normally distributed population, calculating in R the probability of negative or zero readings occurring

Question

In R, how do you calculate the probability of negative or zero readings occurring? μ and σ are giving.

Answer 1

You can use the distribution function of the gaussian distribution:

pnorm(0,μ,σ)

(I guess you are speaking about gaussian distribution)

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edit

The pnorm is the cumulative density function. Its values are between 0 and 1, and its value at x gives the area under the gaussian curve from -inf to x. In my example below, the value at 0 of pnorm give the area in pink under the gaussian curve, so the probability you are looking for, i.e. the probability of sampling a value following the corresponding gausian distribution with a value below or equal to 0.