What is this?
A plot of the normal distribution, also known as a bell curve or a Gaussian distribution.
Why is it significant?
The data of many scientific measurements follow a normal distribution.
What does μ represent?
μ, the Greek letter mu, is the mean of the data
What does σ represent?
The Greek letter sigma, σ, represents the standard deviation.
What does μ + 2σ represent?
μ + 2σ is a point 2 standard deviations away from the mean
What is the probability of an event occurring within the pink range?
68.27%
What is the probability of an event occurring within the blue range on the left?
The probability of an event occurring anywhere between μ – 2σ and μ + 2σ is 95.45%. The probability of an event occurring in the blue area (not in the pink area) is 95.45 – 68.27 = 27.18%. The probability of an event occurring in the blue area on the left is half of that.
How many parameters do you need to know to find the normal distribution of your data?
Two: μ and σ
Why does the curve stop at μ – 3σ and μ + 3σ?
It shouldn’t really. The true curve extends out to infinity in both directions.
What is the total area under the curve?
Assuming the curve extends to infinity in both directions, the total area under the curve is 1, because this represents the total probability.
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