STATISTICS&–&NORMAL&DISTRIBUTION-&HEIGHTS&
The$normal&distribution&is$the$most$important$distribution$in$statistics.$It$describes$a$
symmetric$bell-shaped$distribution.$People's$heights$and$weights$are$all$roughly$bell-
shaped$and$symmetrical$around$a$central$value$called$the$mean.$$In$the$U.S.$
population,$about$14.5&percent$of$all$men$are$six$feet$or$over.$$Roughly$1%$of$US$
women$are$6$feet$tall$or$taller.$The$equivalent$height$cutoff$for$US$men$(only$1%$of$
population$taller)$is$about$6ʹ4″.$
$
With%the%help%of%your%teacher,%measure%and%record%the%height%of%the%students%in%your%class%to%the%nearest%
inch.%%Using%graph%paper%make%a%graph%which,%on%the%bottom%x%axis,%are%the%heights%from%the%shortest%to%
the%tallest%students%in%inch%steps.%On%the%y%or%upward%axis%label%the%number%of%students%at%a%particular%
height%from%0%to%the%highest%number.%%For%each%height%on%the%graph,%mark%the%number%of%students%at%that%
height.%%Did%you%get%a%bell%curve?%%If%not%what%may%be%the%reasons?%%What%would%happen%to%the%bell%curve%
if%you%were%to%plot%the%same%graph%but%now%included%all%the%students%in%your%school%in%your%grade?%%%%%%
