Data Analysis with Microsoft Excel: Updated for Office 2007

194 Fundamentals of Statistics

CONCEPT TUTORIALS

The Normal Distribution

To explore the normal distribution:

1 Open the fi le Distributions, located in the Explore folder. Enable the

macros contained in the workbook.

2 Click Normal from the Table of Contents column. The Normal work-

sheet opens as shown in Figure 5-9.

Figure 5-9

The Normal

Distribution

worksheet

The Normal workbook opens with m set to a value of 0 and s set to a value

of 1. A normal distribution with these parameter values is referred to as

standard normal. Now observe what happens as you alter the values of m and s.

To change the values of m and s:

1 Click the up spin button next to the mu box to change the value of m to 2.

Note that the distribution shifts to the right as the center of the dis-

tribution now lies over the value 2.