Tutorial 2b

Suppose that f(x)=0.5x-1 for 2<x<4. Determine the following:

a P(X<2.5) [Ans: 0.0625]
b P(X>3) [Ans: 0.75]
c P(2.5<X<3.5) [Ans: 0.5]
d Determine the cumulative distribution function for the random variable.

[ {

x <2

Ans : F ( x )= x x +1 2 x< 4
4
1
x4

Determine the mean and the variance of the random variable. [Ans: 10/3,
0.2222]

Assume Z has a standard normal distribution. Use the normal distribution table
to determine the value for a that solves each of the following:
a P(Z<a) = 0.9 [Ans: 0.9]
b P(Z>a) = 0.1 [Ans: 1.28]
c P(-1.24<Z<a) = 0.8 [Ans: 1.33]
d P(-a<Z<a) = 0.9973
The length of an injection-molded plastic case that holds magnetic tape is
normally distributed with a length of 90.2 mm and a standard deviation of 0.1
mm.
a What is the probability that a part is longer than 90.3 mm or shorter than
89.7 mm? [Ans: 0.15866]
b What should be the process mean be set at to obtain the greatest number
of parts between 89.7 and 90.3 mm? [Ans: 90.0]
Assume that the process is centered so that the mean is 90 mm and the
standard deviation is 0.1 mm. Suppose that 10 cases are measured, and they
are assumed to be independent.
c What is the probability that all 10 cases are between 89.7 and 90.3 mm?
[Ans: (0.9733)10]
d What is the expected number of the 10 cases that are between 89.7 and
90.3 mm? [Ans: 9.973]

5.

The CPU of a personal computer has a lifetime that is exponentially distributed

with a mean lifetime of 6 years. You have owned this CPU for 3 years.
a What is the probability that the CPU fails in the next 3 years? [Ans:
0.3935]
b Assume that your company has owned 10 CPUs for 3 years, and assume
that the CPUs fail independently. What is the probability that at least 1 fails
within the next three years? [Ans: 0.9933]
A square inch of carpeting contains 50 carpet fibres. The probability of a
damaged fibre is 0.0001. Assume the damaged fibres occur independently.
a Approximate the probability of one or more damaged fibres in 1 square
yard of carpeting. [Ans:0.9906]

b
1
6.

Approximate the probability of four or more damaged fibres in 1 square

yard of carpeting. [Ans:0.8790]
yard = 36 inches)

Hits to a high-volume Web site are assumed to follow a Poisson distribution

with a mean of 10000 per day. Approximate each of the following
a The probability of more than 20, 000 hits in a day. [Ans: 0]
b The probability of less than 9900 hits in a day. [Ans: 0.1586]
c The value such that the probability that the number of hits in a day
exceed the value is 0.01. [Ans: 10233]
d Approximate the expected number of days in a year (365 days) that
exceed 10200 hits. [Ans: 8.30 days]

7. The percentage of people exposed to a bacteria who become ill is 20%.

Assume that people are independent. Assume that 1000 people are exposed
to the bacteria. Approximate each of the following:
a The probability that more than 225 become ill. [Ans: 0.0217]
b The probability that between 175 and 225 become ill. [Ans: 0.9566]
c The value such that the probability that the number of people that
become ill exceeds the value is 0.01. [Ans: 229.5]