Solved Problems

5.4 Suppose that f(x) = 1.5x2 for –1 < x < 1. Determine the following probabilities:
(a) p(0 < x) (b) p(0.5 < x)
(c) p(–0.5 < x < 0.5) (d) p(x < –2)
(e) p(x < 0 or x > –0.5)
(f) Determine X such that p( X < x) = 0.05.

Solution:

 1 
(a) p(0  x)  p( x  0)   f ( x)dx   f ( x)dx   f ( x)dx
0 0 1

 1
1
 x3  1
  1.5 x dx   0dx  1.5  
2

0 1  3 0 2
(b) Taking lead from the previous problem
 1
1
 x3   1  1  7
p (0.5  x)  p ( x  0.5)   1.5 x dx   0dx  1.5    1   
2

0 .5 1  3  0.5  2  8  16
(c) Taking lead from the previous problem
0.5
 x3   1  1 1  1
p (0.5  x  0.5)  1.5       
 3  0.5  2  8 8  8
(d) The probability function does not exist for x < –2. Therefore p(x < –2) = 0.
(e) To ascertain the region whose probability we have to find, we see the two regions on the real
number line below. We can see that the union of the two regions is the entire domain of the
x > –0.5
x < 0.0

–1.0 –0.5 0.0 0.5 1.0

probability function. Therefore, p(x < 0 or x > –0.5) = 1.0.

 
1 .0
(f) p ( x  X )   1.5 x 2 dx 
1 3
2
x
1 .0
X 
1
2
 
1  X 3  0.05 .
X

Solving, we find X ≈ 0.9655.

 0.0 x0
0.2 x 0 x4

5.13 F ( x)  
0.4 x  0.64 4 x9
1.0 9 x
Determine the probability density function for the above cumulative density function.

Solution:

The probability density function can be obtained from the cumulative density function by
differentiation. Therefore, the probability density function is
0.0 x0
0.2 0x4

f ( x)  
0.4 4 x9
0.0 9x
The result can be verified by integration.

5.26 The thickness of photoresist applied to wafers in semiconductor manufacturing at a

particular location on the wafer is uniformly distributed between 0.2050 and 0.2150
micrometers.
(a) Determine the cumulative distribution function of photoresist thickness.
(b) Determine the proportion of wafers that exceeds 0.2125 micrometers in photoresist
thickness.
(c) What thickness is exceeded by 10% of the wafers?
(d) Determine the mean and variance of photoresist thickness.

Solution:

(a) For this problem of uniform distribution,  = 0.2050,  = 0.2150. The cumulative distribution
is
0 x  0.2050

F ( x)  1000.2150  x  0.2050  x  0.2150
1.0 x  0.2150

(b) We have to find the probability p(0.2125 < x < 0.2150). From the cumulative distribution we
found in the last problem, we find p = 0.25. Therefore, 25% of the wafers photoresist
thickness would exceed 0.2125 micrometers.
(c) We have to find X, such that p(x > X) = 0.10. Once again, from the cumulative distribution,
100(0.2150 – X) = 1 – 0.10. Therefore X = 0.2060 micrometers.
 βα
(d) The mean  of uniform distribution is . Therefore,  = 0.2100 micrometers. The
2
2
variance  of a uniform distribution is σ 
2 β  α
2
. Therefore, 2 = 8.33 × 10–6.
12

5.37 The time between arrivals of taxis at a busy intersection is exponentially distributed with a
mean of 10 minutes.
(a) What is the probability that you wait longer than one hour for a taxi?
(b) Suppose you have already been waiting for one hour for a taxi, what is the probability
that one arrives within the next 10 minutes?
(c) Determine x such that the probability that you wait more than x minutes is 0.10.
(d) Determine x such that the probability that you wait less than x minutes is 0.90.
(e) Determine x such that the probability that you wait less than x minutes is 0.50.

Solution:

(a) This is a problem of exponential distribution.  = 10 minutes. Therefore

p(x > 1 hour) = p(x > 60 minutes) = 1 – F(60) = e–x/ = e–60/10 = 0.0025.
(b) This problem uses ‘memoryless property’ of exponential distribution. Therefore,
p(x < 10) = F(10) = 1 – e–10/10 = 0.6321.
(c) We have to find X, such that p(x > X) = 0.10. Therefore,
1 – F(X) = 0.10.
or 1 – (1 – e–X/10) = 0.10
Solving, we obtain X = 23 minutes.
Parts (d) and (e) can be worked out similarly.

5.39 The lifetime of a mechanical assembly in a vibration test is exponentially distributed with a
mean of 400 hours.
(a) What is the probability that an assembly on test fails in less than 100 hours?
(b) What is the probability that an assembly operates for more than 500 hours before
failure?
(c) If an assembly has been on test for 400 hours without a failure, what is the probability
of a failure in the next 100 hours?
(d) If 10 assemblies are tested, what is the probability that at least one fails in less than 100
hours? Assume that the assemblies fail independently.
(e) If 10 assemblies are tested, what is the probability that all have failed by 800 hours?
Assume the assemblies fail independently.
Solution:

(a) Exponential distribution.  = 400 hours. In this problem, we have to find p(x < 100 hours).
Therefore, p(x < 100) = F(100) = 1 – e–100/400 = 0.2212.
(b) We have to find p(x > 500 hours). Therefore, p(x > 500) = 1 – F(500) = e–500/400 = 0.2865.
(c) Remembering memoryless property of exponential distribution, we have to find
p(x < 100 hours). From part (a), p(x < 100) = 0.2212.
(d) This problem is a combination of exponential distribution and binomial distribution.
Probability of one assembly failing in less than 100 hours is a problem of exponential
problem distribution. We have already found this as 0.2212. If 10 assemblies are tested, than
the problem is a binomial distribution problem with p = 0.2212. Therefore, if x denotes the
number of assemblies that fails, then
p(x ≥ 1) = 1 – p(x = 0) = 1 – 10 C 0 p 0 (1  p )10  1  (1  0.2212)10  0.9179
(e) This is also a two parts problem; first part is exponential distribution, and second part is
binomial distribution. Probability of one unit failing within 800 hours) is a problem of
exponential distribution. Therefore,
p(x < 800) = F(800) = 1 – e–800/400 = 0.8647
If 10 units are tested, and all fail within 800 hours, let x denote the number of units those fail
within 800 hours. Therefore,
p(x = 10) = 10 C10  (0.8647 )10  (1  0.8647 ) 0  0.2336

5.53 The compressive strength of samples of cement can be modeled by a normal distribution
with a mean of 6000 kilograms per square centimeter and a standard deviation of 100
kilograms per square centimeter.
(a) What is the probability that a sample’s strength is less than 6250 kg/cm2?
(b) What is the probability that a sample’s strength is between 5800 and 5900 kg/cm2?
(c) What strength is exceeded by 95% of the samples?

Solution:

(a) The problem follows a normal distribution. Let x denote the compressive strength of cement.
We have to find
 6250  6000 
p(x < 6250) = p z    p ( z  2.5)  0.9938
 100 
(b) We have to find
 5800  6000 5900  6000 
p (5800  x  5900)  p z   p (  2 .0  z   1 .0 )
 100 100 
 = 0.1587 –0.0228 = 0.1359.
(c) We have to find the value of X, such that p(x < X) = 0.95.
p(x < X) = 0.95
or p(z < Z) = 0.95
X  6000
From the standard normal table, Z = 1.645. Therefore,  1.645 . Solving, we
100
obtain, X = 6164.5 kg/cm2.