33 Density Curves and Normal Distributions - People ：33密度曲线与正态分布的人.ppt

3.3 Density Curves and Normal Distributions Density Curves Measuring Center and Spread for Density Curves Normal Distributions The 68-95-99.7 Rule Standardizing Observations Using the Standard Normal Table Inverse Normal Calculations Normal Quantile Plots * We now have a kit of graphical and numerical tools for describing distributions. We also have a strategy for exploring data on a single quantitative variable. Now, we’ll add one more step to the strategy. Exploring Quantitative Data Always plot your data: Make a graph. Look for the overall pattern (shape, center, and spread) and for striking departures such as outliers. Calculate a numerical summary to briefly describe center and spread. Sometimes, the overall pattern of a large number of observations is so regular that we can describe it by a smooth curve. Exploring Quantitative Data * * Density curves A density curve is a mathematical model of a distribution… The total area under the curve, by definition, is equal to 1, or 100%. The area under the curve for a range of values is the proportion of all observations for that range. Area under Density Curve ~ Relative Frequency of Histogram Histogram of a sample with the smoothed, density curve describing theoretically the population. rel. freq of left histogram=287/947=.303 area = .293 under rt. curve * A density curve is a curve that: Is always on or above the horizontal axis Has an area of exactly 1 underneath it A density curve describes the overall pattern of a distribution. The area under the curve and above any range of values on the horizontal axis is the proportion of all observations that fall in that range. Density Curves Density curves come in many shapes. Some are well known mathematically and others aren’t – but they all lie above the horizontal axis and have total area = 1. * Our measures of center and spread apply to density curves as well as to actual sets of observations. The median of a density curve is the equa