Question bout normal distribution:

[semidevil]

so w/ the normal distribution, to find the area between 2 numbers, say P(a \leq Z \leq b),, I need to split this up into 2:

P(-\infty < z \leq b) - P(-\infty < z < a).

my question is, why is it not P(a < z < +\infty)?

 

[James R]

You could do it that way, if you had tables of values for P(a < z < +\infty), but mostly things are tabulated the other way.

Also:

P(a < z < +\infty) = 1 - Pr(-\infty < z < a)

 

[semidevil]

You could do it that way, if you had tables of values for P(a < z < +\infty), but mostly things are tabulated the other way.

Also:

P(a < z < +\infty) = 1 - Pr(-\infty < z < a)

so I'm getting confused. I have a question regarding storage space and shipment. they are asking what is the probability that the next shipment will be enough, but at the same time, not overflow the storage space.

so basically a < z < b. so in my problem, it has to be 1279.5 \leq Z < 1310.5

so first, I break it up, and do 1279.5 < Z < \infty.

on the second part, do I do -\infty &lt; z &lt; 1310.5 or do I do 1279.5 < z < 1310.5 [/tex]

to me, I think the second one is right...but the way the book is doing it, it seems like it is sayingi f I want to know between a and b, I need to -inf < z < b and also -inf < z < a, which doesn't make that much sense...

 

[Hurkyl]

i f I want to know between a and b, I need to -inf < z < b and also -inf < z < a, which doesn't make that much sense...

Maybe there's a way to use those two quantities to determine what you want to know.

 

[James R]

Think of the probability as the area under the bell curve. You want the area between a and b. You have the area between negative infinity and a, and between negative infinity and b. So...