Name of Learner: ____________________________Grade Level: ______________________

Section: ____________________________________ Date: ____________________________

LEARNING ACTIVITY SHEET

COMPUTING PROBABILITIES AND PERCENTILES UNDER THE NORMAL CURVE

Background Information for Learners

You have learned about finding the areas under the normal curve. Further,
you also learned how to compute the z-value corresponding to a raw score. You have
also seen that all areas under the normal curve can be shown as probabilities
associated with standard normal variables. In this lesson, you will practice more your
skills in determining areas under the normal curve since computing probabilities is the
same with finding the areas under the normal curve.

Finding the area of a region under the normal curve is the same as finding the probability
associated with that region. Thus, the area under the normal curve denotes probability. Hence, we
could the probability between two z-values by simply calculating the required area.

Probability Notations

Let a and b be z-score values:

• 𝑃(𝑎 < 𝑧 < 𝑏)denotes the probability that the z-score is between a and b. It is read as “the
probability that the z-score falls between 𝑧 = 𝑎 and 𝑧 = 𝑏.”

• 𝑃(𝑧 > 𝑎)denotes the probability that the z-score is greater than a. It is read as “the probability
that the z-score is greater than a.”

• 𝑃(𝑧 < 𝑎)denotes the probability that the z-score is less than a. It is read as “the probability
that the z-score is less than a.”

Recall the each case in identifying regions under the curve and the steps on determining the
area under the normal curve.

Example 1: Find the probability that the z-score is at most 𝑧 = 0.91

1. Draw the normal curve and locate the given z-

value or values at the base line of the curve.
Then, draw a vertical line through the given z
value or values and shade the required region.

2. Use the z-table to find the areas that 𝑧 = 0.91 corresponds to an area of 0.3186
correspond to the given z-value or values.

3. Perform appropriate operations to get the The graph suggests subtraction. 0.3186 + 0.5 =
required area, if needed. 0.8186 That is, 𝑷(𝒛 < 0.91) = 𝟎. 𝟖𝟏𝟖𝟔.

4. Write the required area (or probability). Thus, the probability that the z-score is at most𝑧
− 1.78 is 0.8186.

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Example 2: Find the probability that the z-score is less than 𝑧 = −1.78.

1. Draw the normal curve and locate the given z-

value or values at the base line of the curve.
Then, draw a vertical line through the given z-
value or values and shade the required region.

2. Use the z-table to find the areas that 𝑧 = −1.78 corresponds to an area of 0.4625
correspond to the given z-value or values.

3. Perform appropriate operations to get the The graph suggests subtraction. 0.5 − 0.4625 =
required area, if needed. 0.0375 That is, 𝑷(𝒛 < −1.78) = 𝟎. 𝟎𝟑𝟕𝟓.

4. Write the required area (or probability). Thus, the probability that the z-score is less
than𝑧 − 1.78 is 0.0375.

What is a percentile?

Often the units for raw test scores are not informative. You might know that
you scored 90 out of 100 on a test but it doesn’t give you much information of what
your score means. Scores are more meaningful if percentile rank is given. What do
you mean by a percentile? If your teacher told you that your score in test is in the
90th percentile. What does it mean?

Percentile is the score at which a specified percentage of scores in a distribution fall below.
Percentile is a measure of relative standing. It is the percent of cases that are at or below a score. It
tells you how a value compares to other values.

➢ If your teacher tells you that you scored 90th percentile, it means that 90% of the grades were lower than
yours and 10% were higher.
➢ To say a score 53 is in the 75th percentile is to say that 75% of all scores are less than 53.

In the previous lesson, you learned on how to find the area or probability under the normal
curve given a z-value. Suppose, you know the area or probability this time, how would you find the
corresponding z-score?

When you are given with the area or probability and you want to know the corresponding
z-score, locate the area at the body of the table. If the exact area is not available, take the nearest
area. Then, look up the corresponding z-value

Example 1: Find the 90th percentile of a normal curve. Finding 90 th percentile means locating an area
below the point. To begin, find the z-value located at this point.

Solution:
Step 1: Express the 90th percentile to decimal so that you can easily find it in the z table,
that is, 0.9000. We know that 0.9000 occupies more than half of the curve. This occupies all the
area below the mean which is 0.5 or 0.5000. This left us with an area of 0.4000 above the mean
(0.9000-0.5000=0.4000).

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 Step 2: Locate the z-value corresponding to the area 0.4000. The z-value corresponding
to the area 0.4000 is not available, so take the nearest area. The nearest area is 0.3997 which
correspond to z = 1.28. So, the 90th percentile is z=1.28

Step 3: To illustrate, draw the normal curve. Draw a line through 𝑧 = 1.28 and shade the
region below it. The shaded region is 90% of the distribution.

Example 2: Find the 95th percentile of a normal curve. Finding 95thpercentile means locating an area
below the point. To begin, find the z-value located at this point.

Solution:
Step 1: Express the 95th percentile to decimal so that you can easily find it in the z table,
that is, 0.9500. We know that 0.9500 occupies more than half of the curve. This occupies all the
area below the mean which is 0.5 or 0.5000. This left us with an area of 0.4500 above the mean
(0.9500-0.5000=0.4500).

Step 2: Locate the z-value corresponding to the area 0.4500. The z-value corresponding
to the area 0.4500 is not available, so take the nearest area. The nearest areas are 0.4495 and
0.4505. Find the z-value corresponding to 0.4495 and 0.4505. These are z=1.64 and z=1.65. We
get the average of the two z-values: 𝑧 = 1.64+1.65 2 = 𝟏. 𝟔𝟒𝟓.Thus, the 95th percentile is
z=1.645.

Step 3: To illustrate, draw the normal curve. Draw a line through 𝑧 = 1.645 and shade
the region below it. The shaded region is 95% of the distribution.

Example 3: Find the upper 2% of the normal curve. Finding the upper 2% of the normal curve means
locating an area above the point. To begin, find the z-value located at this point.

Solution:
Step1: Express the given percent to decimal so that you can easily find it in the z table,
that is, 0.0200. The upper 5% or 0.0500 means to the right of a z-value above the mean. Find
the remaining area, using the upper side of the mean (0.5000- 0.0200=0.4800).

Step 2: Locate the z-value corresponding to the area 0.4800. The z-value corresponding
to the area 0.4800 is not available, so take the nearest area. The nearest area is 0.4798 which
corresponds to 𝑧 = 2.05. Thus, the upper 2% is above 𝒛 = 𝟐. 𝟎𝟓.

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 Step 3: To illustrate, draw the appropriate normal curve. Draw a line through 𝑧 = 2.05
and shade the region above it. The shaded region is 2% of the distribution.

Let’s Summarize!
Finding the area of a region is the same as finding the probability associated with that region.

• The following are probability notations used to denote probabilities under the normal curve.

1. 𝑃(𝑎 < 𝑧 < 𝑏)denotes the probability that the z-score is between a and b.

2. 𝑃(𝑧 > 𝑎)denotes the probability that the z-score is greater than a.

3. 𝑃(𝑧 < 𝑎)denotes the probability that the z-score is less than a.

• Percentile is a measure of relative standing. It is the percent of cases that are at or below a score.
It tells you how a value compares to other values.

• When you are given with the area or probability and you want to know the corresponding z-
score, locate the area at the body of the table. If the exact area is not available, take the nearest
area. Then, look up the corresponding z-value.

Learning Competency: Compute probabilities and percentiles using standard normal table (MII/12SP-
IIIc-d-1)

ACTIVITY 1
WHAT I CAN DO
Find the probabilities for each, using the standard normal distribution.

1. 𝑃(0 < 𝑧 < 1.96)

2. 𝑃(𝑧 > −1.43)
3. 𝑃(1.12 < 𝑧 < 1.43)
4. 𝑃(−1.23 < 𝑧 < 0)

ACTIVITY 2
FIND ME

Direction: Find each of the following percentile points and draw the appropriate
normal curve. Complete your procedures.

1. Find the 99th percentile of the normal curve.

2. Find the upper 5% of the normal curve.
3. Find the 92nd percentile rank of the normal curve.

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Reflection

7. What have you learnt from this activity?

_____________________________________________________________________
8. What did you like most from this lesson?
_____________________________________________________________________
9. What is the most challenging or least interesting from the activities?
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References for learners:

Belecina, Rene, E. Baccay, and E. Mateo (2016). Statistics and Probability: Rex Book Store, Inc., Manila
Philippines.
Laerd Statistics. “How to do Normal Distributions Calculations”. Accessed May 25, 2020.
https://statistics.laerd.com/statistical-guides/normal-distributioncalculations.
Bluman, Allan G. (2012) Elementary Statistics:A Step by Step Approach, Eighth Edition, McGraw-Hill
Companies Inc., 1221 Avenue of the Americas, New York, pp.347-353

Answer Key:

3. The 92nd percentile rank is z= 1.41

2. The upper 5% of the normal curve is above 𝑧 = 1.645.
1. The 99th percentile is 𝑧 = 2.33.
Activity 2

4. 𝑃(−1.23 < 𝑧 < 0) − 0.3907

3. 𝑃(1.12 < 𝑧 < 1.43) − 0.0550
2. 𝑃(𝑧 > −1.43) − 0.9236
1. 𝑃(0 < 𝑧 < 1.96) − 0.4750

Activity 1

Prepared by:

CHARMIE G. RELLORES
T-III (MORMS)

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