Scientists in the Amazon are trying to find a cure for a deadly disease that is attacking the rain forests there. 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 centimeters. They also know that approximately 95% of the diameters fall between 32 and 52 centimeters and almost all of the diseased trees have diameters between 27 and 57 centimeters. When modeling the diameters of diseased trees, which distribution should the scientists use?
A) uniform distribution
B) binomial distribution
C) normal distribution
D) exponential distribution

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The given information suggests that the distribution of diameter of diseased trees follows a bell-shaped curve, with majority of the measurements falling within a narrow range around the mean (42 cm), and a smaller proportion of measurements occurring further away from the mean. This is a characteristic of normal distribution, hence the scientists should use a normal distribution to model the diameters of diseased trees.

Scientists in the Amazon Are Trying to Find a Cure