IB Mathematics HL

Test_2 - probability
syllabus content: probability rules for: combined events, mutually exclusive events & independent events; conditional
probability; discrete probability distributions; continuous probability distributions; expected value (mean), variance &
standard deviation for discrete & continuous distributions; binomial distribution; Poisson distribution; normal distribution

9 questions. GDC is allowed on all questions. total marks on test: 63

1. Events A and B are such that P ( A) = 0.3 and P ( B ) = 0.4

(a) Find the value of P ( A  B ) when

(i) A and B are mutually exclusive;
(ii) A and B are independent. [4 marks]

(b) Given that P ( A  B ) = 0.6 , find P ( A B ) . [3 marks]

2. Kirsten measured the heights of 55 students. After analysis, she conjectured that the height, H,
of the students could be modelled by a normal distribution with mean 168.3 cm and standard
deviation 4.75 cm.
(a) Based on this assumption, estimate the number of these students whose height is
at least 172 cm. [3 marks]

Later Kirsten noticed that the tape she had used to measure the heights was faulty as it started at
the 5 cm mark and not at the zero mark.
(b) What are the correct values of the mean and the variance of the distribution of
the heights of these students? [3 marks]

3. A continuous random variable X has probability density function

 20 x3 (1 − x ) , 0  x  1
f ( x) = 
 0, otherwise

Find the probability that X lies between the mean and the mode. [6 marks]

4. A discrete random variable X has a probability distribution given in the following table.

x 0.5 1.5 2.5 3.5 4.5 5.5

P ( X = x) 0.15 0.21 p q 0.13 0.07

(a) If E ( X ) = 2.61 , determine the value of p and the value of q. [4 marks]

(b) Calculate Var ( X ) to three significant figures. [2 marks]

5. From a group of 13 people which includes 4 sisters, a team of 7 is randomly selected. Find the
probability that the team contains:
(a) all of the sisters; [3 marks]
(b) at least one of the sisters. [4 marks]

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IB Mathematics HL

Test_2 - probability
6. A student arrives at a school X minutes after 08:00, where X may be assumed to be normally
distributed. On a particular day it is observed that 40% of the students arrive before 08:30 and
90% arrive before 08:55.
(a) Find the mean and standard deviation of X. [5 marks]

(b) The school has 1200 students and classes start at 09:00. Estimate the number
of students who will be late on that day. [3 marks]
(c) Edward had not arrived by 08:30. Find the probability that he arrived late. [2 marks]

7. The number of accidents that occur at a large factory can be modelled by a Poisson distribution
with a mean of 0.5 accidents per month.
(a) Find the probability that no accidents occur in a given month [1 marks]

(b) Find the probability that no accidents occur in a given 6 month period. [2 marks]
(c) Find the length of time, in complete months, for which the probability that
at least one accident occurs is greater than 0.99. [5 marks]

8. A continuous random variable X has a probability density function given by the

function p ( x ) , where

 k ( x + 2 )2 , − 2  x  0


p ( x) =  k, 0 x
4
 3
 0, otherwise

(a) Find the value of k. [2 marks]

(b) Hence, find
(i) the mean of X;

(ii) the median of X. [5 marks]

9. Over a one month period of time, Anna and Blake play a total of n games of tennis.
The probability that Anna wins any game is 0.4. The result of each game is independent
of any other game played.
Let X denote the number of games won by Anna over a one month period of time.

(a) Find an expression for P ( X = 2 ) in terms of n. [3 marks]

(b) If the probability that Anna wins two games is 0.121, correct to three decimal
places, find the value of n. [3 marks]

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