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Statistical interview question: give an example of a random variable that follows a normal distribution
The normal distribution, often called the Gaussian distribution, is widely considered the most common distribution in statistics and many other fields.It is frequently used to model real world data and is essential for many statistical procedures.
The normal distribution is bell shaped and is characterised by two parameters, being the mean and the standard deviation.
The mean is the average of all of the data points and is the central point of the distribution.
The standard deviation tells the scientist how spread out the numbers are around the mean in a dataset, revealing how much the data varies from the mean. It plays a crucial role in determining the shape and spread of the distribution.
The standard deviation measures the distance between each data point from the mean. It determines the width of the bell curve:-
- A smaller standard deviation means that the data points are closer to the mean, resulting in a narrower bell curve.
- A larger standard deviation means the data points are spread out, resulting in a wider bell curve.
The normal distribution is symmetrical, with most of the data clusters centering around the…
