Name: _______________________________________________

Chapter 3 Normal Distribution

Year 13

Date:

Time:

Total marks available: 221

Total marks achieved: ______

 Questions
Q1.
The time taken for a randomly selected person to complete a test is M minutes, where M ~ N (14, σ2)
Given that 10% of people take less than 12 minutes to complete the test,

(a) find the value of σ

(3)
Graham selects 15 people at random.

(b) Find the probability that fewer than 2 of these people will take less than 12 minutes to complete the
test.
(3)
Jovanna takes a random sample of n people.

Using a normal approximation, the probability that fewer than 9 of these n people will take less than 12
minutes to complete the test is 0.3085 to 4 decimal places.

(c) Find the value of n.

(8)

(Total for question = 14 marks)

Q2.
In a large school, 20% of students own a touch screen laptop. A random sample of n students is chosen
from the school. Using a normal approximation, the probability that more than 55 of these n students own
a touch screen laptop is 0.0401 correct to 3 significant figures.

Find the value of n.

(8) (Total for question = 8 marks)

Q3.
(a) State the conditions under which the normal distribution may be used as an approximation to the
binomial distribution.
(2)
A company sells seeds and claims that 55% of its pea seeds germinate.

(b) Write down a reason why the company should not justify their claim by testing all the pea seeds they
produce.
(1)
To test the company's claim, a random sample of 220 pea seeds was planted.

(c) State the hypotheses for a two-tailed test of the company's claim.
(1)
Given that 135 of the 220 pea seeds germinated,
(d) use a normal approximation to test, at the 5% level of significance, whether or not the company's claim
is justified.
(7)

(Total 11 marks)
Q4.

Temperature (°C)

Figure 1

The partially completed box plot in Figure 1 shows the distribution of daily mean air temperatures using
the data from the large data set for Beijing in 2015

An outlier is defined as a value

more than 1.5 × IQR below Q1 or
more than 1.5 × IQR above Q3
The three lowest air temperatures in the data set are 7.6 °C, 8.1 °C and 9.1 °C
The highest air temperature in the data set is 32.5 °C

(a) Complete the box plot in Figure 1 showing clearly any outliers.
(4)
(b) Using your knowledge of the large data set, suggest from which month the two outliers are likely to
have come.
(1)
Using the data from the large data set, Simon produced the following summary statistics
for the daily mean air temperature, x °C, for Beijing in 2015

n = 184 ∑ x = 4153.6 Sxx = 4952.906

(c) Show that, to 3 significant figures, the standard deviation is 5.19 °C

(1)
Simon decides to model the air temperatures with the random variable

T ~ N(22.6, 5.192)

(d) Using Simon's model, calculate the 10th to 90th interpercentile range.
(3)
Simon wants to model another variable from the large data set for Beijing using a
normal distribution.
(e) State two variables from the large data set for Beijing that are not suitable to be
modelled by a normal distribution. Give a reason for each answer.
(2)

(Total for question = 11 marks)

Q5.

A machine puts liquid into bottles of perfume. The amount of liquid put into each bottle,
D ml, follows a normal distribution with mean 25 ml

Given that 15% of bottles contain less than 24.63 ml

(a) find, to 2 decimal places, the value of k such that P(24.63 < D < k) = 0.45
(5)
A random sample of 200 bottles is taken.

(b) Using a normal approximation, find the probability that fewer than half of these
bottles contain between 24.63 ml and k ml
(3)
The machine is adjusted so that the standard deviation of the liquid put in the bottles is
now 0.16 ml

Following the adjustments, Hannah believes that the mean amount of liquid put in each
bottle is less than 25 ml

She takes a random sample of 20 bottles and finds the mean amount of liquid to be
24.94 ml

(c) Test Hannah's belief at the 5% level of significance.

You should state your hypotheses clearly.
(5) (Total for question = 13 marks)
Q6.
The number of hours of sunshine each day, y, for the month of July at Heathrow are summarised in the
table below.

A histogram was drawn to represent these data. The 8 ≤ y < 11 group was represented by a bar of width
1.5 cm and height 8 cm.

(a) Find the width and the height of the 0 ≤ y < 5 group.
(3)
(b) Use your calculator to estimate the mean and the standard deviation of the number of hours of
sunshine each day, for the month of July at Heathrow.
Give your answers to 3 significant figures.
(3)
The mean and standard deviation for the number of hours of daily sunshine for the same month in Hurn
are 5.98 hours and 4.12 hours respectably.

Thomas believes that the further south you are the more consistent should be the number of hours of
daily sunshine.

(c) State, giving a reason, whether or not the calculations in part (b) support Thomas' belief.
(2)
(d) Estimate the number of days in July at Heathrow where the number of hours of sunshine is more
than 1 standard deviation above the mean.
(2)
Helen models the number of hours of sunshine each day, for the month of July at Heathrow by N(6.6,
3.72).
(e) Use Helen's model to predict the number of days in July at Heathrow when the number of hours of
sunshine is more than 1 standard deviation above the mean.
(2)
(f) Use your answers to part (d) and part (e) to comment on the suitability of Helen's model.
(1)

(Total for question = 13 marks)

Q7.

A machine cuts strips of metal to length L cm, where L is normally distributed with standard deviation 0.5
cm.

Strips with length either less than 49 cm or greater than 50.75 cm cannot be used.

Given that 2.5% of the cut lengths exceed 50.98 cm,

(a) find the probability that a randomly chosen strip of metal can be used.
(5)
Ten strips of metal are selected at random.

(b) Find the probability fewer than 4 of these strips cannot be used.
(2)
A second machine cuts strips of metal of length X cm, where X is normally distributed with standard
deviation 0.6 cm

A random sample of 15 strips cut by this second machine was found to have a mean length of 50.4 cm

(c) Stating your hypotheses clearly and using a 1% level of significance, test whether or not the mean
length of all the strips, cut by the second machine, is greater than 50.1 cm
(5)

(Total for question = 12 marks)

Q8.
A company sells seeds and claims that 55% of its pea seeds germinate.
(a) Write down a reason why the company should not justify their claim by testing all the pea seeds they
produce.
(1)
A random selection of the pea seeds is planted in 10 trays with 24 seeds in each tray.

(b) Assuming that the company's claim is correct, calculate the probability that in at least half of the trays
15 or more of the seeds germinate.
(3)
(c) Write down two conditions under which the normal distribution may be used as an approximation to
the binomial distribution.
(1)
A random sample of 240 pea seeds was planted and 150 of these seeds germinated.

(d) Assuming that the company's claim is correct, use a normal approximation to find the probability that
at least 150 pea seeds germinate.
(3)
(e) Using your answer to part (d), comment on whether or not the proportion of the company's pea seeds
that germinate is different from the company's claim of 55%
(1)

(Total for question = 9 marks)

Q9.

The lifetime, L hours, of a battery has a normal distribution with mean 18 hours and standard deviation 4
hours.

Alice's calculator requires 4 batteries and will stop working when any one battery reaches the end of its
lifetime.

(a) Find the probability that a randomly selected battery will last for longer than 16 hours.
(1)
At the start of her exams Alice put 4 new batteries in her calculator.
She has used her calculator for 16 hours, but has another 4 hours of exams to sit.

(b) Find the probability that her calculator will not stop working for Alice's remaining exams.
(5)
Alice only has 2 new batteries so, after the first 16 hours of her exams, although her calculator is still
working, she randomly selects 2 of the batteries from her calculator and replaces these with the 2 new
batteries.

(c) Show that the probability that her calculator will not stop working for the remainder of her exams is
0.199 to 3 significant figures.
 (3)
After her exams, Alice believed that the lifetime of the batteries was more than 18 hours. She took a
random sample of 20 of these batteries and found that their mean lifetime was 19.2 hours.

(d) Stating your hypotheses clearly and using a 5% level of significance, test Alice's belief.
(5) (Total for question = 14 marks)
Q10.

Yuto works in the quality control department of a large company. The time, T minutes, it takes Yuto to
analyse a sample is normally distributed with mean 18 minutes and standard deviation 5 minutes.

(a) Find the probability that Yuto takes longer than 20 minutes to analyse the next sample.
(3)
The company has a large store of samples analysed by Yuto with the time taken for each analysis
recorded. Serena is investigating the samples that took Yuto longer than 15 minutes to analyse.

She selects, at random, one of the samples that took Yuto longer than 15 minutes to analyse.

(b) Find the probability that this sample took Yuto more than 20 minutes to analyse.
(4)
Serena can identify, in advance, the samples that Yuto can analyse in under 15 minutes and in future she
will assign these to someone else.

(c) Estimate the median time taken by Yuto to analyse samples in future.
(5)

(Total for question = 12 marks)

Q11.

The heights of adult females are normally distributed with mean 160 cm and standard deviation 8 cm.

(a) Find the probability that a randomly selected adult female has a height greater than 170 cm.
(3)
Any adult female whose height is greater than 170 cm is defined as tall.

An adult female is chosen at random. Given that she is tall,

(b) find the probability that she has a height greater than 180 cm.
(4)
Half of tall adult females have a height greater than h cm.

(c) Find the value of h.

(5)
 (Total 12 marks)

Q12.
The random variable Z ~ N(0, 1)
A is the event Z > 1.1
B is the event Z > –1.9
C is the event –1.5 < Z < 1.5

(a) Find
(i) P(A)
(ii) P(B)

(iv) P(A ∪ C)
(iii) P(C)

(6)
The random variable X has a normal distribution with mean 21 and standard deviation 5

(b) Find the value of w such that P(X > w | X > 28) = 0.625
(6)

(Total for question = 12 marks)

Q13.

The random variable X ∼ N(μ, 52 ) and P(X < 23) = 0.9192

(a) Find the value of μ.

(4)
(b) Write down the value of P(μ < X < 23).
(1)
(Total 5 marks)

Q14.

The weight, X grams, of soup put in a tin by machine A is normally distributed with a mean of 160 g and a
standard deviation of 5 g. A tin is selected at random.

(a) Find the probability that this tin contains more than 168 g.
(3)
The weight stated on the tin is w grams.

(b) Find w such that P(X < w) = 0.01

(3)
The weight, Y grams, of soup put into a carton by machine B is normally distributed with mean μ grams
and standard deviation σ grams.

(c) Given that P(Y < 160) = 0.99 and P(Y > 152) = 0.90 find the value of μ and the value of σ.
(6)
(Total 12 marks)

Q15.
The heights of a population of women are normally distributed with mean μ cm and standard deviation σ
cm. It is known that 30% of the women are taller than 172 cm and 5% are shorter than 154 cm.
(a) Sketch a diagram to show the distribution of heights represented by this information
(3)
(b) Show that μ = 154 + 1.6449σ.
(3)
(c) Obtain a second equation and hence find the value of μ and the value of σ.
(4)
A woman is chosen at random from the population.
(d) Find the probability that she is taller than 160 cm.
(3)

(Total 13 marks)

Q16.

A manufacturer fills jars with coffee. The weight of coffee, W grams, in a jar can be modelled by a normal
distribution with mean 232 grams and standard deviation 5 grams.

(a) Find P(W < 224).

(3)
(b) Find the value of w such that P(232 < W < w) = 0.20
(4)
Two jars of coffee are selected at random.

(c) Find the probability that only one of the jars contains between 232 grams and w grams of coffee.
(3)

(Total 10 marks)

Q17.
The distances travelled to work, D km, by the employees at a large company are normally distributed with
D N(30, 82 ).
(a) Find the probability that a randomly selected employee has a journey to work of more than 20 km.

(3)
(b) Find the upper quartile, Q3, of D.

(3)

(c) Write down the lower quartile, Q1 , of D.

(1)

An outlier is defined as any value of D such that D < h or D > k where

h = Q1 − 1.5 × (Q3 − Q1) and k = Q3 + 1.5 × (Q3 − Q1)

(d) Find the value of h and the value of k.

(2)

An employee is selected at random.

(e) Find the probability that the distance travelled to work by this employee is an outlier.

(3)
(Total 12 marks)

Q18.
A midwife records the weights, in kg, of a sample of 50 babies born at a hospital. Her results are given in
the table below.

[You may use ∑ fx2 = 611.375]

A histogram has been drawn to represent these data.

The bar representing the weight 2 ≤ w < 3 has a width of 1 cm and a height of 4 cm.

(a) Calculate the width and height of the bar representing a weight of 3 ≤ w < 3.5
(3)
(b) Use linear interpolation to estimate the median weight of these babies.
(2)
(c) (i) Show that an estimate of the mean weight of these babies is 3.43 kg.
(ii) Find an estimate of the standard deviation of the weights of these babies.
(3)
Shyam decides to model the weights of babies born at the hospital, by the random variable W, where W ~
N(3.43, 0.652)

(d) Find P(W < 3)

(3)
(e) With reference to your answers to (b), (c)(i) and (d) comment on Shyam's decision.
(3)
A newborn baby weighing 3.43 kg is born at the hospital.

(f) Without carrying out any further calculations, state, giving a reason, what effect the addition of this
newborn baby to the sample would have on your estimate of the
(i) mean,
(ii) standard deviation.
(3)

(Total for question = 17 marks)

Q19.

The heights of females from a country are normally distributed with

· a mean of 166.5 cm
· a standard deviation of 6.1 cm

Given that 1% of females from this country are shorter than k cm,

(a) find the value of k

(2)
(b) Find the proportion of females from this country with heights between 150 cm and 175 cm
(1)
A female, from this country, is chosen at random from those with heights between 150 cm and 175 cm

(c) Find the probability that her height is more than 160 cm
(4)
The heights of females from a different country are normally distributed with a standard deviation of 7.4
cm

Mia believes that the mean height of females from this country is less than 166.5 cm

Mia takes a random sample of 50 females from this country and finds the mean of her sample is 164.6 cm

(d) Carry out a suitable test to assess Mia's belief.

You should

· state your hypotheses clearly

· use a 5% level of significance
(4)

(Total for question = 11 marks)

Mark Scheme

Q1.
Q2.
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Q6.
Q7.
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Q11.
Q12.
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Q14.
Q15.
Q16.
Q17.
Q18.
Q19.