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A psychology professor assigns letter grades on a test according to the following scheme.

A: Top 9% of scores
B: Scores below the top 9% and above the bottom 63%
C: Scores below the top 37% and above the bottom 17%
D: Scores below the top 83% and above the bottom 8%
F: Bottom 8% of scores
Scores on the test are normally distributed with a mean of 75.8 and a standard deviation of 8.1. Find the minimum score required for an A grade. Round your answer to the nearest whole number, if necessary.

1 Answer

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Final answer:

To calculate the minimum score required for an A grade, find the z-score corresponding to the 91st percentile of a normally distributed set of test scores with a given mean and standard deviation, and apply the score formula.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question requires determining the minimum score on a test to get an A grade when scores are normally distributed, with a top 9% cutoff. Given that the test scores have a mean of 75.8 and a standard deviation of 8.1, we need to find the z-score that corresponds to the 91st percentile (which is 100% - 9%). After obtaining the z-score, we would then use the z-score formula to solve for the raw score.

To find the z-score corresponding to the top 9% of a normal distribution, one could use a z-table or a calculator like the TI-83 or TI-84. However, it's important to note that the provided 90th percentile value of 69.4 seems incorrect based on the given mean and standard deviation. We'll use the correct process instead.

Once the z-score is identified, the formula to calculate the actual test score is: score = mean + (z-score * standard deviation). By applying this formula and rounding to the nearest whole number, we can determine the minimum score needed for an A grade.

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