Problems from The normal (or Gaussian) distribution

A firm producing batteries for mobile phones say that the average duration until they get damaged is $$25.000$$ hours. Many customers went to the consumers' association to complain and a study was done. The result is that batteries follow a normal distribution with mean life equal to $$20.000$$ hours.

See development and solution

Development:

  • It is possible to suppose that $$\sigma=6.000$$, so that the batteries never last less than $$2.000$$ hours, and no more than $$38.000$$.

  • It will be necessary to transform the variable $$X$$ ($$N(20.000, 6.000)$$) into the variable $$Z$$ ($$N(0,1)$$) to be able to use the table. $$$Z=\dfrac{X-\mu}{\sigma} \Rightarrow X=\sigma\cdot Z+\mu$$$ $$$P(X\geq25.000 \mbox{ hours } )=P(\sigma\cdot Z+\mu \geq 25.000)=P(Z\geq 0,833)$$$ Looking at the table it is possible to see that: $$$p(X < 25.000)=0,7967$$$ $$$p(X\geq25.000)=1-0,7967=0,2033$$$

  • Observe that: $$$p(10.000 \leq X \leq 15.000)=p(X\leq15.000)-p(X\leq10.000)=$$$ $$$=p(Z\leq\dfrac{15.000-20.000}{6.000})-p(Z\leq\dfrac{10.000-20.000}{6.000})=$$$ $$$=p(Z\leq-0,83)-p(Z\leq-1,67)$$$ For symmetry, it is possible to say: $$$p(10.000\leq X \leq 15.000)=p(Z\leq1,67)-p(Z\leq0,83)=$$$ $$$=0,9525-0,7967=0,1558$$$

Solution:

  • $$\sigma=6.000$$
  • $$p(X < 25.000)=0,7967$$; $$p(X\geq25.000)=1-0,7967=0,2033$$
  • $$p(10.000\leq X \leq 15.000)=0,1558$$
Hide solution and development
View theory