Statistics has become one of the most valuable degrees in the world right now. Its concepts play a major role in all the trending industries, like cryptography. Among many realistic topics, Z-Score is one of its most valuable concepts.
Z-Score is a statistical measure that offers a systematic way to determine the significance of individual or group data points regarding the overall population. This concept may seem simple, but it has many real-life applications. So, in this article, we’ll focus on the most common ones.
Besides discussing the real-life application of Z-Score, we’ll also share the most accurate way to calculate the value of this concept. So, let’s delve into this discussion without wasting any time.
Real-Life Applications and Practical Examples of Z-Scores
The concept of Z-Score has several real-world applications. However, for the sake of this discussion, we have limited our focus to those whose practical examples are possible. So, here are the four most popular Z-Score real-life applications, along with relevant examples:
Academic Performance
One of the most common real-life applications of Z-Score belongs to the world of academia. This concept can help you compare your obtained marks to the average score and find out whether you’ve performed strongly or not. For instance, let’s say you’ve scored 90 in a subject where the average (mean) score is 82, and the standard deviation is 5. In such a situation, you will get a Z-Score value of 1.6, which indicates that your obtained marks are 1.6 standard deviations above the mean. So, you’ve performed strongly in that particular subject.
Biological Studies
Animal enthusiasts and biologists use Z-Scores’ findings to determine whether a particular animal’s height or weight is less or higher than the average. Let’s understand this with the example of a giraffe. Studies show that male giraffes generally weigh around 1900 kg (4200 lbs.) and are 4.8-5.5 m (16-18 feet) tall, whereas female giraffes usually are 4.3-4.8 m (14-16 feet) high and weigh up to 1,180 kg (2,600 lbs). So, considering that the standard deviation is 2 feet here, a 15-foot-tall male giraffe will have a Z-Score of 0.5. This Z-Score value indicates that the 15-foot-tall male giraffe is slightly shorter than average.
Medical Assessments
Like animals, Z-Scores’ findings can also assist in evaluating newborn babies’ weight. As a matter of fact, the medical staff of most hospitals are already using this technique to provide an estimate of an underweight or overweight baby. For example, assume that the average weight of newborns is 3.40 kg (7.5 lbs.) with a standard variation of 0.5 lbs. So, if a baby weighs around 3.49266 kg (7.7 lbs), it will be considered slightly heavier than the average weight.
College Admission
College admission officers often use different metrics, such as GPAs and SAT scores, to evaluate applicants. However, Z-Score can make this job easier and more accurate for them. For instance, Z-Score can provide a more realistic comparison between applicants’ SAT scores and GPAs. This way, admission officers can evaluate complicated cases, such as those with a higher SAT score and a lower GPA, more fairly and make better decisions.
What Is the Best Way to Calculate Z-Score?
Generally, people take assistance from the following equation to calculate the value of Z-Score and use its findings in real-life scenarios:
Z-Score = x – μ
In the above formula, the expression ‘σ’ denotes the ‘standard deviation of the population,’ ‘μ’ denotes the ‘population mean,’ and ‘x’ is the ‘raw score.’ However, finding the Z-Score using this formula is time-consuming and requires a good command of mathematics. A more optimized way to perform the same task is to use https://z-scorecalculator.info/.
Such a tool takes manual arithmetics out of the equation because it has already been programmed to perform arithmetic operations precisely. Therefore, you can use an automated method rather than manually finding the Z-Score. Following this approach will bring dual benefits: accuracy and time-saving.
Concluding Remarks — Final Verdict
In summary, Z-Score is one of the most valuable topics in statistics because it has various practical applications in real life. From weight and height analysis to academic score assessments, this statistical concept offers valuable insights that pave the way for more precise decision-making. However, the findings of Z-Score can only prove advantageous in real life if you know how to calculate it. So, if you don’t know the formula for computing the Z-Score, you can get assistance from an online calculator to automate things and be more accurate.
Internet Writer
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