Table of contents
- 1. Intro to Stats and Collecting Data55m
- 2. Describing Data with Tables and Graphs1h 55m
- 3. Describing Data Numerically1h 45m
- 4. Probability2h 16m
- 5. Binomial Distribution & Discrete Random Variables2h 33m
- 6. Normal Distribution and Continuous Random Variables1h 38m
- 7. Sampling Distributions & Confidence Intervals: Mean1h 3m
- 8. Sampling Distributions & Confidence Intervals: Proportion1h 12m
- 9. Hypothesis Testing for One Sample1h 1m
- 10. Hypothesis Testing for Two Samples2h 8m
- 11. Correlation48m
- 12. Regression1h 4m
- 13. Chi-Square Tests & Goodness of Fit1h 20m
- 14. ANOVA1h 0m
6. Normal Distribution and Continuous Random Variables
Standard Normal Distribution
Problem 6.4.13a
Textbook Question
Ergonomics. Exercises 9–16 involve applications to ergonomics, as described in the Chapter Problem.
Redesign of Ejection Seats When women were finally allowed to become pilots of fighter jets, engineers needed to redesign the ejection seats because they had been originally designed for men only. The ACES-II ejection seats were designed for men weighing between 140 lb and 211 lb. Weights of women are now normally distributed with a mean of 171 lb and a standard deviation of 46 lb (based on Data Set 1 “Body Data” in Appendix B).
a. If 1 woman is randomly selected, find the probability that her weight is between 140 lb and 211 lb.

1
Step 1: Identify the problem as a probability question involving a normal distribution. The weights of women are normally distributed with a mean (μ) of 171 lb and a standard deviation (σ) of 46 lb. We are tasked with finding the probability that a randomly selected woman's weight is between 140 lb and 211 lb.
Step 2: Standardize the given weights (140 lb and 211 lb) using the z-score formula: z = (x - μ) / σ. For each weight, substitute the values of x (140 and 211), μ (171), and σ (46) into the formula to calculate the corresponding z-scores.
Step 3: Use the z-scores obtained in Step 2 to find the cumulative probabilities from the standard normal distribution table (or a statistical software). The cumulative probability for a z-score represents the area under the standard normal curve to the left of that z-score.
Step 4: To find the probability that the weight is between 140 lb and 211 lb, subtract the cumulative probability corresponding to the lower z-score (for 140 lb) from the cumulative probability corresponding to the higher z-score (for 211 lb). This difference gives the probability of the weight falling within the specified range.
Step 5: Interpret the result. The final probability represents the likelihood that a randomly selected woman's weight is between 140 lb and 211 lb, based on the given normal distribution parameters.

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Key Concepts
Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Normal Distribution
Normal distribution is a probability distribution that is symmetric about the mean, depicting that data near the mean are more frequent in occurrence than data far from the mean. In this context, the weights of women are normally distributed, which allows us to use the properties of the normal curve to calculate probabilities related to weight.
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Z-Scores
A Z-score represents the number of standard deviations a data point is from the mean. It is calculated by subtracting the mean from the value and then dividing by the standard deviation. In this problem, Z-scores will help determine the probability of a woman's weight falling between 140 lb and 211 lb by converting these weights into Z-scores.
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Probability Calculation
Probability calculation involves determining the likelihood of a specific event occurring within a defined set of outcomes. In this scenario, we will calculate the probability that a randomly selected woman weighs between 140 lb and 211 lb by finding the area under the normal distribution curve between the corresponding Z-scores.
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