Scientists in Indonesia are trying to find a cure for a deadly disease that is attacking the rain forests on Borneo and Sumatra.One of the variables that the scientists have been measuring involves the diameter of the trunk of the trees that have been affected by the disease.Scientists have calculated that the average diameter of the diseased trees is 42 centimetres.They also know that approximately 95% of the diameters fall between 32 and 52 centimetres and almost all of the diseased trees have diameters between 27 and 57 centimetres.When modelling the diameters of diseased trees,which distribution should the scientists use?
A) Exponential distribution.
B) Normal distribution.
C) Uniform distribution.
D) Binomial distribution.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The normal distribution should be used in this case as the data is continuous and symmetric around the mean. The nearly all observed data within the range of 32 to 52 centimetres (95%) is an indication that a normal distribution is a good fit for the data. Neither the exponential nor binomial distribution are suitable here, and a uniform distribution would only be appropriate if the data were evenly distributed across the range of 27 to 57 centimetres, which is not the case.

Scientists in Indonesia Are Trying to Find a Cure for a Deadly