10/10/21, 8:50 PM Combining normal random variables (practice) | Khan Academy

Math · AP®︎/College Statistics · Random variables and probability distributions

· Combining random variables

Combining normal random variables

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A company produces and sells homemade candles and accessories. Their customers commonly order
a large candle and a matching candle stand. The weights of these candles have a mean of 500 g and
a standard deviation of 15 g. The weights of the candle stands have a mean of 200 g and a standard
deviation of 8 g. Both distributions are approximately normal.

Let T = the total weight of a randomly selected candle and a randomly selected stand, and assume
that the two weights are independent.

If the total weight T of the two items is under 683 g, the company gets a discount on shipping.

Find the probability that the total weight is under 683 g.

You may round your answer to two decimal places.

P (T < 683) ≈ 0.8413

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Thinking about the distribution of T

The sum of normally distributed variables is also normally distributed, so the total weight
T has a normal distribution. This allows us use normal calculations to find the probability
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in question — we just need the mean and standard deviation of the total weight T .
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The mean of the total weight is the sum of the expected (or mean) weights for each item:

μT = μcandle + μstand ​ ​

μT = 500 + 200

= 700

We can find the standard deviation of T by adding the variances of the weights and
taking the square root:

σT2 = σcandle
2 2
+ σstand ​

= 152 + 82

= 289

σT = 289 ​

Math AP®︎/College
Statistics Random variables
= 17
and probability distributions
Combining random variables 2/4 Representing probability with area
Combining random variables
Since we know the distribution of the total weight T is normally distributed, the
Practice: Combining probability P (T < 683) can be found by calculating the shaded area below T = 683 in
random variables the corresponding normal distribution:

Example: Analyzing
distribution of sum of two
normally distributed
random variables
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Example: Analyzing the
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10/10/21, 8:50 PM Combining normal random variables (practice) | Khan Academy
a p e: a y g t e
difference in distributions μT = 700
σT = 17
​

Combining normal random

variables P (T < 683)

Practice: Combining
normal random variables

Next lesson 649 666 683 700 717 734 751

Introduction to the binomi… T

3/4 Calculating shaded area

We can use the "normalcdf" function on most graphing calculators to find the shaded
area:

normalcdf:

lower bound:  − 9999

upper bound: 683

μ = 700

σ = 17

Output:
≈ 0.158655

[Why do we use normalcdf instead of normalpdf?]

4/4 Answer
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10/10/21, 8:50 PM Combining normal random variables (practice) | Khan Academy

P (T < 683) ≈ 0.16

Show Calculator

[Is there another way?]

Related content

Example: Analyzing
distribution of sum of two
5:51
normally distributed random

Example: Analyzing the

difference in distributions
9:45

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