Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Learning Objectives
1. Understand the difference between how probabilities are computed for discrete and continuous
random variables.
2. Know how to compute probability values for a continuous uniform probability distribution and be
able to compute the expected value and variance for such a distribution.
3. Be able to compute probabilities using a normal probability distribution. Understand the role of the
standard normal distribution in this process.
5. Understand the relationship between the Poisson and exponential probability distributions.
6-1
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Chapter 6
Solutions:
1. a.
b. P(x = 1.25) = 0. The probability of any single point is zero since the area under the curve above
any single point is zero.
2. a.
f (x)
.15
.10
.05
x
0 10 20 30 40
10 + 20
d. E ( x) = = 15
2
(20 − 10) 2
e. Var( x) = = 8.33
12
6-2
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May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Continuous Probability Distributions
3. a.
120 + 140
d. E ( x) = = 130 minutes
2
4. a.
ì 1
ï for 8.5 £ x £ 12
f (x) = í 3.5
ï 0 elsewhere
î
6-3
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May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Chapter 6
100 x (.8571) = 85.71 or rounding, 86 iPad Minis should have a battery life
of at least 9 hours.
ì 1
ï for a £ x £ b
6. a. For a uniform probability density function f (x) = í b - a
ï 0
î elsewhere
1
Thus, = .00625.
b- a
In a uniform probability distribution, ½ of this interval is below the mean and ½ of this interval is
above the mean. Thus,
The probability your competitor will bid lower than you, and you get the bid, is .40.
The probability of not getting the property with a bid of $13,000 is .40.
The profit you will make if you get the property with a bid of $13,000 is $3000 = $16,000 - 13,000.
So your expected profit with a bid of $13,000 is
If you bid $15,000 the probability of getting the bid is 1, but the profit if you do get the bid is only
$1000 = $16,000 - 15,000. So your expected profit with a bid of $15,000 is
6-4
© 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.
May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Continuous Probability Distributions
8.
s = 10
9. a.
s =5
35 40 45 50 55 60 65
b. .683 since 45 and 55 are within plus or minus 1 standard deviation from the mean of 50 (Use the
table or see characteristic 7a of the normal distribution).
c. .954 since 40 and 60 are within plus or minus 2 standard deviations from the mean of 50 (Use the
table or see characteristic 7b of the normal distribution).
10.
-3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3
These probabilities can be obtained using Excel’s NORM.S.DIST function or the standard normal
probability table in the text.
d. P(0 < z < 2.5) = P(z < 2.5) - P(z 0) = .9938 - .5000 = .4938
6-5
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May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Chapter 6
11. These probabilities can be obtained using Excel’s NORM.S.DIST function or the standard normal
probability table in the text.
13. These probabilities can be obtained using Excel’s NORM.S.DIST function or the standard normal
probability table in the text.
a. P(-1.98 z .49) = P(z .49) - P(z < -1.98) = .6879 - .0239 = .6640
b. P(.52 z 1.22) = P(z 1.22) - P(z < .52) = .8888 - .6985 = .1903
c. P(-1.75 z -1.04) = P(z -1.04) - P(z < -1.75) = .1492 - .0401 = .1091
14. These z values can be obtained using Excel’s NORM.S.INV function or by using the standard
normal probability table in the text.
15. These z values can be obtained using Excel’s NORM.S.INV function or by using the standard
normal probability table in the text.
6-6
© 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.
May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Continuous Probability Distributions
16. These z values can be obtained using Excel’s NORM.S.INV function or the standard normal
probability table in the text.
a. The area to the left of z is 1 - .0100 = .9900. The z value in the table with a cumulative probability
closest to .9900 is z = 2.33.
c. The area to the left of z is .9500. Since .9500 is exactly halfway between .9495 (z = 1.64) and
.9505(z = 1.65), we select z = 1.645. However, z = 1.64 or z = 1.65 are also acceptable answers.
The probability that a domestic airfare will cost $550 or more is .0668.
The probability that a domestic airfare will cost $250 or less is .1093.
x-m500 - 385
c. For x = 500, z = = = 1.05
s 110
x - m 300 - 385
For x = 300, z = = = -.77
s 110
The probability that a domestic airfare will cost between $300 and $500 is .6325.
6-7
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May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Chapter 6
20 − 14.4
a. At x = 20, z = = 1.27
4.4
10 − 14.4
b. At x = 10, z = = −1.00
4.4
c. A z-value of 1.28 cuts off an area of approximately 10% in the upper tail.
A return of 20.03% or higher will put a domestic stock fund in the top 10%
P(x > 500) = P(z > 1.87) = 1 - P(z ≤ 1.87) = 1 - .9693 = .0307
The probability that the emergency room visit will cost more than $500 is .0307.
The probability that the emergency room visit will cost less than $250 is .1977.
6-8
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May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Continuous Probability Distributions
x−
400 − 328
c. For x = 400, z = = = .78
s 92
x − 300 − 328
For x = 300, z = = = −.30
s 92
P(300 < x < 400) = P(z < .78) - P(z < -.30) = .7823 - .3821 = .4002
The probability that the emergency room visit will cost between $300 and $400 is .4002.
For a patient to have a charge in the lower 8%, the cost of the visit must have been $198.28 or less.
3.50 − 3.40
At x = 3.50, z = = .50
.20
69.15% of the gas stations in Russia charge less than $3.50 per gallon.
3.73 − 3.40
At x = 3.73, z = = 1.65
.20
P( x 3.73) = .0495
6-9
© 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.
May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Chapter 6
The probability that a randomly selected gas station in Russia charges more than the mean price in
the United States is .0495. Stated another way, only 4.95% of the gas stations in Russia charge more
than the average price in the United States.
21. From the normal probability tables, a z-value of 2.05 cuts off an area of approximately .02 in the
upper tail of the distribution.
At x = 10,
x− 10 − 8.35
z= = = .66
s 2.5
At x = 5,
x− 5 − 8.35
z= = = −1.34
s 2.5
The probability of a household viewing television between 5 and 10 hours a day is .6553.
b. Find the z-value that cuts off an area of .03 in the upper tail. Using a cumulative probability of
1 - .03 = .97, z = 1.88 provides an area of .03 in the upper tail of the normal distribution.
A household must view slightly over 13 hours of television a day to be in the top 3% of television
viewing households.
x− 3 − 8.35
c. At x = 3, z = = = −2.14
s 2.5
The probability a household views more than 3 hours of television a day is .9838.
6 - 10
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May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Continuous Probability Distributions
60 − 80
23. a. z= = −2 P(z ≤ -2) = .0228. So P(x < 60) = .0228
10
b. At x = 60
60 − 80
z= = −2 Area to left is .0228
10
At x = 75
75 − 80
z= = −.5 Area to left is .3085
10
90 − 80
c. z= =1 P(z ≤ 1) = P(x ≤ 90) = .1587
10
6 - 11
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May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Chapter 6
x-m
1000 - 749
c. For x = 1000, z = = = 1.12
s 225
x - m 500 - 749
For x = 500, z = = = -1.11
s 225
The probability that expenses will be between $500 and $1000 is .7351.
The probability that the hotel room will cost $225 or more is .3520.
The probability that the hotel room will cost less than $140 is .1230.
x-m
300 - 204
c. For x = 300, z = = = 1.75
s 55
x - m 200 - 204
For x = 200, z = = = -.07
s 55
The probability that the hotel room will cost between $200 and $300 is .4878.
6 - 12
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May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Continuous Probability Distributions
The 20% most expensive hotel rooms will cost $250 or more per night.
27. a. P ( x x0 ) = 1 − e − x0 / 3
1 − x /20
28. a. With = f ( x) = e
20
− x/
b. P(x ≤ 15) = 1 − e = 1 − e −15/20 = .5276
−20/20 −1
= 1 - (1 - e ) = e = .3679
6 - 13
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May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Chapter 6
1 − x /7
d. With = f ( x) = e
7
P( x 5) = 1 − e− x / = 1 − e−5/7 = .5105
29. a.
1 1 −x/2
30. a. f ( x) = e− x / = e for x > 0
2
c. For this customer, the cable service repair would have to take longer than 4 hours.
6 - 14
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May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Continuous Probability Distributions
1 1 − x / 25
31. a. f ( x) = e− x / = e for x > 0
25
c. For the customer to make the 15-minute return trip home by 6:00 p.m., the order must be ready by
5:45 p.m. Since the order was placed at 5:20 p.m., the order must to be ready within 25 minutes.
32. a. Because the number of calls per hour follows a Poisson distribution, the time between calls follows
an exponential distribution. So,
for a mean of 1.6 calls per hour, the mean time between calls is
60 minutes/hour
m= = 37.5 minutes per call
1.6 calls/hour
æ 1 ö - x/37.5
b. The exponential probability density function is f (x) = ç e for x ³ 0
è 37.5 ÷ø
where x is the minutes between 911 calls.
( )
P x < 60 = 1- e-60/37.5 = 1- .2019 = .7981
d. ( )
P(x ³ 30) = 1- P x £ 30 = 1- (1- e-30/37.5 ) = 1- .5507 = .4493
e. ( )
P 5 £ x £ 20 = (1- e -20/37.5 ) - (1- e5/37.5 ) = .4134 - .1248 = .2886
1
for 200 x 225
f ( x ) = 25
0 elsewhere
6 - 15
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May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Chapter 6
If she waits, her expected sale price will be $2,500 higher than if she sells it back to her company
now. However, there is a 0.40 probability that she will get less. It’s a close call. But, the expected
value approach to decision making would suggest she should wait.
34. a. Find the z value that cuts off an area of .10 in the lower tail.
x − 19, 000
z = −1.28 =
2100
c. Find the z value that cuts off an area of .03 in the upper tail: z = 1.88. Solve for x,
x − 19, 000
z = 1.88 =
2100
c. Reducing the process standard deviation causes a substantial reduction in the number of defects.
6 - 16
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May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Continuous Probability Distributions
36. = 658
So,
610 − 658
z = −1.88 =
s
610 − 658
s= = 25.5319
−1.88
P(600 < x < 700) = P(-2.31 < z < 1.65) = .9505 - .0104 = .9401
x-m 5 - 4.5
a. z= = = .61
s .82
x-m 3- 4.5
b. z= = = -1.83
s .82
x-m 4 - 4.5
c. For x = 4, z = == -.61
s .82
x - m 3- 4.5
For x = 3, z = = = -1.83
s .82
6 - 17
© 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.
May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Chapter 6
d. 85% of the weekly cargo volumes can be handled without requiring the port to extend
operating hours; 15% of the time the tons of cargo is so large it requires the port to extend operating
hours.
A weekly volume of 5.35 tons or more will require the port to extend operating hours.
38. a. At x = 200
200 − 150
z= =2
25
6 - 18
© 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.
May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Continuous Probability Distributions
The increase in annual revenue $138,600 - $121,400 = $17,160 (14.1%) and the higher probability
of monthly revenues over $12,000 make the upgraded minibar service worthwhile.
40. a. At 400,
400 − 450
z= = −.500
100
Area to left is .3085
At 500,
500 − 450
z= = +.500
100
Area to left is .6915
b. At 630,
630 − 450
z= = 1.80
100
c. At 480,
480 − 450
z= = .30
100
Area to left is .6179
38.21% are acceptable.
41. a. At 100,000
100, 000 − 88,592
z= .57
19,900
P(x > 100,000) = P(z > .57) = 1 - P(z .57) = 1 - .7157 = .2843
The probability of a Houston brand manager having a base salary in excess of $100,000 is .2843.
b. At 100,000
100, 000 − 97, 417
z= .12
21,800
P(x > 100,000) = P(z > .12) = 1 - P(z .12) = 1 - .5478 = .4522
The probability of a Los Angeles brand manager having a base salary in excess of $100,000 is .4522
6 - 19
© 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.
May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Chapter 6
c. At x = 75,000
75, 000 − 97, 417
z= −1.03
21,800
The probability of a Los Angeles brand manager receiving a base salary below $75,000 is small:
.1515
d. The answer to this is the Houston brand manager base salary that cuts off an area of .01 in the upper
tail of the distribution for Houston brand managers.
Use z = 2.33
A Los Angeles brand manager who makes $134,959 or more will earn more than 99% of the
Houston brand managers.
42. s = .6
At 2%
z ≈ -2.05 x = 18
x− 18 −
z= −2.05 =
s .6
0.02
18 =19.23
P( x 5) = 1 − e−5/5.8 = .5777
6 - 20
© 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.
May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Continuous Probability Distributions
P( x 5) = 1 − e−5/6.2 = .5536
P( x 5) = 1 − e−5/7 = .5105
Using Excel:
µ P(x ≤ 5)
5.8 EXPON.DIST(5,1/5.8,TRUE) =.5777
6.2 EXPON.DIST(5,1/6.2,TRUE) =.5536
6.6 EXPON.DIST(5,1/6.6,TRUE) =.5312
7.0 EXPON.DIST(5,1/7,TRUE) =.5105
c. P( x 4) = 1 − e−4/6.6 = .4545
P( x 8) = 1 − e−8/6.6 = .7024
The probability that a worker uses the office computer between four and eight hours is
.7024 − .4545 = .2479
b. f(x) = 7e-7x
d. 12 seconds is .2 minutes
P(x > .2) = 1 - P(x < .2) = 1- [1- e-7(.2)] = e-1.4 = .2466
1 − x / 36.5
45. a. e .0274e −.0274 x
36.5
P(x > 40) = P(x 40) = 1 - P(x < 40) = 1 - .6658 = .3342
6 - 21
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May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Chapter 6
1
46. a. = 0.5 therefore = 2 minutes = mean time between telephone calls
6 - 22
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May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
The Project Gutenberg eBook of How deep the
grooves
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and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no
restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it
under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this
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you are located before using this eBook.
Language: English
Illustrated by ADKINS
A moment later, Jason Cramer entered. The young man closed the
door behind him and put his arm around her. Without protest, she
turned and buried her face in his chest. For a while, she could not talk
but could only weep.
Finally, she released herself from his embrace and said, "Why is it,
Jason, that every time I need a man to cry against, James is not with
me but you are?"
"Because he is the one who makes you cry," he said. "And I love
you."
"And James," she said, "loves only himself."
"You didn't give me the proper response, Jane. I said I loved you."
She kissed him, though lightly, and murmured, "I think I love you. But
I'm not allowed to. Please forget what I said. I mean it."
She walked away from him. Jason Cramer, after making sure that he
had no lipstick on his face or uniform, followed her.
Entering the laboratory, Jane Carroad ignored her husband's glare
and sat down in the chair in the middle of the room. Immediately
thereafter, the Secretary of Science and two Security bodyguards
entered.
The Secretary was a stocky dark man of about fifty. He had very thick
black eyebrows that looked like pieces of fur pasted above his eyes.
He radiated the assurance that he was master, in control of all in the
room. Yet, he did not, as was nervously expected by James Carroad
and Jason Cramer, take offense because Jane did not rise from the
chair to greet him. He gave her a smile, patted her hand, and said, "Is
it true you will bear a male baby?"
"That is what the tests indicate," she said.
"Good. Another valuable citizen. A scientist, perhaps. With its genetic
background...."
Annoyed because his wife had occupied the center of the stage for
too long, Doctor James Carroad loudly cleared his throat. He said,
"Citizens, honored Secretary, I've asked you here for a demonstration
because I believe that what I have to show you is of utmost
importance to the State's future. I have here the secret of what
constitutes a good, or bad, citizen of the State."
He paused for effect, which he was getting, and then continued, "As
you know, I—and my associates, of course—have perfected an
infallible and swift method whereby an enemy spy or deviationist
citizen may be unmasked. This method has been in use for three
years. During that time, it has exposed many thousands as
espionage agents, as traitors, as potential traitors."
The Secretary looked interested. He also looked at his wristwatch.
Doctor Carroad refused to notice; he talked on at the same pace. He
could justify any amount of time he took, and he intended to use as
much as possible.
He snapped his fingers. Cramer shot him a look; his face was
expressionless, but Jane knew that Cramer resented Carroad's
arrogance.
Nevertheless, Cramer obeyed; he adjusted a dial, pushed down on a
toggle switch, rotated another dial.
A voice, tonelessly and tinnily mechanical, issued from a loudspeaker
beneath the tube. It repeated the phrase that Carroad had given and
that Jane was thinking. It continued the repetition until Cramer, at
another fingersnap from Carroad, flicked the toggle switch upward.
"As you have just heard," said Carroad triumphantly, "we have
converted the waveforms into audible representations of what the
subject is thinking."
The Secretary's brows rose like two caterpillars facing each other,
and he said, "Very impressive."
But he managed to give the impression that he was thinking, Is that
all?
Carroad smiled. He said, "I have much more. Something that, I'm
sure, will please you very much. Now, as you know, this machine—
my Cervus—is exposing hundreds of deviationists and enemy agents
every year.
"Yet, this is nothing!"
He stared fiercely at them, but he had a slight smile on the corners of
his lips. Jane, knowing him so well, could feel the radiance of his
pride at the fact that the Secretary was leaning forward and his mouth
was open.
"I say this is nothing! Catching traitors after they have become
deviationist is locking the garage after the car has been stolen. What
if we had a system of control whereby our citizens would be unable to
be anything but unquestioningly loyal to the State?"
The Secretary said, "Aah!"
"I knew you would be far from indifferent," said Carroad.
After an hour, Jane had Cramer cut off the voice. In the silence,
looking at the white and sweating men, she said, "We are getting
close to the end? Should we go on?"
Hoarsely, the Secretary shouted, "This is a hoax! I can prove it must
be! It's impossible! If we carry the seeds of predeterminism within us,
and yet, as now, we discover how to foresee what we shall do, why
can't we change the future?"
"I don't know, Mr. Secretary," said Jane. "We'll find out—in time. I can
tell you this. If anyone is preset to foretell the future, he'll do so. If no
one is, then the problem will go begging. It all depends on Whoever
wound us up."
"That's blasphemy!" howled the Secretary, a man noted for his
belligerent atheism. But he did not order the voice to stop after Jane
told Cramer to start the machine up again.
Cramer ran Cervus at full speed. The words became a staccato of
incomprehensibility; the oscilloscope, an almost solid blur. Flickers of
blackness told of broad jumps forward, and then the wild intertwined
lightning resumed.
Suddenly, the oscilloscope went blank, and the voice was silent.
Jane Carroad said, "Backtrack a little, Jason. And then run it forward
at normal speed."
James Carroad had been standing before her, rigid, a figure
seemingly made of white metal, his face almost as white as his
uniform. Abruptly, he broke into fluidity and lurched out of the
laboratory. His motions were broken; his shouts, broken also.
"Won't stay to listen ... rot ... mysticism ... believe this ... go insane!
Mean ... no control ... no control...."