Back to 6.2 Using the Normal Distribution

6.2 Exercise 46

Avg difficulty 2.5

Use the following information to answer the next three exercises: The length of time it takes to find a parking space at 9 A.M. follows a normal distribution with a mean of five minutes and a standard deviation of two minutes.

Thuy Dau, Ngoc Bui, Sam Su, and Lan Voung conducted a survey as to how long customers at Lucky claimed to wait in the checkout line until their turn. Let X = time in line. the table displays the ordered real data (in minutes):

0.50 4.25 5 6 7.25
1.75 4.25 5.25 6 7.25
2 4.25 5.25 6.25 7.25
2.25 4.25 5.5 6.25 7.75
2.25 4.5 5.5 6.5 8
2.5 4.75 5.5 6.5 8.25
2.75 4.75 5.75 6.5 9.5
3.25 4.75 5.75 6.75 9.5
3.75 5 6 6.75 9.75
3.75 5 6 6.75 10.75
  1. Calculate the sample mean and the sample standard deviation.
  2. Construct a histogram.
  3. Draw a smooth curve through the midpoints of the tops of the bars.
  4. In words, describe the shape of your histogram and smooth curve.
  5. Let the sample mean approximate μ and the sample standard deviation approximate σ. The distribution of X can then be approximated by X ~ _____(_____,_____)
  6. Use the distribution in part e to calculate the probability that a person will wait fewer than 6.1 minutes.
  7. Determine the cumulative relative frequency for waiting less than 6.1 minutes.
  8. Why aren’t the answers to part f and part g exactly the same?
  9. Why are the answers to part f and part g as close as they are?
  10. If only ten customers has been surveyed rather than 50, do you think the answers to part f and part g would have been closer together or farther apart? Explain your conclusion.

OpenStax Introductory Statistics 2e, 6.2 Using the Normal Distribution, exercise 46

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Adapted from Introductory Statistics 2e © 2023 Rice University. Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Source: Introductory Statistics 2e. Imported at revision 50ec917.