Answer:
The probability of a leg bone measuring less than 62 inches is about 75% (74.86%).
Step-by-step explanation:
To answer this question we can calculate the z-score, then use a table to look up a corresponding percentile using z tables.
The length is a random variable with mean = 60 in and standard deviation of 3 in and we are looking at a particular sample that 62 in long. That sample has the following z value:
[tex]z = \frac{62 - \mu}{\sigma}=\frac{62-60}{3}=\frac{2}{3}\approx0.67[/tex]
The area under the normal distribution curve that corresponds to the z value of 0.67 (using a z table - available on line) is 0.7486. This is the probability that a random sample of a fossil leg length is less that our particular value 62 inches. Roughly speaking, the probability of a leg bone less than 62 in is about 75% (aka 75-th percentile).
