Final answer:
The minimum amount on the largest 4% of home loan applications is approximately $111,500. The maximum amount on the smallest 14% of loans is approximately $50,240. These values are found using the standard normal distribution and the provided mean and standard deviation.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question involves finding specific values from a normal distribution of home loan amounts with parameters - a mean of $73,000 and a standard deviation of $22,000.
Part a
To find the minimum amount requested on the largest 4% of loans, we first need to find the z-score that corresponds to the top 4% of a standard normal distribution. We can use a z-table or a normal distribution calculator for this. The z-score that corresponds to the top 4% is approximately 1.75. We can then use the z-score formula to find the corresponding amount:
Z = (X - mean) / standard deviation
1.75 = (X - 73,000) / 22,000
X = (1.75 * 22,000) + 73,000
X ≈ $111,500
Part b
For the maximum amount on the smallest 14% of loans, we want the z-score at the 14th percentile, which is approximately -1.08. Using the z-score formula again:
-1.08 = (X - 73,000) / 22,000
X = (-1.08 * 22,000) + 73,000
X ≈ $50,240
The minimum amount on the largest 4% of home loan applications is approximately $111,500, and the maximum amount on the smallest 14% of home loans is approximately $50,240.