A customer service center receives calls throughout the day. Each incoming call has a 30% chance
of being a complaint call, independent of all the other calls. On a particular day, the center
receives 12 calls. What is the probability that the call center receives less than 2 complaint calls?
Enter the answer correct to three decimal places.
Published solution
**1. Model the number of complaint calls using a Binomial distribution:**
Let $X$ be the number of complaint calls out of $n = 12$ independent calls, where the probability of a complaint call is $p = 0.30$ (and $1 - p = 0.70$). Then $X \sim \text{Binomial}(12, 0.30)$.
**2. Compute $P(X < 2) = P(X = 0) + P(X = 1)$:**
- $P(X = 0) = \binom{12}{0}(0.3)^0(0.7)^{12} = (0.7)^{12} \approx 0.013841$
- $P(X = 1) = \binom{12}{1}(0.3)^1(0.7)^{11} = 12(0.3)(0.7)^{11} = 3.6(0.7)^{11} \approx 0.071184$
Adding the two probabilities:
$$P(X < 2) = (0.7)^{11}(0.7 + 3.6) = 4.3 \times (0.7)^{11} \approx 0.085025 \approx 0.085$$
**Answer: 0.085**
The number of customers arriving at a bank counter follows a Poisson distribution with an
average of 4 arrivals per hour. What is the probability that at most 2 customers arrive in 30
minutes? Enter the answer correct to two decimal places.
Published solution
**1. Find the Poisson parameter $\lambda$ for a 30-minute interval:**
With an average of $4$ arrivals per hour, the mean number of arrivals in $30$ minutes ($0.5$ hours) is $\lambda = 4 \times 0.5 = 2$. Let $X \sim \text{Poisson}(2)$.
**2. Compute $P(X \le 2)$:**
$$P(X \le 2) = P(X = 0) + P(X = 1) + P(X = 2) = e^{-2}\left(\frac{2^0}{0!} + \frac{2^1}{1!} + \frac{2^2}{2!}\right) = e^{-2}(1 + 2 + 2) = 5e^{-2}$$
Using $e^{-2} \approx 0.135335$:
$$P(X \le 2) \approx 5 \times 0.135335 = 0.6767 \approx 0.68$$
**Answer: 0.68**
The following stem-and-leaf plot shows the distribution of scores (out of 50) obtained by students
in a statistics quiz. A score of 40 or above is considered a passing mark.
Based on the above data, answer the given subquestions.
**1. Read all student scores from the stem-and-leaf plot:**
- Stem $2$: $24, 27$ ($2$ students)
- Stem $3$: $31, 31, 35, 38, 39$ ($5$ students)
- Stem $4$: $41, 43, 46, 48$ ($4$ students)
- Stem $5$: $50, 50$ ($2$ students)
Total number of students $= 2 + 5 + 4 + 2 = 13$.
**2. Count how many students passed (score $\ge 40$):**
Students with scores in stems $4$ and $5$ ($41, 43, 46, 48, 50, 50$) passed:
$$\text{Number of passing students} = 4 + 2 = 6$$
Therefore, the proportion of students who passed is **$\frac{6}{13}$**.
**Answer: Option B**
A: **Incorrect:** The total number of students in the plot is $13$, not $11$.
B: **Correct:** Out of $13$ students total, $6$ scored $40$ or above, giving a proportion of $6/13$.
C: **Incorrect:** Both the numerator ($5$ instead of $6$) and denominator ($11$ instead of $13$) are wrong.
D: **Incorrect:** There are $6$ students with scores $\ge 40$ ($41, 43, 46, 48, 50, 50$), not $5$.
The following stem-and-leaf plot shows the distribution of scores (out of 50) obtained by students
in a statistics quiz. A score of 40 or above is considered a passing mark.
Based on the above data, answer the given subquestions.
One student’s score of 34 was accidentally missed. What will be the median score after adding the
missing score of 34? Enter the answer correct to one decimal place.
Published solution
**1. List the sorted scores after adding the missing score of $34$:**
Originally there were $13$ scores. Adding $34$ gives $n = 14$ sorted scores:
$$24,\; 27,\; 31,\; 31,\; 34,\; 35,\; 38,\; 39,\; 41,\; 43,\; 46,\; 48,\; 50,\; 50$$
**2. Compute the median of the $14$ scores:**
For $n = 14$ (even), the median is the average of the $7^{\text{th}}$ and $8^{\text{th}}$ ordered scores:
- $7^{\text{th}}$ score $= 38$
- $8^{\text{th}}$ score $= 39$
$$\text{Median} = \frac{38 + 39}{2} = 38.5$$
**Answer: 38.5**
A teacher surveys a class about their favourite sport. The data collected are shown in the Table 1
Based on the above data, answer the given subquestions.
What is the total relative frequency of Basketball and Cricket?
Published solution
**1. Find the total number of students $N$ from the Football row:**
In Table 1, Football has $12$ students and a relative frequency of $0.15$:
$$\frac{12}{N} = 0.15 \implies N = \frac{12}{0.15} = 80$$
(Check: Badminton has $18$ students, and $18 / 80 = 0.225$, which matches the table!)
**2. Find the total relative frequency of Basketball ($c$) and Cricket ($d$):**
Since the sum of all relative frequencies across the 5 sports must equal $1$:
- Relative frequency of Athletics: $e = \frac{10}{80} = 0.125$
- Therefore:
$$c + d = 1 - (0.15 + 0.225 + 0.125) = 1 - 0.50 = 0.5$$
**Answer: 0.5**
A teacher surveys a class about their favourite sport. The data collected are shown in the Table 1
Based on the above data, answer the given subquestions.
What is the relative frequency of basketball?
6406536003344.
0.35
6406536003345.
0.30
6406536003346.
0.20
6406536003347.
0.25
Published solution
**1. Find the relative frequency of Cricket ($d$) and Basketball ($c$):**
From Question 12, the total number of students is $N = 80$, and $c + d = 0.5$.
- Cricket has $20$ students, so its relative frequency is:
$$d = \frac{20}{80} = 0.25$$
- Therefore, the relative frequency of Basketball is:
$$c = 0.5 - d = 0.5 - 0.25 = 0.25$$
(Equivalently, $a = 80 - (12 + 20 + 18 + 10) = 20$ students, so $c = 20 / 80 = 0.25$.)
**Answer: Option D**
A: **Incorrect:** $0.35$ would correspond to $28$ students, whereas $a = 20$.
B: **Incorrect:** $0.30$ would correspond to $24$ students.
C: **Incorrect:** $0.20$ would correspond to $16$ students.
D: **Correct:** With $N = 80$ total students and $a = 20$ students choosing Basketball, the relative frequency is $20/80 = 0.25$.
distinct objects in a line is equal to 20 times the number of
ways to arrange
distinct objects in a line. Find the value of
.
6406536003348.
6
6406536003349.
3
6406536003350.
2
6406536003351.
5
Published solution
**1. Set up the factorial equation:**
The number of ways to arrange $n$ distinct objects in a line is $n!$.
We are given that the number of ways to arrange $m + 2$ distinct objects is $20$ times the number of ways to arrange $m$ distinct objects:
$$(m + 2)! = 20 \cdot m!$$
**2. Simplify and solve for $m$:**
Divide both sides by $m!$:
$$(m + 2)(m + 1) = 20$$
Since $20 = 5 \times 4$, for a non-negative integer $m$ we have:
$$m + 2 = 5 \implies m = 3$$
**Answer: Option B**
A: **Incorrect:** For $m = 6$, $(m+2)(m+1) = 8 \times 7 = 56 \ne 20$.
B: **Correct:** For $m = 3$, $(3+2)! / 3! = 5 \times 4 = 20$.
C: **Incorrect:** For $m = 2$, $(2+2)(2+1) = 4 \times 3 = 12 \ne 20$.
D: **Incorrect:** For $m = 5$, $(5+2)(5+1) = 7 \times 6 = 42 \ne 20$.
A box contains 4 blue pens, 5 black pens, and 3 red pens. Two pens are selected at random
without replacement. What is the probability that both selected pens are blue?
**1. Find the total number of pens:**
The box contains $4$ blue + $5$ black + $3$ red $= 12$ pens in total.
**2. Compute the probability of drawing two blue pens without replacement:**
- Probability that the first pen is blue: $\frac{4}{12} = \frac{1}{3}$
- Probability that the second pen is blue given the first was blue: $\frac{3}{11}$
- Multiply the two probabilities:
$$P(\text{both blue}) = \frac{4}{12} \times \frac{3}{11} = \frac{1}{3} \times \frac{3}{11} = \frac{1}{11}$$
**Answer: Option D**
A: **Incorrect:** $1/3$ is the probability that only the first pen drawn is blue.
B: **Incorrect:** $1/4$ is the conditional probability on the second draw if there were 4 blue pens out of 16.
C: **Incorrect:** $3/11$ is the conditional probability that the second pen is blue given the first is blue.
D: **Correct:** $\frac{\binom{4}{2}}{\binom{12}{2}} = \frac{6}{66} = \frac{1}{11}$.
A company is forming a 4-member project team by randomly selecting employees from a group of
8 employees. The group consists of 4 engineers and 4 designers. Every possible selection of 4
employees is equally likely. Let the events be defined as follows:
• Event A: The selected team includes at least one engineer.
• Event B: The selected team consists only of designers.
Which of the following option(s) is/are correct?
6406536003356.
Events A and B are mutually exclusive.
6406536003357.
Events A and B are independent.
6406536003358.
There is only 1 favorable outcome for Event B.
6406536003359.
All of these.
Published solution
**1. Analyze Events A and B:**
- **Event A:** The 4-member team includes **at least one engineer**.
- **Event B:** The 4-member team consists **only of designers** (i.e., **zero engineers**).
**2. Check each option:**
- **Option A:** Since a team cannot simultaneously have *at least one engineer* and *zero engineers*, $A \cap B = \emptyset$. Thus, **Events A and B are mutually exclusive** (in fact, they are complements). (**Correct**)
- **Option B:** Since $P(A) > 0$ and $P(B) > 0$, mutually exclusive events cannot be independent because $P(A \cap B) = 0 \ne P(A)P(B)$. (**Incorrect**)
- **Option C:** Event B requires choosing all $4$ team members from the $4$ available designers, which can be done in $\binom{4}{4} = 1$ way. Thus, **there is only 1 favorable outcome for Event B**. (**Correct**)
- **Option D:** Since Option B is false, "All of these" is false. (**Incorrect**)
**Answer: Options A, C**
A: **Correct:** Having at least one engineer (A) and having only designers (B) cannot occur together, so $A$ and $B$ are mutually exclusive.
B: **Incorrect:** Non-empty mutually exclusive events have $P(A \cap B) = 0 \ne P(A)P(B)$, so they are dependent.
C: **Correct:** Choosing 4 designers out of 4 designers can be done in $\binom{4}{4} = 1$ way.
D: **Incorrect:** Option B is false.