In: Statistics and Probability
1. Suppose the heights of 18-year-old men are approximately normally distributed, with mean 71 inches and standard deviation 5 inches.
(a) What is the probability that an 18-year-old man selected at
random is between 70 and 72 inches tall? (Round your answer to four
decimal places.)
(b) If a random sample of twenty-three 18-year-old men is selected,
what is the probability that the mean height x is between
70 and 72 inches? (Round your answer to four decimal places.)
(c) Compare your answers to parts (a) and (b). Is the probability
in part (b) much higher? Why would you expect this?
The probability in part (b) is much higher because the mean is larger for the x distribution.The probability in part (b) is much higher because the standard deviation is smaller for the x distribution. The probability in part (b) is much higher because the mean is smaller for the x distribution.The probability in part (b) is much lower because the standard deviation is smaller for the x distribution.The probability in part (b) is much higher because the standard deviation is larger for the x distribution.
Solution :
Given that ,
mean = = 71
standard deviation = = 5
a) P( 70 < x < 72 ) = P[(70 - 71)/ 5) < (x - ) / < (72 - 71) / 5) ]
= P( -0.20 < z < 0.20)
= P(z < 0.20) - P(z < -0.20)
Using z table,
= 0.5793 - 0.4207
= 0.1586
b) n = 23
= = 71
= / n = 5 / 23 = 1.04
P(70 < < 72)
= P[(70 - 71) /1.04 < ( - ) / < (72 - 71) /1.04 )]
= P( -0.96 < Z < 0.96)
= P(Z < 0.96 ) - P(Z < -0.96)
Using z table,
= 0.8315 - 0.1685
= 0.6630
c) The probability in part (b) is much higher because the standard deviation is smaller for the x distribution.