ZIMBABWE SCHOOL EXAMINATIONS COUNCIL

General Certificate of Education Advanced Level

MATHEMATICS 9164/4
PAPER 4
NOVEMBER 2015 SESSION 3 hours
Additional materials:
Answer paper
Graph paper
List of Formulae
Scientific calculator

TIME 3 hours

INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES

Write your name, Centre number and candidate number in the spaces provided on the answer
paper/answer booklet.

There is no restriction on the number of questions which you may attempt.

If a numerical answer cannot be given exactly, and the accuracy required is not specified in the
question, then in the case of an angle it should be given to the nearest degree, and in other cases it
should be given correct to 2 significant figures.

If a numerical value for g is necessary, take g = 9.81 ms-2.

INFORMATION FOR CANDIDATES

The number of marks is given in brackets [ ] at the end of each question or part question.

The total number of marks for this paper is 120.

Questions are printed in the order of their mark allocations and candidates are advised to attempt
questions sequentially.

The use of a scientific calculator is expected, where appropriate.

You are reminded of the need for clear presentation in your answers.

________________________________________________________________________________
This question paper consists of 8 printed pages.

Copyright: Zimbabwe School Examinations Council, N2015.

ZIMSEC N2015 [Turn over

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Section (a) : Statistics

1 In a random sample of mothers, each was asked how old she was when her
first child was born. The histogram shows the results of the survey.

(a) State the modal age group. [1]

(b) Find the number of mothers who were between 25 years and 30 years
old when their first child was born. [1]

(c) Calculate the number of mothers in the survey. [2]

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2 The number of telephone calls received by a receptionist during weekdays
follows a Poisson distribution with a mean of 2.5 calls per five minute period.

Find the probability that

(a) there are no calls in the next five minutes. [2]

(b) more than 2 calls are received between 11.00 am and 11.10 am. [3]

3 A continuous random variable X has a probability density function given by

ì ax,              0 £ x < 1, where a is a constant,

ï
f ( x )    = í a ( 2 - x ) ,   1 £ x £ 2,
2

ï
î0,                 otherwise. 

6
(a) Show that a = [2]
5

(b) Find
(i) E ( X ), [2]

(ii) Var (X). [2]

4 The mass of a randomly chosen green apple follows a normal distribution with
mean 0.125 kg and standard deviation 0.02 kg and the mass of a randomly
chosen red apple also follows a normal distribution with mean 0.1 kg and
standard deviation 0,03 kg.

Find the probability that the total mass of 3 randomly chosen green apples is
greater than 4 times the mass of a red apple.
[7]

5 The probability that a marksman hits a target when it is windy is 0.3 and
the corresponding probability when it is not windy is 0.8. The probability
that the wind will blow as he shoots is 0.2.

(a) Illustrate the information on a well-labelled tree diagram. [2]

(b) Find the probability that

(i) he hits the target,

(ii) it is not windy given that he misses the target. [5]

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6 The speeds of 120 randomly chosen cars are measured as they pass a point on
a main road.

Denoting the speed by X km/h, the results are summarised by

å( X -100) = -221 and å( X -100)

2
= 4 708.

Calculate

(i) unbiased estimates of the population

1. mean,

2. variance.

(ii) a 95 % confidence interval for the population mean.

[7]

7 (i) The talk time of a certain type of a cell phone battery is normally
distributed with mean 5 hours and standard deviation 40 minutes.

Calculate

1. the probability that the talk time of the battery lasts more than
6 hours.

2. the percentage of cell phone batteries that have a talk time of

more than 4 hours 30 minutes but less than 5 hours.
[4]
(ii) Six such batteries are chosen,
find the probability that exactly four of the batteries have a talk time
of more than 4 hours 30 minutes but less than 5 hours. [3]

8 A certain type of butter bean seed is said to produce 5 kg of yield per plant. A
gardener observes 64 such plants and measures the total yield X kg of each of
the plants. The results are summarised as:

Test at 10 % level of significance whether the total yield per plant is less
than 5 kg. [8]

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9 A tetrahedral die is thrown 120 times and the number on which it lands and
its frequency are noted.

The results are summarised in the table.

number 1 2 3 4
frequency 33 23 29 35

Test at 2.5 % level of significance whether the die is a fair one or not. [9]

10 A large number of athletes from different schools participate in a competition

where there are long distance and short distance events. Each athlete can either
participate in the long distance or short distance events but not in both.

10 % of the athletes win in the short distance events and 0.1 % win in the long
distance events.

(a) A small school has 20 participants.

Find the probability that at least 1 athlete wins. [3]

(b) A bigger school has 400 participants.

Find by using a suitable approximation, the probability that

(i) at least 35 athletes win in the short distance events,

(ii) at most 2 athletes win in the long distance events. [6)

11 An observer wishes to ascertain whether the age of voter determines his/her

choice of candidate in a public voting exercise. A random sample of 240
voters produced the following results.

candidate
age of voter (years) X Y

18 – 25 21 28

25 – 40 65 58

40 – 60 25 25

0ver 60 11 7

Carry out a c 2 test at 5 % level of significance, to find whether there is an

association between age of a voter and his/her choice of candidate. [13]

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 6

12 Ten boys take turns in throwing a ball. The table below shows the height of each
boy, x cm, measured to the nearest centimetre and the distance y m measured to
the nearest metre, to which he can throw the ball.

boy X(cm) Y (cm)

1 122 41
2 124 38
3 133 52
4 138 56
5 144 29
6 156 54
7 158 59
8 161 61
9 164 63
10 168 67

(a) Draw a scatter diagram to represent this set of data. [3]

(b) (i) Calculate the least squares regression equation of distance thrown,
(y m), against the height of a boy, (x cm), in the form y = a + bx.

(ii) Estimate the distance that a boy, of height 150 cm would throw. [7]

(c) (i) Find the product moment correlation coefficient.

(ii) Comment on the relationships between height of the boy and the
distance he can throw. [4]

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Section (b): Mechanics
13

A particle of mass 2 kg is held in equilibrium by two light inextensible strings

PQ and PR which make angles of 30 and 45 respectively with the horizontal
(see diagram).

Find the tensions T1 and T2 in the strings. [4]

14

A block, P, of mass 2 kg, lies on a rough plane inclined at 30 to the horizontal.
It is connected to a block, Q, of mass 3 kg by a light inextensible string passing
over a smooth pulley (see diagram).

The blocks are released and Q falls vertically downwards. The coefficient
1
of friction between the block P and the plane is .
5

(a) Find the acceleration of the system. [4]

(b) Calculate the tension in the string. [2]

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15 A car’s breaking system can bring a car to rest from a speed of 80 km/h in a
distance of 22.5 m.

(a) Find the deceleration produced by the braking system. [3]

(b) A driver of the car reacts in half a second before applying the brakes.

Find the distance the car travels before stopping if the car is travelling
at 120 km/h. [4]

16

A stone is projected from a point 5 m above a horizontal plane, with a velocity of

30 ms-1 and angle of projection a . The stone just clears a barrier 10 m high and
15 m away from the point of projection (see diagram).

Find the possible values of a . [7]

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