Cambridge Senior Mathematical Methods AC/VCE Units 1 & 2

Online Teaching Suite Chapter 11 Discrete probability distributions: Chapter test 1

Multiple-choice questions
1 Consider the following table.

x 0 1 2 3 4
Pr(X = x) –k –k –k –k –k

For the table to represent a probability function the value of k is

A 0.1
B 0.2
C –0.1
D –0.2
E there is no possible value

2 The probability distribution of a random variable X is shown in the table below.

x –2 –1 0 1 2
Pr(X = x) 0.1 k 0.2 0.2 k

For the table to represent a probability function the value of k is

A 0.01
B 0.10
C 0.15
D 0.20
E 0.25

3 Suppose that the random variable X has the probability distribution given in the
following table.

x 1 2 3 4 5
Pr(X = x) 0.05 0.33 0.08 0.3 0.24

Then Pr (3  X  5) is equal to
A 0.62
B 0.08
C 0.38
D 0.32
E 0.54

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Cambridge Senior Mathematical Methods AC/VCE Units 1 & 2
Online Teaching Suite Chapter 11 Discrete probability distributions: Chapter test 1

4 A spinner is marked as shown.

1 2

2 2

If X is the number indicated by the spinner then the probability distribution of X is

x 1 2
Pr(X = x) 1 1
3 3

x 1 2
Pr(X = x) 1 3
4 4

x 1 2
Pr(X = x) 1 2
3 3

x 1 2
Pr(X = x) 1 1
2 2

x 1 2
Pr(X = x) 1 1
4 3

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Cambridge Senior Mathematical Methods AC/VCE Units 1 & 2
Online Teaching Suite Chapter 11 Discrete probability distributions: Chapter test 1

5 Suppose that there are three balls in a bag, one white and two black. A ball is drawn
from the bag, and its colour noted. If the ball is white, the ball is not replaced and a
second ball is drawn. Its colour is noted and the process is repeated until a black ball is
drawn. If X is the number of balls drawn before a black ball is drawn, the possible
value(s) for X are
A {0}
B {0, 1}
C {0, 1, 2}
D {1}
E {1, 2}

6 Suppose that X is the number of male children born into a family. If the distribution of
X is binomial with probability of success of 0.48, then the probability that a family with
seven children will have exactly two male children is
A 0.48  2
B (0.48)2  7
7
C C2(0.48)2(0.52)5
7
D C2(0.48)2
7
E C2(0.52)2(0.48)5

7 A six-sided die is rolled four times, the probability of 6 showing at least once is closest
to
A 0.3858
B 0.4823
C 0.5177
D 0.1319
E 0.8681

8 Which one of the following random variables has a binomial distribution?

A the number of times an even number is observed when a fair die is rolled
B the number of rainy days in a row before a sunny day is observed
C the weight in kilograms of a randomly chosen student
D the number of people at a football game each week
E the diameter of tomatoes grown on a bush

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Cambridge Senior Mathematical Methods AC/VCE Units 1 & 2
Online Teaching Suite Chapter 11 Discrete probability distributions: Chapter test 1

9 The probability that a randomly selected person will barrack for Collingwood is 0.1. If
12 people are selected at random, the probability that at least one of them barracks for
Collingwood is given by
A (0.1)12
12
B C1(0.1)1(0.9)11
C 1 – 12C1(0.1)1(0.9)11
D 1 – (0.9)12
E (0.1)12 + 12C1(0.1)1(0.9)11

10 At a certain hospital the probability of a child being born female in is 0.52. If 100
babies are born on a certain day, the probability that fewer than half of these babies are
female is closest to
A 0.3816
B 0.0375
C 0.6184
D 0.6918
E 0.3082

11 Steve passes through three sets of traffic lights on his way to work. The probability of
3
him having to stop at any traffic light is , and this is independent of whether or not he
8

has to stop at any other traffic light. The probability that he drives all the way to work
without stopping at a traffic light is

3
A
8

27
B
512

5
C
8

125
D
512
225
E
512

© Evans, Wallace, Lipson, Greenwood 2016 4

Cambridge Senior Mathematical Methods AC/VCE Units 1 & 2
Online Teaching Suite Chapter 11 Discrete probability distributions: Chapter test 1

12 Which one of the following graphs best represents the shape of a binomial probability
distribution of the random variable X with 10 independent trials and probability of
success 0.8?
A B

C D

Questions 13–15 refer to the following information.

The probability of winning a single game of chance is 0.2, and whether or not the game is
won is independent of the outcome of any other game.

13 Suppose Nathan plays the game six times. The probability that he wins three or four
times is closest to
A 0.0819
B 0.0154
C 0.0989
D 0.0170
E 0.0973

14 Suppose Nathan plays a sequence of n games. If the probability of winning at least one
game is more than 0.95, then the smallest value n can take is closest to
A 29
B 28
C 14
D 11

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Cambridge Senior Mathematical Methods AC/VCE Units 1 & 2
Online Teaching Suite Chapter 11 Discrete probability distributions: Chapter test 1

E 2

15 Suppose Nathan plays another sequence of n games. If the probability of winning at

least two games is more than 0.95, then the smallest value n can take is closest to
A 5
B 29
C 37
D 40
E 22

Short-answer questions (technology-free)

1 For the probability distribution given in the table calculate:

x 0 1 2 3 4 5
Pr(X = x) 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.2 0.1 0.1

a Pr(X  3) b Pr(X  2) c Pr(2  X  4)

2 Consider the following function.

x –3 –2 –1 0 1 2
Pr(X = x) k 2k 2k 2k 2k 2k

For what value of k is this a probability distribution?

3 A jar contains one red marble, four green marbles and 15 white marbles. One marble is
drawn at random from the jar. If the marble is red, Joe wins $10.00, if it is green, he
wins $1.00, but if it is white he doesn’t win anything. If X is the amount of money Joe
wins, give the probability distribution of X.

4 A jar contains two mints and three toffees. If two sweets are selected at random from
the jar without replacement, and X is the number of mints selected, what is the
probability distribution of X?

5 For a binomial distribution with n = 4 and p = 0.2, find the probability of:
a three successes
b three or more successes
c at most three successes.

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Cambridge Senior Mathematical Methods AC/VCE Units 1 & 2
Online Teaching Suite Chapter 11 Discrete probability distributions: Chapter test 1

6 Suppose that 70% of the phone calls at Mikki’s house are for Mikki, and that the rest
are for other members of her family. What is the probability that of the next three
phone calls at least one will be for Mikki?

7 According to a survey, 20% of secondary students work part-time. If four students are
selected at random, what is the probability that at least two of them work part-time?

Extended-response question
Kiera is in charge of quality control at her company. She has to decide whether or not to
accept deliveries of potatoes from the suppliers, and to do this she must test some of the
potatoes. She must test enough potatoes to see if the batch is acceptable, but as potatoes are
destroyed in the process of testing, she must not test too many. She wants to ensure that she
rejects batches in which more than 10% of potatoes are defective.

a A sampling inspection plan is devised as follows. A sample of 30 potatoes is drawn

from a large batch of potatoes, and all 30 are tested. If the sample contains two or less
than two defective potatoes, the batch is accepted. If the sample contains three or more
defective potatoes, the batch is rejected. Suppose that 10% of the potatoes are
defective. What is the probability that the batch is rejected?

b A friend suggests that she use a double-sampling plan. A sample of 20 potatoes is

drawn from a large batch of potatoes, and all 20 are tested. If the sample contains no
defective potatoes, the batch is accepted. If the sample contains two or more defective
potatoes, the batch is rejected. If the sample contains one defective potato, a further
sample of 10 potatoes is selected and tested. If any of these are defective, the whole
batch is rejected. Suppose that 10% of the potatoes are defective.
i What is the probability that the batch is rejected on the basis of the first sample?
ii What is the probability that a second sample will be drawn?
iii What is the probability that the batch is rejected on the basis of the second
sample?
iv What is the probability that the batch is rejected?

c Which plan do you recommend that Keira use? Explain your answer.

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Cambridge Senior Mathematical Methods AC/VCE Units 1 & 2
Online Teaching Suite Chapter 11 Discrete probability distributions: Chapter test 1

Answers
Multiple-choice questions

1 D 2 E 3 A 4 B 5 B

6 C 7 C 8 A 9 D 10 E

11 D 12 C 13 E 14 C 15 E

Short-answer questions (technology-free)

1 a 0.8 b 0.7 c 0.6

1
2
11

x 10 1 0
Pr(X = x) 0.05 0.2 0.75

x 0 1 2
Pr(X = x) 0.3 0.6 0.1

5 a 0.0256 b 0.0272 c 0.9984

6 0.973

7 0.1808

Extended-response question

a 0.5886
b i 0.6083 ii 0.2702
iii 0.6513 iv 0.7842
c The double-sampling plan is better because it has a higher probability of rejecting a
sample in which 10% of potatoes are defective, and will use fewer potatoes.

© Evans, Wallace, Lipson, Greenwood 2016 8