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During boot camp, the drill sergeant measured the weight of the men in his unit. he found the average weight of the men to be 142 pounds and the standard deviation 14 pounds. the data is normally distributed. find the interval in which 68% of the data lies. what is the probability that a man picked at random from the unit will weigh more than 170 pounds? that he will weigh less than 128 pounds?

User Denver
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Final answer:

To find the interval of 68% of the data, use the empirical rule. The probability a man weighs more than 170 lbs or less than 128 lbs can be found using the normal distribution curve.

Step-by-step explanation:

To find the interval in which 68% of the data lies, we can use the concept of the empirical rule. According to the empirical rule, approximately 68% of the data falls within one standard deviation of the mean.

Since the standard deviation is 14 pounds and the mean is 142 pounds, one standard deviation above the mean is 142 + 14 = 156 pounds, and one standard deviation below the mean is 142 - 14 = 128 pounds.

Therefore, the interval in which 68% of the data lies is from 128 pounds to 156 pounds.

The probability that a man picked at random from the unit will weigh more than 170 pounds can be found by calculating the area under the normal distribution curve to the right of 170 pounds.

The probability that a man picked at random from the unit will weigh less than 128 pounds can be found by calculating the area under the normal distribution curve to the left of 128 pounds.

User Igor Skochinsky
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To solve the question we proceed as follows:
mean=142
standard deviation=14
a] Find the interval in which 68% of the data lies:
P(x<X)=68%=0.68
the z-score associated with this probability is:
P(z<Z)=0.47
but :
z=(x-mu)/sig
thus;
0.47=(x-142)/14
solving for x we get:
x=148.58
thus 68 percent of the data lie below 148.58

b]what is the probability that a man picked at random from the unit will weigh more than 170 pounds?
x=170
thus
P(x>170) will be:
z=(170-142)/14
z=2
Thus
P(x>170)=1-P(z<2)
=1-0.9772
=0.0228

c] that he will weigh less than 128 pounds?
P(x<128)
z=(128-142)/14
z=(-14/14)=-1
Thus
P(z<-1)=0.1587
User MANJEET
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