Chapter 2

Data Analysis

Section 2.2
Density Curves and
Normal Distributions
Density Curves and Normal Distributions

LEARNING TARGETS
By the end of this section, you should be able to:
USE a density curve to MODEL distributions of quantitative data.
IDENTIFY the relative locations of the mean and median of a distribution from a
density curve.
USE the 68–95–99.7 rule to estimate (i) the proportion of values in a specified interval,
or (ii) the value that corresponds to a given percentile in a Normal distribution.
FIND the proportion of values in a specified interval in a Normal distribution using
Table A or technology.
FIND the value that corresponds to a given percentile in a Normal distribution using
Table A or technology.
DETERMINE whether a distribution of data is approximately Normal from graphical and
numerical evidence.

Starnes/Tabor, The Practice of Statistics

Exploring Quantitative Data

In Chapter 1, we developed a kit of graphical and numerical tools for

describing distributions. Now, we’ll add one more step to the strategy.

Exploring Quantitative Data

1. Always plot your data: make a graph, usually a dotplot,
stemplot, or histogram.
2. Look for the overall pattern (shape, center, and variability) and
for striking departures such as outliers.
3. Calculate numerical summaries to describe center and
variability.

Starnes/Tabor, The Practice of Statistics

Exploring Quantitative Data

In Chapter 1, we developed a kit of graphical and numerical tools for

describing distributions. Now, we’ll add one more step to the strategy.

Exploring Quantitative Data

Adding the same positive number a to (subtracting a from) each
observation:
1. Always plot your data: make a graph, usually a dotplot,
stemplot, or histogram.
2. Look for the overall pattern (shape, center, and variability) and
for striking departures such as outliers.
3. Calculate numerical summaries to describe center and
variability.
4. When there’s a regular overall pattern, use a simplified model
called a density curve to describe it.

Starnes/Tabor, The Practice of Statistics

Density Curves
A density curve is a curve that
• Is always on or above the horizontal axis
• Has area exactly 1 underneath it
The area under the curve and above any interval of values on the horizontal axis
estimates the proportion of all observations that fall in that interval.

Starnes/Tabor, The Practice of Statistics

Density Curves
A density curve is a curve that
• Is always on or above the horizontal axis
• Has area exactly 1 underneath it
The area under the curve and above any interval of values on the horizontal axis
estimates the proportion of all observations that fall in that interval.

Starnes/Tabor, The Practice of Statistics

Density Curves
A density curve is a curve that
• Is always on or above the horizontal axis
• Has area exactly 1 underneath it
The area under the curve and above any interval of values on the horizontal axis
estimates the proportion of all observations that fall in that interval.

The overall pattern of this dotplot of the amount of time it has

taken Selena to get to the bookstore by train each day for the last
1000 days she worked can be described by a horizontal line.

Starnes/Tabor, The Practice of Statistics

Density Curves
A density curve is a curve that
• Is always on or above the horizontal axis
• Has area exactly 1 underneath it
The area under the curve and above any interval of values on the horizontal axis
estimates the proportion of all observations that fall in that interval.

The overall pattern of this histogram of

the scores of all 947 seventh-grade
Density
students in Gary, Indiana, on the curve
vocabulary part of the Iowa Test of Basic
Skills (ITBS) can be described by a
smooth curve drawn through the tops of
the bars.

Starnes/Tabor, The Practice of Statistics

Describing Density Curves
The mean of a density curve is the point at which the
curve would balance if made of solid material.
The median of a density curve is the equal-areas point,
the point that divides the area under the curve in half.

Starnes/Tabor, The Practice of Statistics

Describing Density Curves
The mean of a density curve is the point at which the
curve would balance if made of solid material.
The median of a density curve is the equal-areas point,
the point that divides the area under the curve in half.

Starnes/Tabor, The Practice of Statistics

Describing Density Curves
The mean of a density curve is the point at which the
curve would balance if made of solid material.
The median of a density curve is the equal-areas point,
the point that divides the area under the curve in half.

Starnes/Tabor, The Practice of Statistics

Describing Density Curves
The mean of a density curve is the point at which the
curve would balance if made of solid material.
The median of a density curve is the equal-areas point,
the point that divides the area under the curve in half.

The median and the mean are the same for a symmetric density curve.
They both lie at the center of the curve. The mean of a skewed curve is
pulled away from the median in the direction of the long tail.

Starnes/Tabor, The Practice of Statistics

Describing Density Curves

• A density curve is an idealized description of a distribution of data.

Starnes/Tabor, The Practice of Statistics

Describing Density Curves

• A density curve is an idealized description of a distribution of data.

• We distinguish between the mean and standard deviation of the density curve
and the mean and standard deviation computed from the actual observations.

Starnes/Tabor, The Practice of Statistics

Describing Density Curves

• A density curve is an idealized description of a distribution of data.

• We distinguish between the mean and standard deviation of the density curve
and the mean and standard deviation computed from the actual observations.

• The usual notation for the mean of a density curve is µ (the Greek letter mu).
We write the standard deviation of a density curve as σ (the Greek letter
sigma).

Starnes/Tabor, The Practice of Statistics

Normal Distributions
One particularly important family of density curves are the Normal curves,
which describe Normal distributions.

Starnes/Tabor, The Practice of Statistics

Normal Distributions
One particularly important family of density curves are the Normal curves,
which describe Normal distributions.
• Shape: All Normal distributions have the same overall shape: symmetric,
single-peaked, and bell-shaped.

Starnes/Tabor, The Practice of Statistics

Normal Distributions
One particularly important family of density curves are the Normal curves,
which describe Normal distributions.
• Shape: All Normal distributions have the same overall shape: symmetric,
single-peaked, and bell-shaped.
• Center: The mean µ is located at the midpoint of the symmetric density curve
and is the same as the median.

Starnes/Tabor, The Practice of Statistics

Normal Distributions
One particularly important family of density curves are the Normal curves,
which describe Normal distributions.
• Shape: All Normal distributions have the same overall shape: symmetric,
single-peaked, and bell-shaped.
• Center: The mean µ is located at the midpoint of the symmetric density curve
and is the same as the median.
• Variability: The standard deviation σ measures the variability (width) of a
Normal distribution.

Starnes/Tabor, The Practice of Statistics

Normal Distributions
A Normal distribution is described by a symmetric, single-peaked, bell-shaped
density curve called a Normal curve. Any Normal distribution is completely
specified by two numbers: its mean µ and standard deviation σ.

Why are Normal distributions important in statistics? Here are three reasons.

Starnes/Tabor, The Practice of Statistics

Normal Distributions
A Normal distribution is described by a symmetric, single-peaked, bell-shaped
density curve called a Normal curve. Any Normal distribution is completely
specified by two numbers: its mean µ and standard deviation σ.

Why are Normal distributions important in statistics? Here are three reasons.
1. Normal distributions are good descriptions for some distributions of real data.
Distributions that are often close to Normal include:
• Scores on tests taken by many people (such as SAT exams and IQ tests)
• Repeated careful measurements of the same quantity
(like the diameter of a tennis ball)
• Characteristics of biological populations
(such as lengths of crickets and yields of corn)

Starnes/Tabor, The Practice of Statistics

Normal Distributions
A Normal distribution is described by a symmetric, single-peaked, bell-shaped
density curve called a Normal curve. Any Normal distribution is completely
specified by two numbers: its mean µ and standard deviation σ.

Why are Normal distributions important in statistics? Here are three reasons.
1. Normal distributions are good descriptions for some distributions of real data.
Distributions that are often close to Normal include:
• Scores on tests taken by many people (such as SAT exams and IQ tests)
• Repeated careful measurements of the same quantity
(like the diameter of a tennis ball)
• Characteristics of biological populations
(such as lengths of crickets and yields of corn)
2. Normal distributions are good approximations to the results of many kinds of
chance outcomes, like the proportion of heads in many tosses of a fair coin.

Starnes/Tabor, The Practice of Statistics

Normal Distributions
A Normal distribution is described by a symmetric, single-peaked, bell-shaped
density curve called a Normal curve. Any Normal distribution is completely
specified by two numbers: its mean µ and standard deviation σ.

Why are Normal distributions important in statistics? Here are three reasons.
1. Normal distributions are good descriptions for some distributions of real data.
Distributions that are often close to Normal include:
• Scores on tests taken by many people (such as SAT exams and IQ tests)
• Repeated careful measurements of the same quantity
(like the diameter of a tennis ball)
• Characteristics of biological populations
(such as lengths of crickets and yields of corn)
2. Normal distributions are good approximations to the results of many kinds of
chance outcomes, like the proportion of heads in many tosses of a fair coin.
3. Many of the inference methods in Chapters 8–12 are based on Normal
distributions.

Starnes/Tabor, The Practice of Statistics

The 68–95–99.7 Rule
Although there are many Normal curves, they all have properties in common.

The 68-95-99.7 Rule

In a Normal distribution with mean µ
and standard deviation σ:
• Approximately 68% of the
observations fall within
σ of the mean µ.
• Approximately 95% of the
observations fall within
2σ of the mean µ.
• Approximately 99.7% of the
observations fall within
3σ of the mean µ.

Starnes/Tabor, The Practice of Statistics

The 68–95–99.7 Rule
Although there are many Normal curves, they all have properties in common.

The 68-95-99.7 Rule

In a Normal distribution with mean µ
and standard deviation σ:
• Approximately 68% of the :
UTION
CAwithin
observations fall
to N or m al
σ of the mean µ. NLY
.7
of9theRule applies O
• Approximately 95%
9 5 – 9
The 68–fall within
observations
t r ib u tio n s.
is
2σ ofdthe mean µ.
• Approximately 99.7% of the
observations fall within
3σ of the mean µ.

Starnes/Tabor, The Practice of Statistics

Finding Areas in a Normal Distribution
All Normal distributions are the same if we measure in
units of size σ from the mean µ.

Starnes/Tabor, The Practice of Statistics

Finding Areas in a Normal Distribution
All Normal distributions are the same if we measure in
units of size σ from the mean µ.

𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑒 −𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑛 𝑥−𝜇

𝑧= =
𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑎𝑟𝑑 𝑑𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝜎

Starnes/Tabor, The Practice of Statistics

Finding Areas in a Normal Distribution
All Normal distributions are the same if we measure in
units of size σ from the mean µ.

The standard Normal distribution

is the Normal distribution with
mean 0 and standard deviation 1.

Starnes/Tabor, The Practice of Statistics

Finding Areas in a Normal Distribution

How to Find Areas in any Normal Distribution

Step 1: Draw a normal distribution with the horizontal axis labeled
and scaled using the mean and standard deviation, the boundary
value(s) clearly identified, and the area of interest shaded.

Starnes/Tabor, The Practice of Statistics

Finding Areas in a Normal Distribution

How to Find Areas in any Normal Distribution

Step 1: Draw a normal distribution with the horizontal axis labeled
and scaled using the mean and standard deviation, the boundary
value(s) clearly identified, and the area of interest shaded.

Step 2: Perform calculations—show your work! Do one of the

following:
i. Standardize each boundary value and use Table A or
technology to find the desired area under the standard Normal
curve; or
ii. Use technology to find the desired area without standardizing.

Starnes/Tabor, The Practice of Statistics

Finding Areas in a Normal Distribution

How to Find Areas in any Normal Distribution

Step 1: Draw a normal distribution with the horizontal axis labeled
and scaled using the mean and standard deviation, the boundary
value(s) clearly identified, and the area of interest shaded.

Step 2: Perform calculations—show your work! Do one of the

following:
i. Standardize each boundary value and use Table A or
technology to find the desired area under the standard Normal
curve; or
ii. Use technology to find the desired area without standardizing.

Step 3: Be sure to answer the question that was asked!

Starnes/Tabor, The Practice of Statistics

Finding Areas in a Normal Distribution
The distribution of ITBS (Iowa Test of Basic Skills) vocabulary scores among all
Gary, Indiana, seventh-graders. Recall that this distribution is approximately
Normal with mean µ = 6.84 and standard deviation σ = 1.55. What proportion of
these seventh-graders have vocabulary scores that are below sixth-grade level?

Step 1: Draw a normal distribution with the horizontal axis

labeled and scaled using the mean and standard deviation, the
boundary value(s) clearly identified, and the area of interest
shaded.

Starnes/Tabor, The Practice of Statistics

Finding Areas in a Normal Distribution
The distribution of ITBS (Iowa Test of Basic Skills) vocabulary scores among all
Gary, Indiana, seventh-graders. Recall that this distribution is approximately
Normal with mean µ = 6.84 and standard deviation σ = 1.55. What proportion of
these seventh-graders have vocabulary scores that are below sixth-grade level?

Step 1: Draw a normal distribution with the horizontal axis

labeled and scaled using the mean and standard deviation, the
boundary value(s) clearly identified, and the area of interest
shaded.

Starnes/Tabor, The Practice of Statistics

Finding Areas in a Normal Distribution
The distribution of ITBS (Iowa Test of Basic Skills) vocabulary scores among all
Gary, Indiana, seventh-graders. Recall that this distribution is approximately
Normal with mean µ = 6.84 and standard deviation σ = 1.55. What proportion of
these seventh-graders have vocabulary scores that are below sixth-grade level?

Step 2: Perform calculations—

show your work! Do one of
the following:
i. Standardize each boundary
value and use Table A or
technology to find the
desired area under the
standard Normal curve; or
ii. Use technology to find the
desired area without
standardizing.

Starnes/Tabor, The Practice of Statistics

Finding Areas in a Normal Distribution
The distribution of ITBS (Iowa Test of Basic Skills) vocabulary scores among all
Gary, Indiana, seventh-graders. Recall that this distribution is approximately
Normal with mean µ = 6.84 and standard deviation σ = 1.55. What proportion of
these seventh-graders have vocabulary scores that are below sixth-grade level?

Step 2: Perform calculations—

show your work! Do one of
the following:
i. Standardize each boundary
value and use Table A or
technology to find the
desired area under the
standard Normal curve; or
ii. Use technology to find the
desired area without
standardizing.

Starnes/Tabor, The Practice of Statistics

Finding Areas in a Normal Distribution
The distribution of ITBS (Iowa Test of Basic Skills) vocabulary scores among all
Gary, Indiana, seventh-graders. Recall that this distribution is approximately
Normal with mean µ = 6.84 and standard deviation σ = 1.55. What proportion of
these seventh-graders have vocabulary scores that are below sixth-grade level?

Step 2: Perform calculations—

show your work! Do one of
the following:
i. Standardize each boundary
value and use Table A or
technology to find the
desired area under the
standard Normal curve; or
ii. Use technology to find the
desired area without
standardizing.

Starnes/Tabor, The Practice of Statistics

Finding Areas in a Normal Distribution
The distribution of ITBS (Iowa Test of Basic Skills) vocabulary scores among all
Gary, Indiana, seventh-graders. Recall that this distribution is approximately
Normal with mean µ = 6.84 and standard deviation σ = 1.55. What proportion of
these seventh-graders have vocabulary scores that are below sixth-grade level?

Step 2: Perform calculations—

show your work! Do one of
the following:
i. Standardize each boundary
value and use Table A or
technology to find the
desired area under the
standard Normal curve; or
ii. Use technology to find the
desired area without
standardizing.

Starnes/Tabor, The Practice of Statistics

Finding Areas in a Normal Distribution
The distribution of ITBS (Iowa Test of Basic Skills) vocabulary scores among all
Gary, Indiana, seventh-graders. Recall that this distribution is approximately
Normal with mean µ = 6.84 and standard deviation σ = 1.55. What proportion of
these seventh-graders have vocabulary scores that are below sixth-grade level?

Step 2: Perform calculations—

show your work! Do one of
the following:
i. Standardize each boundary
value and use Table A or
technology to find the
desired area under the
standard Normal curve; or
ii. Use technology to find the
desired area without
standardizing.

Starnes/Tabor, The Practice of Statistics

Finding Areas in a Normal Distribution
The distribution of ITBS (Iowa Test of Basic Skills) vocabulary scores among all
Gary, Indiana, seventh-graders. Recall that this distribution is approximately
Normal with mean µ = 6.84 and standard deviation σ = 1.55. What proportion of
these seventh-graders have vocabulary scores that are below sixth-grade level?

Step 2: Perform calculations—

show your work! Do one of
the following:
i. Standardize each boundary
value and use Table A or
technology to find the
desired area under the
standard Normal curve; or
ii. Use technology to find the
desired area without
standardizing.

Starnes/Tabor, The Practice of Statistics

Finding Areas in a Normal Distribution
The distribution of ITBS (Iowa Test of Basic Skills) vocabulary scores among all
Gary, Indiana, seventh-graders. Recall that this distribution is approximately
Normal with mean µ = 6.84 and standard deviation σ = 1.55. What proportion of
these seventh-graders have vocabulary scores that are below sixth-grade level?

Step 3: Be sure to answer the question that

was asked!

Starnes/Tabor, The Practice of Statistics

Finding Areas in a Normal Distribution
The distribution of ITBS (Iowa Test of Basic Skills) vocabulary scores among all
Gary, Indiana, seventh-graders. Recall that this distribution is approximately
Normal with mean µ = 6.84 and standard deviation σ = 1.55. What proportion of
these seventh-graders have vocabulary scores that are below sixth-grade level?

Step 3: Be sure to answer the question that

was asked!

We estimate that about 29.4% of Gary, Indiana, seventh-grader

scores fall below the sixth-grade level on the ITBS vocabulary test.

Starnes/Tabor, The Practice of Statistics

Working Backward: Finding Values from Areas

How to Find Values from Areas in any Normal Distribution

Step 1: Draw a normal distribution with the horizontal axis labeled
and scaled using the mean and standard deviation, the area of
interest shaded, and unknown boundary value clearly marked.

Starnes/Tabor, The Practice of Statistics

Working Backward: Finding Values from Areas

How to Find Values from Areas in any Normal Distribution

Step 1: Draw a normal distribution with the horizontal axis labeled
and scaled using the mean and standard deviation, the area of
interest shaded, and unknown boundary value clearly marked.

Step 2: Perform calculations—show your work! Do one of the

following:
i. Use Table A or technology to find the value of z with the
indicated area under the standard Normal curve, then
“unstandardize” to transform back to the original distribution; or
ii. Use technology to find the desired value without standardizing.

Starnes/Tabor, The Practice of Statistics

Working Backward: Finding Values from Areas

How to Find Values from Areas in any Normal Distribution

Step 1: Draw a normal distribution with the horizontal axis labeled
and scaled using the mean and standard deviation, the area of
interest shaded, and unknown boundary value clearly marked.

Step 2: Perform calculations—show your work! Do one of the

following:
i. Use Table A or technology to find the value of z with the
indicated area under the standard Normal curve, then
“unstandardize” to transform back to the original distribution; or
ii. Use technology to find the desired value without standardizing.

Step 3: Be sure to answer the question that was asked!

Starnes/Tabor, The Practice of Statistics

Working Backward: Finding Values from Areas

According to www.cdc.gov/growthcharts/, the heights of 3-year-old females are

approximately Normally distributed with a mean of 94.5 centimeters and a
standard deviation of 4 centimeters. Seventy-five percent of 3-year-old girls are
taller than what height?

Step 1: Draw a normal distribution

with the horizontal axis labeled and
scaled using the mean and
standard deviation, the area of
interest shaded, and unknown
boundary value clearly marked.

Starnes/Tabor, The Practice of Statistics

Working Backward: Finding Values from Areas

According to www.cdc.gov/growthcharts/, the heights of 3-year-old females are

approximately Normally distributed with a mean of 94.5 centimeters and a
standard deviation of 4 centimeters. Seventy-five percent of 3-year-old girls are
taller than what height?

Step 1: Draw a normal distribution

with the horizontal axis labeled and
scaled using the mean and
standard deviation, the area of
interest shaded, and unknown
boundary value clearly marked.

Starnes/Tabor, The Practice of Statistics

 Working Backward: Finding Values from Areas

According to www.cdc.gov/growthcharts/, the heights of 3-year-old females are

approximately Normally distributed with a mean of 94.5 centimeters and a
standard deviation of 4 centimeters. Seventy-five percent of 3-year-old girls are
taller than what height?

Step 2: Perform calculations—show

your work! Do one of the following:
i. Use Table A or technology to
find the value of z with the
indicated area under the
standard Normal curve, then
“unstandardize” to transform
back to the original distribution;
or
ii. Use technology to find the
desired value without
standardizing.

Starnes/Tabor, The Practice of Statistics

 Working Backward: Finding Values from Areas

According to www.cdc.gov/growthcharts/, the heights of 3-year-old females are

approximately Normally distributed with a mean of 94.5 centimeters and a
standard deviation of 4 centimeters. Seventy-five percent of 3-year-old girls are
taller than what height?

Step 2: Perform calculations—show

your work! Do one of the following:
i. Use Table A or technology to (i) Using Table A: z = – 0.67
find the value of z with the Using technology:
invNorm(area: 0.25, mean: 0, SD: 1) = –0.67
indicated area under the
standard Normal curve, then
“unstandardize” to transform
back to the original distribution; (ii) invNorm(area: 0.25, mean: 94.5, SD: 4) = 91.80
or
ii. Use technology to find the
desired value without
standardizing.

Starnes/Tabor, The Practice of Statistics

Working Backward: Finding Values from Areas

According to www.cdc.gov/growthcharts/, the heights of 3-year-old females are

approximately Normally distributed with a mean of 94.5 centimeters and a
standard deviation of 4 centimeters. Seventy-five percent of 3-year-old girls are
taller than what height?

Step 3: Be sure to answer the question that was asked!

Starnes/Tabor, The Practice of Statistics

Working Backward: Finding Values from Areas

According to www.cdc.gov/growthcharts/, the heights of 3-year-old females are

approximately Normally distributed with a mean of 94.5 centimeters and a
standard deviation of 4 centimeters. Seventy-five percent of 3-year-old girls are
taller than what height?

Step 3: Be sure to answer the question that was asked!

About 75% of 3-year-old girls

are taller than 91.80 cm.

Starnes/Tabor, The Practice of Statistics

Section Summary

LEARNING TARGETS
After this section, you should be able to:
USE a density curve to MODEL distributions of quantitative data.
IDENTIFY the relative locations of the mean and median of a distribution from a
density curve.
USE the 68–95–99.7 rule to estimate (i) the proportion of values in a specified interval,
or (ii) the value that corresponds to a given percentile in a Normal distribution.
FIND the proportion of values in a specified interval in a Normal distribution using
Table A or technology.
FIND the value that corresponds to a given percentile in a Normal distribution using
Table A or technology.
DETERMINE whether a distribution of data is approximately Normal from graphical and
numerical evidence.

Starnes/Tabor, The Practice of Statistics