Tree Diagrams

1. Based on a survey of 78,564 students of the ninth- and twelfth-graders in Minnesota public schools
in 1998, Stinchfield (2001) reported proportions admitting that they had gambled at least once a
week during the previous year. He found that these proportions differed considerably for males
and females, as well as for ninth- and twelfth-graders. One result he found was that 22.9% of the
ninth grade boys but only 4.5% of the ninth grade girls admitted gambling at least weekly. The
ninth-graders consisted of 50.9% girls. Construct a tree diagram for this information.

2. Janice has noticed that on her drive to work, there are several things that can slow her down. First,
she hits a red light with probability 0.3. If she hits the red light, she also has to stop for the
commuter train with probability 0.4, but if she makes the first light green, probability 0.6, she has
to stop for the commuter train with probability 0.6. If she goes through the first light when it is
yellow, she has to stop for the commuter train with probability 0.5. Construct a tree diagram for
these possibilities. Verify (show the computations) that the probability that she does not have to
stop at all is 0.29.

3. The battery in your television remote control unit has just died and you need the remote to change
the channel to watch the Oscar Presentations. Your roommate offers you a battery from their box
of properly sized batteries. This box contains four good batteries and three bad batteries. You draw
one battery at a time and test it in your remote. If the battery is good, you thank your roommate
and watch the Oscar’s together. If the battery is bad, you take it out of the remote, and throw it
(the battery not the remote) away. You keep selecting one battery at a time until a good battery is
found. Draw a complete tree diagram for this situation. If you find all three bad batteries, your
roommate swears to never mix good and bad batteries together again.

4. Each morning the probability that Anna gets up late is 0.15. If she gets up late, the probability she
misses her bus is 0.56. If she doesn’t get up late the probability that she misses her bus is 0.14. If
she misses her bus she will be late for school and if she is late for school two days in a row she
must go to detention. Use a tree diagram to determine the probability that she is late for school two
days in a row.

5. A somewhat absent-minded hiker forgets to bring his insect repellent on 30% of his hikes. Even if
he remembers to bring it, he forgets to apply it 20% of the time. The probability of being bitten is
.9 if he does not bring the repellent, or if he forgets to apply it. The probability of being bitten is
.05 if he brings the repellent and applies it. Construct a tree diagram for this hiker.

6. Steve and Debra have an appointment in New Jersey. They have several “legs” in their travels.
They have a 90% chance of getting up early enough to pack and get to the airport in time to make
their first flight of the day. If they miss any either of their flights they will miss their appointment.
If they make their first flight they have a probability of .65 of missing their second flight because
of the longer than usual flight path of their first flight. If they do in fact make their second flight
they have a .2 probability of getting lost on their 1-hour drive to their appointment and a .3
probability of being delayed by stop and go traffic. In either case they will miss their appointment.
Create a complete tree diagram for this situation and find the probability of getting to their
appointment.
7. When Alex visits his favorite Italian Restaurant he orders off of the children’s menu 17% of the
time and otherwise off of the adult menu. If he orders off the children’s menu, he selects Spaghetti
43% of the time, Chicken Nuggets 37% of the time and the Jr. Steak the rest of the time. When he
orders off the adult menu he orders the Pasta Di Mare (Gluten-free so dad can eat the take-home)
70% of the time, the Soup of the Day 25% of the time and the Steak the rest of the time. Create a
complete tree diagram for this situation.

8. Mass produced glass bricks are inspected for defects. The probability that a brick has air bubbles
is .002. If a brick has air bubbles the probability that it is cracked is .5 while the probability that a
brick free of air bubbles is cracked is .005. The probability that a brick chosen at random is
discolored is .006. Draw a tree diagram for this information.

9. Whether or not Alex gets up on time for school depends on whether he remembers to set his alarm
clock the evening before. He forgets to set his alarm on 15% of “school nights”. If the alarm is set,
5% of the time he is late for school. If the alarm is not set, 76% of the time he is late for school.
Construct a tree diagram for this information. How often is Alex late for school?

10. Jessica does not have any cat food and plans to buy some on her way home from work. However,
she tends to be forgetful. Even though she passes by the grocery store, the probability she will
remember to stop is 0.6. If she remembers to stop, Jessica will decide to pick up other things that
she also needs, and the probability that she will include the cat food among her purchases is 0.5.
Construct a tree diagram for this information. What is the probability that Jessica will have cat
food to give her cat when she gets home?