ALEKS 1/9/20, 9(52 PM

Learning

QUESTION

The unemployment rate in a city is 12%. If 6 people from the city are sampled
at random, find the probability that at most 2 of them are unemployed.

Carry your intermediate computations to at least four decimal places, and

round your answer to two decimal places.

(If necessary, consult a list of formulas.)

EXPLANATION

If the following are true, we have a binomial experiment (or a binomial

situation).

There are n independent trials. (The occurrence of one doesn't affect any
of the others.)
Each trial ends either in success or failure.
Each trial has the same probability p of success.

Then the probability gx that exactly x of the trials end in success is given by
the binomial formula.

x n−x
g x = nC x p 1−p More

Note that we have such a situation in our problem.

There are 6 people. Because they are sampled at random, we have

independent trials.
Each person either is unemployed or isn't.
Each person has a 12% chance of being unemployed.

So, using n = 6 and p = 0.12, here is the probability g x that exactly x of the
people are unemployed.

x 6−x
g x = 6C x 0.12 1 − 0.12 (1)

We want the probability that at most 2 of the people are unemployed. More

P at most 2 are unemployed = g 0 + g 1 + g 2

Using equation (1), we get the following.

https://www-awa.aleks.com/alekscgi/x/Isl.exe/19K11uOYEuM3RvEN…tsNWf4QwhrlmIIUoc62oz6kIOIplLpApPuVs3cVzDK2qeU6y5a9Sf0uQprTR Page 1 of 2
ALEKS 1/9/20, 9(52 PM

g 0 + g 1 + g 2 C 0.12 0 6 1 5 2 4
6 0 1 − 0.12 + 6C 1 0.12 1 − 0.12 + 6C 2 0.12 1 − 0.12
=
0 6 1 5 2 4
1 0.12 1 − 0.12 + 6 0.12 1 − 0.12 + 15 0.12 1 − 0.12
≈ 0.9739

Rounding to the nearest hundredth, we get 0.97.

The answer can also be found by inputting P B 6, 0.12 ≤ 2 on the ALEKS

calculator.
The notation B 6, 0.12 refers to a binomial random variable with parameters

n = 6 and p = 0.12.

ANSWER

0.97

https://www-awa.aleks.com/alekscgi/x/Isl.exe/19K11uOYEuM3RvEN…tsNWf4QwhrlmIIUoc62oz6kIOIplLpApPuVs3cVzDK2qeU6y5a9Sf0uQprTR Page 2 of 2