QBM101 Tutorial Questions Page 1
Module 2
Chapter 4 Probability
Multiple choice questions:
1. Which of the following is not a legitimate probability value?
a) 0.67 b) 15/16 c) 0.23 d) 4/3 e) 0.98
2. If X and Y are mutually exclusive events, then if X occurs _______.
a) Y must also occur
b) Y cannot occur
c) X and Y are independent
d) X and Y are complements
e) X and Y are collectively exhaustive
3. Consider the following sample space, S, and several events defined on it. S = {Albert, Betty,
Abel, Jack, Patty, Meagan}, and the events are: F = {Betty, Patty, Meagan}, H = {Abel,
Meagan}, and P = {Betty, Abel}. F H is ___________.
a) {Meagan}
b) {Betty, Patty, Abel, Meagan}
c) empty, since F and H are complements
d) empty, since F and H are independent
e) empty, since F and H are mutually exclusive
4. Consider the following sample space, S, and several events defined on it. S = {Albert, Betty,
Abel, Jack, Patty, Meagan}, and the events are: F = {Betty, Patty, Meagan}, H = {Abel,
Meagan}, and P = {Betty, Abel}. F H is ___________.
a) {Meagan}
b) {Betty, Abel, Patty, Meagan}
c) empty, since F and H are complements
d) empty, since F and H are independent
e) empty, since F and H are mutually exclusive
5. Consider the following sample space, S, and several events defined on it. S = {Albert, Betty,
Abel, Jack, Patty, Meagan}, and the events are: F = {Betty, Patty, Meagan}, H = {Abel,
Meagan}, and P = {Betty, Abel}. The complement of F is ___________.
a) {Albert, Betty, Jack, Patty}
b) {Betty, Patty, Meagan}
c) {Albert, Abel, Jack}
d) {Betty, Abel}
e) {Meagan}
6. Given P(A) = 0.40, P(B) = 0.50, P(A B) = 0.15. Find P(A B).
a) 0.90 b) 1.05 c) 0.75 d) 0.65 e) 0.60
7. Given P (A) = 0.40, P (B) = 0.50, P (A B) = 0.15. Find P (A|B).
a) 0.20 b) 0.80 c) 0.30 d) 0.375 e) 0.15
8. Given P (A) = 0.40, P (B) = 0.50, P (A B) = 0.15. Find P (B|A).
a) 0.20 b) 0.80 c) 0.30 d) 0.375 e) 0.15
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Question 9:
Assume that a computer randomly generates the last digit of a telephone number. Find the
probability that the outcome is
a. 8 or 9
b. Odd or under 4
c. Odd or greater than 2
Question 10:
A study conducted at large state university involved 400 graduates of business-related programs.
The grades they received in the required statistics course were determined along with their
majors, and the results are given in the table.
Grade
A B C or Lower
Program
Accounting 30 40 30
Management 0 20 80
Other 30 60 110
a. Find the probability of getting student with an A, given that the selected student was an
accounting major.
b. Find the probability of getting student with an A, given that the selected student was a
management major.
c. Are the events of getting an A and being a management major independent events?
Question 11:
The trustee of a mining company’s accident compensation plan has solicited the employees’
feelings towards a proposed revision in the plan. A breakdown of the responses is shown in the
following table. Suppose that an employee is selected at random, with the relevant events defined
as follows:
B: The employee selected is a blue-collar worker
W: The employee selected is a white-collar worker
M: The employee selected is a manager
F: The employee selected favours the revision
Decision Blue-collar workers (B) White collar workers (W) Managers (M)
For (F) 67 32 11
Against (F̅) 63 18 9
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a. Define a sample space for this experiment.
b. List all the outcomes belonging to the event F.
c. Find the probability that the employee selected is
i. a blue-collar worker.
ii. a white-collar worker.
iii. a manager.
iv. in favour of the decision.
v. against the decision.
vi. a white-collar worker or in favour of the decision.
vii. a white-collar worker given that he/she is in favour of the decision.
viii. in favour of the decision given that he/she is a white-collar worker.
ix. a white-collar worker and in favor of the decision.
d. Find the probability that the employee selected is not a manager.
Question 12:
Suppose that 300 mortgage applications were approved and that the numbers of mortgages of
each type were as shown in the following table. The manager selects one mortgage application at
random, and relevant events are defined as follows:
L: The application selected is for a one year mortgage
M: The application selected is for a two year mortgage
N: The application selected is for a three year mortgage
C: The application selected is for a closed mortgage
Term of mortgage (years)
Type of mortgage One (L) Two (M) Three (N)
Open (𝐶̅ ) 32 36 60
Closed (C) 80 48 44
a. Find the probability that the mortgage application selected is
i. for a one year mortgage.
ii. for a two year mortgage.
iii. for a three year mortgage.
iv. for a closed mortgage.
b. Find the probability that the term of the mortgage selected is longer than one year.
c. Find the probability that the application selected is for a closed mortgage given that the
application is not for a two-year duration.
d. Are the events C and L mutually exclusive? Justify your answer.
e. Are the events C and L independent? Justify your answer.
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Chapter 5 Discrete Random Variables
Multiple choice questions:
In Exercises 1-3, you are offered an investment opportunity. Its outcomes and probabilities are
presented in the following table.
x P(x)
-$1,000 .40
$0 .20
+$1,000 .40
1. The mean of this distribution is _____________.
a) -$400
b) $0
c) $200
d) $400
e) $500
2. The standard deviation of this distribution is _____________.
a) -$400
b) $663
c) $800,000
d) $894
e) $2000
3. Which of the following statements is true?
a) This distribution is skewed to the right.
b) This is a binomial distribution.
c) This distribution is symmetric.
d) This distribution is skewed to the left.
e) This is a Poisson distribution
4. A fair coin is tossed 5 times. What is the probability that exactly 2 heads are observed?
a) 0.313
b) 0.073
c) 0.400
d) 0.156
e) 0.250
5. Suppose a committee of 3 people is to be selected from a group consisting of 4 men and 5
women. What is the probability that one man and two women are selected?
a) 0.15
b) 0.06
c) 0.33
d) 0.48
e) 0.58
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6. The probability of selecting 3 defective items and 7 good items from a warehouse containing
10 defective and 50 good items, with replacement, would best be modeled with the _______.
a) binomial distribution
b) hypergeometric distribution
c) Poisson distribution
d) hyperbinomial distribution
e) exponential distribution
7. The number of phone calls arriving at a switchboard in a 10 minute time period would best
be modeled with the _________.
a) binomial distribution
b) hypergeometric distribution
c) Poisson distribution
d) hyperbinomial distribution
e) exponential distribution
8. The Poisson distribution is being used to approximate a binomial distribution. If n = 40 and
p = 0.06, what value of lambda would be used?
a) 0.06
b) 2.4
c) 0.24
d) 24
e) 40
Question 9
After watching a number of children playing games at a video arcade, a statistics practitioner
estimated the following probability distribution of X, the number of games played per visit.
x 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
P(X) 0.05 0.15 0.15 0.25 0.20 0.10 0.10
a. What is the probability that a child will play more than four games?
b. What is the probability that a child will play at least two games?
Question 10
Using historical data, the personnel manager of a car manufacturing company has determined
that the probability distribution of X, the number of employees absent on any given day, is as
follows:
x 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
P(X) 0.005 0.025 0.310 0.340 0.220 0.080 0.019 0.001
a. Express the probability distribution of X in graphical form.
b. Comment on the symmetry or skewness of the distribution.
c. Find the probability that 2 ≤ X ≤4.
d. Find the probability that X > 5.
e. Find the probability that X ≤ 6.
f. Find the probability of there being more than one absentee on a given day.
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Question 11:
Let X represent the number of times a student visits a nearby pizza shop in one month period.
Assume that the following table is the probability distribution of X:
x 0 1 2 3
P(X) 0.1 0.3 0.4 0.2
a. Find the mean (μ) and the standard deviation (σ) of this distribution.
b. What is the probability that the student visits the pizza shop at least twice in a month?
c. Find P(X ≥ 1.5).
Question 12:
The number of arrivals at a greengrocer’s between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. has a Poisson distribution
with a mean of 14.
a. Find the probability that the number of arrivals between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. is at least four.
b. Find the probability that the number of arrivals between 1.30 p.m. and 2 p.m. is at least
three.
c. Find the probability of there being exactly one arrival between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m.
Question 13:
A certain type of tomato seed germinates 90% of the time. A backyard farmer planted 25 seeds.
a. What is the probability that exactly 20 germinate?
b. What is the probability that 20 or more germinate?
c. What is the probability that 24 or fewer germinate?
d. What is the expected number of seeds that germinate?
Question 14:
During the summer months (December to February, inclusive), an average of five marriages per
month take place in a small city. Assuming that these marriages occur randomly and
independently of one another, find the probability of the following occurring:
a. Fewer than four marriages will occur in December.
b. At least 14 but not more than 18 marriages will occur during the entire three months of
summer.
c. Exactly 10 marriages will occur during the two months of January and February.
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Chapter 6 Continuous Random Variables and the Normal Distribution
Multiple choice questions:
1. The normal distribution is an example of _______.
a) a discrete distribution
b) a continuous distribution
c) a bimodal distribution
d) an exponential distribution
e) a binomial distribution
2. The total area underneath any normal curve is equal to _______.
a) the mean
b) one
c) the variance
d) the coefficient of variation
e) the standard deviation
3. The area to the left of the mean in any normal distribution is equal to _______.
a) the mean
b) 1
c) the variance
d) 0.5
e) -0.5
4. A standard normal distribution has the following characteristics:
a) the mean and the variance are both equal to 1
b) the mean and the variance are both equal to 0
c) the mean is equal to the variance
d) the mean is equal to 0 and the variance is equal to 1
e) the mean is equal to the standard deviation
5. If x is a normal random variable with mean 80 and standard deviation 5, the z-score for x = 88
is ________.
a) 1.8
b) -1.8
c) 1.6
d) -1.6
e) 8.0
6. Suppose x is a normal random variable with mean 60 and standard deviation 2. A z score was
calculated for a number, and the z score is 3.4. What is x?
a) 63.4
b) 56.6
c) 68.6
d) 53.2
e) 66.8
7. Suppose x is a normal random variable with mean 60 and standard deviation 2. A z score was
calculated for a number, and the z score is -1.3. What is x?
a) 58.7
b) 61.3
c) 62.6
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d) 57.4
e) 54.7
Question 8:
The time required to assemble an electronic component is normally distributed, with a mean of
12 minutes and a standard deviation of 1.5 minutes. Find the probability that a particular
assembly takes:
a. more than 14 minutes.
b. more than 8 minutes.
c. less than 14 minutes.
d. less than 10 minutes.
e. between 10 and 15 minutes.
Question 9:
The amount of time devoted to studying statistics each week by students who achieve a grade of
A in the course is a normally distributed random variable with a mean of 7.5 hours and a
standard deviation of 2.1 hours.
a. What proportion of A students study for more than 10 hours per week?
b. Find the probability that an A student spends between seven and nine hours studying.
c. What proportion of A students spend less than three hours studying?
d. What is the maximum amount of time spent on studying for the bottom 5% of all A
students?
Question 10:
The number of pages printed before replacing the cartridge in a laser printer is normally
distributed with a mean of 11 500 pages and a standard deviation of 800 pages. A new cartridge
has just been installed.
a. What is the probability that the printer produces more than 12 000 pages before this
cartridge needs to be replaced?
b. What is the probability that the printer produces fewer than 10 000 pages?
Question 11:
Battery manufacturers compete on the basis of the amount of time their products last in cameras
and toys. A manufacturer of alkaline batteries has observed that its batteries last for an average
of 26 hours when used in a toy racing car. The amount of time is normally distributed with a
standard deviation of 2.5 hours.
a. What is the probability that the battery lasts between 24 and 28 hours.
b. What is the probability that the battery lasts longer than 28 hours.
c. What is the probability that the battery lasts less than 24 hours.
d. What is the minimum lifetime (nearest minutes) of the top 10% batteries of the best
quality?
