CHAPTER 2
1. The normal curve, also known as the bell curve, is a symmetrical probability distribution
characterized by a bell-shaped curve. It's defined by two parameters: the mean (μ) and the standard
deviation (σ). In a standard normal distribution, about 68% of the data falls within one standard
deviation of the mean, 95% within two standard deviations, and 99.7% within three standard
deviations. It's widely used in statistics to model various phenomena and plays a key role in inferential
statistics and hypothesis testing.
2. The six characteristics of a normal curve are:
Symmetry: The normal curve is symmetric, meaning it is equally distributed on both sides
of its central point or mean.
Unimodal: It has one peak or mode, located at its mean.
Bell-shaped: The curve forms a bell-shaped distribution, with the highest point at the mean
and gradually decreasing as you move away from the mean in either direction.
Asymptotic: The tails of the curve approach but never touch the horizontal axis, extending
indefinitely in both directions.
Mean, Median, and Mode are Equal: In a perfectly normal distribution, the mean, median,
and mode are all equal.
Defined by Mean and Standard Deviation: The shape of the normal curve is determined
by its mean (μ) and standard deviation (σ). The mean locates the center of the curve, while
the standard deviation determines the spread or width of the curve.
3. A Z-score measures how far a data point is from the average of a dataset in terms of standard
deviations. It helps compare data and identify outliers.
4. The formula for finding the Z-score is:.
Z= x−μ / σ
�Z is the Z-score.
�x is the individual data point.
�μ is the mean of the dataset.
�σ is the standard deviation of the dataset.
5. A critical value is a threshold used in statistical tests to decide whether to reject a null hypothesis. It
separates results that are significant from those that aren't based on a chosen level of significance.
6. The rejection region is the range of values of a test statistic that leads to the rejection of the null
hypothesis in favor of an alternative hypothesis.
7. The acceptance region is the range of values of a test statistic that leads to the acceptance
of the null hypothesis.
