normal distribution 2 [260 marks]

Applicants for a job had to complete a mathematics test. The time they took to
complete the test is normally distributed with a mean of 53 minutes and a
standard deviation of 16.3. One of the applicants is chosen at random.

1a. Find the probability that this applicant took at least 40 minutes to [2 marks]
complete the test.

For 11% of the applicants it took longer than k minutes to complete the test.

1b. Find the value of k. [2 marks]

There were 400 applicants for the job.

1c. Estimate the number of applicants who completed the test in less than [2 marks]
25 minutes.

2. The heights of adult males in a country are normally distributed with a [7 marks]
mean of 180 cm and a standard deviation of σ cm . 17% of these men
are shorter than 168 cm. 80% of them have heights between (192 − h) cm and
192 cm.
Find the value of h .

3. It is given that one in five cups of coffee contain more than 120 mg of [6 marks]
caffeine.
It is also known that three in five cups contain more than 110 mg of caffeine.
Assume that the caffeine content of coffee is modelled by a normal distribution.
Find the mean and standard deviation of the caffeine content of coffee.
 The random variable X is normally distributed with a mean of 100. The following
diagram shows the normal curve for X .

Let R be the shaded region under the curve, to the right of 107. The area of R is
0.24.

4a. Write down P(X > 107). [1 mark]

4b. Find P(100 < X < 107). [3 marks]

4c. Find P(93 < X < 107). [2 marks]

The mass of a certain type of Chilean corncob follows a normal distribution with a
mean of 400 grams and a standard deviation of 50 grams.

5a. Write down the probability that the mass of one of these corncobs is [1 mark]
greater than 400 grams.

A farmer labels one of these corncobs as premium if its mass is greater than a
grams. 25% of these corncobs are labelled as premium.

5b. Find the value of a . [2 marks]

5c. Estimate the interquartile range of the distribution. [3 marks]

 A random variable X is normally distributed with mean, μ. In the following
diagram, the shaded region between 9 and μ represents 30% of the distribution.

6a. Find P(X < 9). [2 marks]

The standard deviation of X is 2.1.

6b. Find the value of μ. [3 marks]

The random variable Y is normally distributed with mean λ and standard

deviation 3.5. The events X > 9 and Y > 9 are independent, and
P ((X > 9) ∩ (Y > 9)) = 0.4.

6c. Find λ. [5 marks]

6d. Given that Y > 9, find P(Y < 13). [5 marks]

The table below shows the distribution of test grades for 50 IB students at
Greendale School.

7a. Calculate the mean test grade of the students; [2 marks]

7b. Calculate the standard deviation. [1 mark]

7c. Find the median test grade of the students. [1 mark]

7d. Find the interquartile range. [2 marks]

 A student is chosen at random from these 50 students.

7e. Find the probability that this student scored a grade 5 or higher. [2 marks]

A second student is chosen at random from these 50 students.

7f. Given that the first student chosen at random scored a grade 5 or [3 marks]
higher, find the probability that both students scored a grade 6.

The number of minutes that the 50 students spent preparing for the test was
normally distributed with a mean of 105 minutes and a standard deviation of 20
minutes.

7g. Calculate the probability that a student chosen at random spent at least [2 marks]
90 minutes preparing for the test.

7h. Calculate the expected number of students that spent at least 90 [2 marks]
minutes preparing for the test.

The times taken for male runners to complete a marathon can be modelled by a
normal distribution with a mean 196 minutes and a standard deviation 24
minutes.

8a. Find the probability that a runner selected at random will complete the [2 marks]
marathon in less than 3 hours.

It is found that 5% of the male runners complete the marathon in less than T1
minutes.

8b. Calculate T1 . [2 marks]

The times taken for female runners to complete the marathon can be modelled by
a normal distribution with a mean 210 minutes. It is found that 58% of female
runners complete the marathon between 185 and 235 minutes.

8c. Find the standard deviation of the times taken by female runners. [4 marks]
 Packets of biscuits are produced by a machine. The weights X , in grams, of
packets of biscuits can be modelled by a normal distribution where X ∼ N(μ, σ 2 ).
A packet of biscuits is considered to be underweight if it weighs less than 250
grams.

9a. Given that μ = 253 and σ = 1.5 find the probability that a randomly [2 marks]
chosen packet of biscuits is underweight.

The manufacturer makes the decision that the probability that a packet is
underweight should be 0.002. To do this μ is increased and σ remains unchanged.

9b. Calculate the new value of μ giving your answer correct to two decimal [3 marks]
places.

The manufacturer is happy with the decision that the probability that a packet is
underweight should be 0.002, but is unhappy with the way in which this was
achieved. The machine is now adjusted to reduce σ and return μ to 253.

9c. Calculate the new value of σ. [2 marks]

The weights, W , of newborn babies in Australia are normally distributed with a

mean 3.41 kg and standard deviation 0.57 kg. A newborn baby has a low birth
weight if it weighs less than w kg.

10a. Given that 5.3% of newborn babies have a low birth weight, find w. [3 marks]

10b. A newborn baby has a low birth weight. [3 marks]

Find the probability that the baby weighs at least 2.15 kg.

A manufacturer produces 1500 boxes of breakfast cereal every day.

The weights of these boxes are normally distributed with a mean of 502 grams
and a standard deviation of 2 grams.

11a. Draw a diagram that shows this information. [2 marks]

All boxes of cereal with a weight between 497.5 grams and 505 grams are sold.
The manufacturer’s income from the sale of each box of cereal is $2.00.

11b. (i) Find the probability that a box of cereal, chosen at random, is sold.[4 marks]
(ii) Calculate the manufacturer’s expected daily income from these sales.
 The manufacturer recycles any box of cereal with a weight not between 497.5
grams and 505 grams. The manufacturer’s recycling cost is $0.16 per box.

11c. Calculate the manufacturer’s expected daily recycling cost. [2 marks]

A different manufacturer produces boxes of cereal with weights that are

normally distributed with a mean of 350 grams and a standard deviation of 1.8
grams.
This manufacturer sells all boxes of cereal that are above a minimum weight, w.
They sell 97% of the cereal boxes produced.

11d. Calculate the value of w. [3 marks]

A random variable X is normally distributed with mean μ and standard deviation

σ, such that P(X < 30.31) = 0.1180 and P(X > 42.52) = 0.3060.

12a. Find μ and σ. [6 marks]

12b. Find P (|X − μ| < 1.2σ). [2 marks]

13a. The lifetime, L , of light bulbs made by a company follows a normal [1 mark]
distribution.
L is measured in hours. The normal distribution curve of L is shown below.

Write down the mean lifetime of the light bulbs.

13b. The standard deviation of the lifetime of the light bulbs is 850 hours. [2 marks]
Find the probability that 5000 ⩽ L ⩽ 6000 , for a randomly chosen light bulb.
13c. The company states that 90% of the light bulbs have a lifetime of at [3 marks]
least k hours.
Find the value of k . Give your answer correct to the nearest hundred.

A random variable X is distributed normally with a mean of 20 and standard

deviation of 4.

14a. On the following diagram, shade the region representing P(X ⩽ 25). [2 marks]

14b. Write down P(X ⩽ 25), correct to two decimal places. [2 marks]

14c. Let P(X ⩽ c) = 0.7. Write down the value of c. [2 marks]

A competition consists of two independent events, shooting at 100 targets and

running for one hour.
The number of targets a contestant hits is the S score. The S scores are normally
distributed with mean 65 and standard deviation 10.

15a. A contestant is chosen at random. Find the probability that their S score [2 marks]
is less than 50.

The distance in km that a contestant runs in one hour is the R score. The R
scores are normally distributed with mean 12 and standard deviation 2.5. The R
score is independent of the S score.
Contestants are disqualified if their S score is less than 50 and their R score is
less than x km.

15b. Given that 1% of the contestants are disqualified, find the value of x. [4 marks]

16a. A speed camera on Peterson Road records the speed of each passing [2 marks]
vehicle. The speeds are found to be normally distributed with a mean of
67 km h−1 and a standard deviation of 3.4 km h−1 .
Sketch a diagram of this normal distribution and shade the region representing
−1
the probability that the speed of a vehicle is between 60 and 70 km h .
16b. A vehicle on Peterson Road is chosen at random. [3 marks]
Find the probability that the speed of this vehicle is
−1
(i) more than 60 km h ;
−1
(ii) less than 70 km h ;
(iii) between 60 and 70 km h−1 .

16c. It is found that 19 % of the vehicles are exceeding the speed limit of [2 marks]
s km h−1 .
Find the value of s , correct to the nearest integer.

16d. There is a fine of US$65 for exceeding the speed limit on Peterson [4 marks]
Road. On a particular day the total value of fines issued was US$14 820.
(i) Calculate the number of fines that were issued on this day.
(ii) Estimate the total number of vehicles that passed the speed camera on
Peterson Road on this day.

17. The heights of students in a single year group in a large school can be [6 marks]
modelled by a normal distribution.
It is given that 40% of the students are shorter than 1.62 m and 25% are taller
than 1.79 m.
Find the mean and standard deviation of the heights of the students.

A random variable X is normally distributed with mean 3 and variance 22 .

18a. Find P(0 ⩽ X ⩽ 2). [2 marks]

18b. Find P(|X| > 1). [3 marks]

18c. If P(X > c) = 0.44, find the value of c. [2 marks]

 The masses of watermelons grown on a farm are normally distributed with a mean
of 10 kg.
The watermelons are classified as small, medium or large.
A watermelon is small if its mass is less than 4 kg. Five percent of the
watermelons are classified as small.

19a. Find the standard deviation of the masses of the watermelons. [4 marks]

19b. The following table shows the percentages of small, medium and large [2 marks]
watermelons grown on the farm.

A watermelon is large if its mass is greater than w kg.

Find the value of w.

19c. All the medium and large watermelons are delivered to a grocer. [3 marks]
The grocer selects a watermelon at random from this delivery. Find the
probability that it is medium.

A survey is conducted in a large office building. It is found that 30% of the office
workers weigh less than 62 kg and that 25% of the office workers weigh more
than 98 kg.
The weights of the office workers may be modelled by a normal distribution with
mean μ and standard deviation σ.

20a. (i) Determine two simultaneous linear equations satisfied by μ and σ. [6 marks]
(ii) Find the values of μ and σ.

20b. Find the probability that an office worker weighs more than 100 kg. [1 mark]

20c. There are elevators in the office building that take the office workers to [2 marks]
their offices.
Given that there are 10 workers in a particular elevator,
find the probability that at least four of the workers weigh more than 100 kg.

10
20d. Given that there are 10 workers in an elevator and at least one weighs [3 marks]
more than 100 kg,
find the probability that there are fewer than four workers exceeding 100 kg.

20e. The arrival of the elevators at the ground floor between 08 : 00 and [3 marks]
09 : 00 can be modelled by a Poisson distribution. Elevators arrive on
average every 36 seconds.
Find the probability that in any half hour period between 08 : 00 and 09 : 00 more
than 60 elevators arrive at the ground floor.

20f. An elevator can take a maximum of 10 workers. Given that 400 workers [3 marks]
arrive in a half hour period independently of each other,
find the probability that there are sufficient elevators to take them to their offices.

The weight, W , of bags of rice follows a normal distribution with mean 1000 g and
standard deviation 4 g.

21a. Find the probability that a bag of rice chosen at random weighs [2 marks]
between 990 g and 1004 g.

21b. 95% of the bags of rice weigh less than k grams. [2 marks]
Find the value of k.

21c. For a bag of rice chosen at random, [2 marks]

P(1000 − a < W < 1000 + a) = 0.9.
Find the value of a .

A factory makes metal bars. Their lengths are assumed to be normally distributed
with a mean of 180 cm and a standard deviation of 5 cm.

22a. On the following diagram, shade the region representing the probability [2 marks]
that a metal bar, chosen at random, will have a length less than 175
cm.
22b. A metal bar is chosen at random. [4 marks]
(i) The probability that the length of the metal bar is less than 175 cm is equal
to the probability that the length is greater than h cm. Write down the value of h .
(ii) Find the probability that the length of the metal bar is greater than one
standard deviation above the mean.

A company makes containers of yogurt. The volume of yogurt in the containers is

normally distributed with a mean of 260 ml and standard deviation of 6 ml.
A container which contains less than 250 ml of yogurt is underfilled.

23a. A container is chosen at random. Find the probability that it is [2 marks]

underfilled.

23b. The company decides that the probability of a container being [4 marks]
underfilled should be reduced to 0.02 . It decreases the standard
deviation to σ and leaves the mean unchanged.
Find σ.

23c. The company changes to the new standard deviation, σ, and leaves the [6 marks]
mean unchanged.
A container is chosen at random for inspection. It passes inspection if its volume of
yogurt is between 250 and 271 ml.
(i) Find the probability that it passes inspection.
(ii) Given that the container is not underfilled, find the probability that it passes
inspection.

23d. A sample of 50 containers is chosen at random. Find the probability [4 marks]

that 48 or more of the containers pass inspection.

Daniel grows apples and chooses at random a sample of 100 apples from his
harvest.
He measures the diameters of the apples to the nearest cm. The following table
shows the distribution of the diameters.

24a. Using your graphic display calculator, write down the value of [3 marks]
(i) the mean of the diameters in this sample;
(ii) the standard deviation of the diameters in this sample.
24b. Daniel assumes that the diameters of all of the apples from his harvest [3 marks]
are normally distributed with a mean of 7 cm and a standard deviation
of 1.2 cm. He classifies the apples according to their diameters as shown in the
following table.

Calculate the percentage of small apples in Daniel’s harvest.

24c. Daniel assumes that the diameters of all of the apples from his harvest [2 marks]
are normally distributed with a mean of 7 cm and a standard deviation
of 1.2 cm. He classifies the apples according to their diameters as shown in the
following table.

Of the apples harvested, 5% are large apples.

Find the value of a .

24d. Daniel assumes that the diameters of all of the apples from his harvest [2 marks]
are normally distributed with a mean of 7 cm and a standard deviation
of 1.2 cm. He classifies the apples according to their diameters as shown in the
following table.

Find the percentage of medium apples.

24e. Daniel assumes that the diameters of all of the apples from his harvest [2 marks]
are normally distributed with a mean of 7 cm and a standard deviation
of 1.2 cm. He classifies the apples according to their diameters as shown in the
following table.

This year, Daniel estimates that he will grow 100 000 apples.
Estimate the number of large apples that Daniel will grow this year.

The finishing times in a marathon race follow a normal distribution with mean 210
minutes and standard deviation 22 minutes.

25a. Find the probability that a runner finishes the race in under three hours. [2 marks]

25b. The fastest 90% of the finishers receive a certificate. [2 marks]

Find the time, below which a competitor has to complete the race, in order to gain
a certificate.

26a. Farmer Suzie grows turnips and the weights of her turnips are normally [6 marks]
distributed with a mean of 122g and standard deviation of 14.7g .
(i) Calculate the percentage of Suzie’s turnips that weigh between 110g and
130g.
(ii) Suzie has 100 turnips to take to market. Find the expected number weighing
more than 130g .
(iii) Find the probability that at least 30 of the 100g turnips weigh more than
130g.

26b. Farmer Ray also grows turnips and the weights of his turnips are [6 marks]
normally distributed with a mean of 144g . Ray only takes to market
turnips that weigh more than 130g . Over a period of time, Ray finds he has to
reject 1 in 15 turnips due to their being underweight.
(i) Find the standard deviation of the weights of Ray’s turnips.
(ii) Ray has 200 turnips to take to market. Find the expected number weighing
more than 150g .
 Engine oil is sold in cans of two capacities, large and small. The amount, in
millilitres, in each can, is normally distributed according to Large ∼ N(5000, 40)
and Small ∼ N(1000, 25).

27a. A large can is selected at random. Find the probability that the can [2 marks]
contains at least 4995 millilitres of oil.

27b. A large can and a small can are selected at random. Find the [6 marks]
probability that the large can contains at least 30 milliliters more than
five times the amount contained in the small can.

27c. A large can and five small cans are selected at random. Find the [5 marks]
probability that the large can contains at least 30 milliliters less than
the total amount contained in the small cans.

The daily January temperature of Cairns is normally distributed with a mean of

34°C and a standard deviation of 3.

28a. Calculate the probability that the temperature on a randomly chosen [2 marks]
day in January is less than 39°C.

28b. Calculate the expected number of days in January that the temperature [2 marks]
will be more than 39°C.

28c. On a randomly chosen day in January, the probability that the [2 marks]
temperature is above T °C is 0.7.
Find the value of T .

The weights of fish in a lake are normally distributed with a mean of 760 g and
standard deviation σ. It is known that 78.87% of the fish have weights between
705 g and 815 g.

29a. (i) Write down the standardized value for 815 g. [4 marks]
(ii) Hence or otherwise, find σ.

29b. A fishing contest takes place in the lake. Small fish, called tiddlers, are [2 marks]
thrown back into the lake. The maximum weight of a tiddler is 1.5
standard deviations below the mean.
Find the maximum weight of a tiddler.
 29c. A fish is caught at random. Find the probability that it is a tiddler. [2 marks]

29d. 25% of the fish in the lake are salmon. 10% of the salmon are tiddlers. [2 marks]
Given that a fish caught at random is a tiddler, find the probability that it is a
salmon.

The wingspans of a certain species of bird can be modelled by a normal

distribution with mean 60.2 cm and standard deviation 2.4 cm.
According to this model, 99% of wingspans are greater than x cm.

30a. Find the value of x. [2 marks]

30b. In a field experiment, a research team studies a large sample of these [3 marks]
birds. The wingspans of each bird are measured correct to the nearest
0.1 cm.
Find the probability that a randomly selected bird has a wingspan measured as
60.2 cm.

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