[Math] Find the probability of getting 20 heads in 40 flips of a fair coin

normal distributionprobability distributions

Find the probability of getting $20$ heads in $40$ flips of a fair coin

I did this problem with the binomial distribution and got my probability as $0.12537$.

However, I am being asked to do this using normal approximation to the binomial distribution with continuity correction.

So i'm using the formula:

$$ Z=\frac{x-np}{\sqrt{npq}}$$

where $x=20,n=40,p=\frac{1}{2},q=\frac{1}{2}$

I have:

$$P(x=20)=P(19.5<x<20.5)=P(\frac{-.5}{\sqrt{10}} < Z <\frac{.5}{\sqrt{10}}) $$

However, I'm not sure what to do after that. This is the first time I worked with a normal approximation case that involves exactly, it usually involves less than or greater than.

Any help or pointers would be appreciated.

Best Answer

So far, so good.

Once you have got the limits for z, proceed as usual, look up a z-table.