Exploring the Tails of the Normal Distribution

Initializing live version
Download to Desktop

Requires a Wolfram Notebook System

Interact on desktop, mobile and cloud with the free Wolfram Player or other Wolfram Language products.

This Demonstration allows you to estimate the area under the tails of the normal distribution curve. Reading the value of the cumulative distribution function (orange curve) for a specific value gives the area under the probability distribution function (blue curve) to the left (for the lower tail) or to the right (upper tail) of the value. The probability distribution function can be adjusted to have values for the mean and standard deviation in the ranges (-10, 10) and (0.1, 15), respectively.

Contributed by: Joe O'Hara (September 2007)
Open content licensed under CC BY-NC-SA


Details

In the "full distribution" view, the plotted range is set at . This range can be expanded or compressed by using the bottom slider. In the "lower tail" view, the plotted range is set at (, ) to give a view of the tail beyond the typically viewed point. Similarly, for the "upper tail" view, the plotted range is set at (, ). The ranges in these tail views can also be expanded or compressed to home in on the portions of the curves of interest.


Snapshots



Feedback (field required)
Email (field required) Name
Occupation Organization
Note: Your message & contact information may be shared with the author of any specific Demonstration for which you give feedback.
Send