d.i) Calculate Pearson’s product moment correlation coefficient, r. [2]

(d.ii) Interpret the meaning of the value of r in the context of the

principal’s concerns. [1]

(d.iii) Explain why the value of r makes it appropriate to find the

equation of a regression line. [1]

(e) Another student at the school, Jasmine, has a self-esteem value

of 29.

By finding the equation of an appropriate regression line,

estimate the time Jasmine spent on social media the previous
day. [4]

14. [Maximum mark: 6] 22N.1.SL.TZ0.6

Events A and B are such that P(A) = 0. 3 and P(B) = 0. 8 .

(a) Determine the value of P(A ∩ B) in the case where the events
A and B are independent. [1]

(b) Determine the minimum possible value of P(A ∩ B). [3]

(c) Determine the maximum possible value of P(A ∩ B),

justifying your answer. [2]
15. [Maximum mark: 16] 22N.2.SL.TZ0.9
The time worked, T , in hours per week by employees of a large company is
normally distributed with a mean of 42 and standard deviation 10. 7.

(a) Find the probability that an employee selected at random

works more than 40 hours per week. [2]

(b) A group of four employees is selected at random. Each

employee is asked in turn whether they work more than 40
hours per week. Find the probability that the fourth employee
is the only one in the group who works more than 40 hours per
week. [3]

A large group of employees work more than 40 hours per week.

(c.i) An employee is selected at random from this large group.

Find the probability that this employee works less than 55

hours per week. [4]

(c.ii) Ten employees are selected at random from this large group.

Find the probability that exactly five of them work less than 55
hours per week. [3]

It is known that P(a ≤ T ≤ b) = 0. 904 and that P(T > b) = 2P(T < a),
where a and b are numbers of hours worked per week. An employee who works
fewer than a hours per week is considered to be a part-time employee.

(d) Find the maximum time, in hours per week, that an employee
can work and still be considered part-time. [4]
16. [Maximum mark: 5] 22N.2.SL.TZ0.1
The following table shows the Mathematics test scores (x) and the Science test
scores (y) for a group of eight students.

The regression line of y on x for this data can be written in the form y .
= ax + b

(a) Find the value of a and the value of b. [2]

(b) Write down the value of the Pearson’s product-moment

correlation coefficient, r. [1]

(c) Use the equation of your regression line to predict the Science
test score for a student who has a score of 78 on the
Mathematics test. Express your answer to the nearest integer. [2]

© International Baccalaureate Organization, 2023