The retirement age for NFL players follows a bell-shaped (normally …

Mathematics Questions

The retirement age for NFL players follows a bell-shaped (normally distributed) curve with a mean (Œº) of 33.7 years and a standard deviation (œE) of 2.1 years. a) What are the two retirement age values between which approximately 99% of NFL players will fall? b) What percentage of NFL players retire between the ages of 29.5 and 37.9 years? c) What percentage of NFL players retire between the ages of 31.6 and 35.8 years?

Short Answer

Approximately 99% of NFL players retire between ages 27.4 and 40.0 years, while around 95.45% retire between 29.5 and 37.9 years. Additionally, about 68.27% retire between ages 31.6 and 35.8 years.

Step-by-Step Solution

Step 1: Determine the Retirement Age Range

To find the age range where approximately 99% of NFL players retire, we utilize the properties of the normal distribution. Given a mean (Œº) of 33.7 years and a standard deviation (œE) of 2.1 years, we calculate:

  • Lower value: ≈í¬∫ – 3≈ìE = 33.7 – 3(2.1) = 27.4 years
  • Upper value: ≈í¬∫ + 3≈ìE = 33.7 + 3(2.1) = 40.0 years

Thus, approximately 99% of NFL players’ retirement ages fall between 27.4 and 40.0 years.

Step 2: Calculate Retirement Age Probability (29.5 to 37.9 years)

Next, to find the percentage of players retiring between 29.5 and 37.9 years, we must convert these ages into z-scores. The calculations yield:

  • Lower z-score: zlower = (29.5 – 33.7) / 2.1 = -2.0
  • Upper z-score: zupper = (37.9 – 33.7) / 2.1 = 2.0

Using the cumulative distribution function (CDF), we find that approximately 95.45% of NFL players retire within this age bracket.

Step 3: Estimate Retirement Age Probability (31.6 to 35.8 years)

Finally, for the age range of 31.6 to 35.8 years, we again convert these ages to z-scores:

  • Lower z-score: zlower = (31.6 – 33.7) / 2.1 = -1.0
  • Upper z-score: zupper = (35.8 – 33.7) / 2.1 = 1.0

Applying the CDF, we determine that approximately 68.27% of NFL players retire within this specified age range.

Related Concepts

Normal Distribution

A probability distribution that is symmetrical about the mean, where most observations cluster around the central peak and probabilities for values further from the mean taper off equally in both directions.

Z-Scores

A numerical measurement that describes a value’s relationship to the mean of a group of values, expressed in terms of standard deviations from the mean.

Cumulative Distribution Function (Cdf)

A function that shows the probability that a random variable will take a value less than or equal to a specific value, used in statistics to calculate probabilities over ranges within a distribution.

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