Original

340 Waiting Lines and Queuing Theory Models CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 14
Waiting Lines and Queuing Theory Models
TRUE/FALSE
14.1 A goal of many waiting line problems is to help a firm find the ideal level of services that
minimize the cost of waiting and the cost of providing the service.
ANSWER: TRUE {moderate, WAITING LINE COSTS}
14.2 One difficulty in waiting line analysis is that it is sometimes difficult to place a value on
customer waiting time.
ANSWER: TRUE {moderate, WAITING LINE COSTS}
14.3 The goal of most waiting line problems is to identify the service level that minimizes service
cost.
ANSWER: FALSE {moderate, WAITING LINE COSTS}
14.4 Two characteristics of arrivals are the line length and queue discipline.
ANSWER: FALSE {moderate, CHARACTERISTICS OF A QUEUING SYSTEM}
14.5 Limited calling populations are assumed for most queuing models.
14.6 An "infinite calling population" occurs when the likelihood of a new arrival depends upon the
number of past arrivals.
14.7 On a practical note if we were to study the waiting lines in a hair salon that had only five
chairs for patrons waiting, we should use an infinite queue waiting line model.
14.8 If we are studying the arrival of automobiles at a highway toll station, we can assume an
infinite calling population.
ANSWER: TRUE {moderate, CHARACTERISTICS OF A QUEUING SYSTEM}
14.9 When looking at the arrivals at the ticket counter of a movie theater, we can assume an
unlimited queue.
14.10 Arrivals are random when they are dependent on one another and can be predicted.
Copyright 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall.
Waiting Lines and Queuing Theory Models CHAPTER 14
341

14.11 On a practical note if we are using waiting line analysis to study customers calling a
telephone number for service, balking is probably not an issue.
14.12 On a practical note if we are using waiting line analysis to study cars passing through a
single tollbooth, reneging is probably not an issue.
14.13 On a practical note we should probably view the checkout counters in a grocery store as a
set of single channel systems.
14.14 A bank with a single queue to move customers to several tellers is an example of a singlechannel system.
14.15 Service times often follow a Poisson distribution.
14.16 An M/M/2 model has Poisson arrivals exponential service times and two channels.
14.17 In a single-channel, single-phase system, reducing the service time only reduces the total
amount of time spent in the system, not the time spent in the queue.
ANSWER: FALSE {hard, SINGLE-CHANNEL QUEUING MODEL WITH POISSON
ARRIVALS AND EXPONENTIAL SERVICE TIMES (M/M/1)}
14.18 The wait time for a single-channel system is more than twice that for a two-channel system
using two servers working at the same rate as the single server.
ANSWER: TRUE {moderate, MULTICHANNEL QUEUING MODEL WITH POISSON
ARRIVALS AND EXPONENTIAL SERVICE TIMES (M/M/m)}
14.19 The study of waiting lines is called queuing theory.
ANSWER: TRUE {easy, INTRODUCTION}
14.20 The three basic components of a queuing process are arrivals, service facilities, and the actual
waiting line.
ANSWER: TRUE {moderate, INTRODUCTION}
14.21 In the multichannel model (M/M/m), we must assume that the average service time for all
channels is the same.
ANSWER: TRUE {moderate, MULTICHANNEL QUEUING MODEL WITH POISSON
ARRIVALS AND EXPONENTIAL SERVICE TIMES (M/M/m)}
14.22 Queuing theory had its beginning in the research work of Albert Einstein.
ANSWER: FALSE {moderate, WAITING LINE COSTS}
14.23 The arrivals or inputs to the system are sometimes referred to as the calling population.
14.24 Frequently in queuing problems, the number of arrivals per unit of time can be estimated by a
probability distribution known as the Poisson distribution.
14.25 An automatic car wash is an example of a constant service time model.
ANSWER: TRUE {moderate, CONSTANT SERVICE TIME MODEL (M/D/1)}
14.26 Balking customers are those who enter the queue but then become impatient and leave without
completing the transaction.
14.27 In a constant service time model, both the average queue length and average waiting time are
halved.
ANSWER: TRUE {moderate, CONSTANT SERVICE TIME MODEL (M/D/1)}
14.28 A hospital ward with only 30 beds could be modeled using a finite population model.
ANSWER: TRUE {moderate, FINITE POPULATION MODEL (M/M/1 WITH FINITE
SOURCE)}
14.29 A finite population model differs from an infinite population model because there is a random
relationship between the length of the queue and the arrival rate.
ANSWER: FALSE {moderate, CONSTANT SERVICE TIME MODEL (M/D/1)}
14.30 A transient state is the normal operating condition of the queuing system.
ANSWER: FALSE {moderate, SOME GENERAL OPERATING CHARACTERISTIC
RELATIONSHIPS}
343
14.31 A queue system is in a transient state before the steady state is reached.
ANSWER: TRUE {moderate, SOME GENERAL OPERATING CHARACTERISTIC
RELATIONSHIPS}
14.32 Littles Flow Equations are applicable for single-channel systems only.
RELATIONSHIPS}
14.33 Littles Flow Equations are advantageous because if one characteristic of the operating system
is known, the other characteristics can be easily found.
ANSWER: TRUE {moderate, SOME GENERAL OPERATING CHARACTERISTIC
RELATIONSHIPS}
14.34 Using a simulation model allows one to ignore the common assumptions required to use
analytical models.
ANSWER: TRUE {moderate, MORE COMPLEX QUEUING MODELS AND THE USE
OF SIMULATION}
14.35 If we are using a simulation queuing model, we still have to abide by the assumption of a
Poisson arrival rate, and negative exponential service rate.
RELATIONSHIPS}
MULTIPLE CHOICE
14.36 Queuing theory had its beginning in the research work of ________________________.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
Albert Einstein
A.K. Erlang
J.K. Rowling
P.K. Poisson
A.K. Cox
ANSWER: b {moderate, WAITING LINE COSTS}

14.37 Assume that we are using a waiting line model to analyze the number of service technicians
required to maintain machines in a factory. Our goal should be to ________________________
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
maximize productivity of the technicians.

minimize the number of machines needing repair.
minimize the downtime for individual machines.
minimize the percent of idle time of the technicians.
minimize the total cost (cost of maintenance plus cost of downtime).
ANSWER: e {moderate, WAITING LINE COSTS}
14.38 In queuing analysis, total expected cost is the sum of expected _______ plus expected ________.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
service costs, arrival costs

facility costs, calling costs
calling cost, inventory costs
calling costs, waiting costs
service costs, waiting costs
ANSWER: e {easy, WAITING LINE COSTS}

14.39 In queuing theory, the calling population is another name for ________________.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
the queue size

the servers
the arrivals
the service rate
the market researchers
ANSWER: c {moderate , CHARACTERISTICS OF A QUEUING SYSTEM}

14.40 Which of the following is not true about arrivals?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
Random arrivals are independent of each other.

Random arrivals cannot be predicted exactly.
The Poisson distribution is often used to represent the arrival pattern.
Service times often follow the negative exponential distribution.
The exponential distribution is often used to represent the arrival pattern.
ANSWER: e {moderate, CHARACTERISTICS OF A QUEUING SYSTEM}

14.41 An arrival in a queue that reneges is one who
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
after joining the queue, becomes impatient and leaves.

refuses to join the queue because it is too long.
goes through the queue, but never returns.
jumps from one queue to another, trying to get through as quickly as possible.
none of the above
ANSWER: a {moderate, CHARACTERISTICS OF A QUEUING SYSTEM}

14.42 The customer who arrives at a bank, sees a long line, and leaves to return another time is
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
balking.
cropping.
reneging.
blithering.
none of the above
ANSWER: a {moderate, CHARACTERISTICS OF A QUEUING SYSTEM}
345
14.43 The three major characteristics of the input source that generates arrivals or customers for the
service system are _______________________________.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
size, demographics, and behavior

size, pattern, and behavior
demographics, pattern, and behavior
size, demographics, and pattern
none of the above
ANSWER: b {moderate , CHARACTERISTICS OF A QUEUING SYSTEM}

14.44 The term queue discipline describes the
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
degree to which members of the queue renege.

sequence in which members of the queue arrived.
degree to which members of the queue are orderly and quiet.
sequence in which members of the queue are serviced.
all of the above
ANSWER: d {moderate, CHARACTERISTICS OF A QUEUING SYSTEM}

14.45 A vendor selling newspapers on a street corner is an example of a
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
single-channel, multiphase system.

single-channel, single-phase system.
multichannel, multiphase system.
multichannel, single-phase system.
none of the above
ANSWER: b {moderate, CHARACTERISTICS OF A QUEUING SYSTEM}

14.46 Lines at banks where customers wait for a teller window are usually representative of a
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
single-channel, multiphase system.

single-channel, single-phase system.
multichannel, multiphase system.
multichannel, single-phase system.
none of the above

14.47 Which of the following distributions is most often used to estimate the arrival pattern?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
negative exponential
normal
Poisson
Erlang
beta
14.48 A single automatic car wash with one bay and a cycle time of 2.5 minutes is what type of model?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
M/M/1
M/M/2
M/D/2
M/D/1
M/G/1

14.49 Which of the following is not an assumption in common queuing mathematical models?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
Arrivals come from an infinite, or very large, population.

Arrivals are Poisson distributed.
Arrivals are treated on a first-in, first-out basis and do not balk or renege.
Service rates follow the normal distribution.
The average service rate is faster than the average arrival rate.
ANSWER: d {moderate, SINGLE-CHANNEL QUEUING MODEL WITH POISSON

14.50 The utilization factor is defined as the
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
percent of time the system is idle.

average percent of time the customers wait in line.
average time the service system is open.
percent of time that a single customer is in the system.
none of the above
ANSWER: e {moderate, SINGLE-CHANNEL QUEUING MODEL WITH POISSON

14.51 A suburban specialty restaurant has developed a single drive-thru window. Customers order, pay,
and pick up their food at the same window. Arrivals follow a Poisson distribution, while service times
follow an exponential distribution. If the average number of arrivals is 6 per hour and the service rate is 2
every 15 minutes, what is the average number of customers in the system?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
0.50
4.00
2.25
3.00
none of the above

ARRIVALS AND EXPONENTIAL SERVICE TIMES (M/M/1), AACSB: Analytic Skills}
347
and pick up their food at the same window. Arrivals follow a Poisson distribution while service times
every 15 minutes, what is the average number of customers waiting in line behind the person being
served?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
0.50
0.75
2.25
3.00
none of the above
ANSWER: c {moderate, SINGLE-CHANNEL QUEUING MODEL WITH POISSON

every 15 minutes, what proportion of the time is the server busy?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
0.25
0.50
0.75
2.25
3.00

every 15 minutes, how much time will elapse (in hours) from the time a customer enters the line until
he/she leaves the restaurant?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
0.50
0.25
0.75
2.25
3.00
ANSWER: a {moderate, SINGLE-CHANNEL QUEUING MODEL WITH POISSON

14.55 Customers enter the waiting line at a cafeteria on a first-come, first-served basis. The arrival rate
follows a Poisson distribution, while service times follow an exponential distribution. If the average
number of arrivals is four per minute and the average service rate of a single server is seven per minute,
what is the average number of customers in the system?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
0.43
1.67
0.57
1.33
none of the above

14.56 Customers enter the waiting line at a cafeteria on a first-come, first-served basis. The arrival rate
follows a Poisson distribution, while service times follow an exponential distribution. If the average
number of arrivals is four per minute and the average service rate of a single server is seven per minute,
what is the average number of customers waiting in line behind the person being served?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
0.76
0.19
1.33
1.67
none of the above
ANSWER: a {moderate, SINGLE-CHANNEL QUEUING MODEL WITH POISSON

14.57 Customers enter the waiting line to pay for food as they leave a cafeteria on a first-come, firstserved basis. The arrival rate follows a Poisson distribution, while service times follow an exponential
distribution. If the average number of arrivals is four per minute and the average service rate of a single
server is seven per minute, what proportion of the time is the server busy?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
0.43
0.57
0.75
0.25
0.33
ANSWER: b {moderate, SINGLE-CHANNEL QUEUING MODEL WITH POISSON

349
14.58 Customers enter the waiting line to pay for food as they leave a cafeteria on a first-come, firstserved basis. The arrival rate follows a Poisson distribution, while service times follow an exponential
distribution. If the average number of arrivals is four per minute and the average service rate of a single
server is seven per minute, on average, how much time will elapse from the time a customer enters the
line until he/she leaves the cafeteria?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
0.67 minutes
0.50 minutes
0.75 minutes
0.33 minutes
1.33minutes

14.59 At a local fast-food joint, cars arrive randomly at a rate of 12 every 30 minutes. The fast food
joint takes an average of 2 minutes to serve each arrival. The utilization factor for this system is
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
0.467.
0.547.
0.800.
0.133.
none of the above

14.60 At a local fast food joint, cars arrive randomly at a rate of 12 every 30 minutes. Service times are
random (exponential) and average 2 minutes per arrival. The average time in the queue for each arrival is
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
2 minutes.
4 minutes.
6 minutes.
8 minutes.
10 minutes.

14.61 Which of the following distributions is most often used to estimate service times?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
negative exponential
normal
Poisson
Erlang
beta
ANSWER: a {moderate , CHARACTERISTICS OF A QUEUING SYSTEM}
14.62 Most systems use a queue discipline known as _______________________.

(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
shortest processing time

longest processing time
FIFO
earliest due date
critical ratio

14.63 When waiting time is based on time in the queue, which of the following is the correct equation
for total cost?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
mCs + WCw
mCw + WCs
mCs + WqCs
mCs + WqCw
mCw + WqCs

14.64 A queuing system with a normally distributed arrival pattern, exponential service times, and three
servers would be described as _________.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
G/G/3
M/M/3
G/M/3
M/G/3
N/E/3

14.65 The initial state of a queuing system (for example, when a restaurant first opens), is referred to as
the ___________ state.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
steady
primary
introductory
transient
start-up
ANSWER: d {moderate, SOME GENERAL OPERATING CHARACTERISTIC

RELATIONSHIPS}
351
14.66 A post office has a single line for customers waiting for the next available postal clerk. There are
two postal clerks who work at the same rate. The arrival rate of customers follows a Poisson distribution,
while the service time follows an exponential distribution. The average arrival rate is three per minute and
the average service rate is two per minute for each of the two clerks. What is the average length of the
line?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
3.429
1.929
1.143
0.643
none of the above
ANSWER: b {hard, MULTICHANNEL QUEUING MODEL WITH POISSON ARRIVALS

AND EXPONENTIAL SERVICE TIMES (M/M/m), AACSB: Analytic Skills}
the average service rate is two per minute for each of the two clerks. How long does the average person
spend waiting for a clerk?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
3.429 minutes
1.929 minutes
1.143 minutes
0.643 minutes
none of the above
ANSWER: d {hard, MULTICHANNEL QUEUING MODEL WITH POISSON ARRIVALS

the average service rate is two per minute for each of the two clerks. What proportion of time are both
clerks idle?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
0.643
0.250
0.750
0.143
none of the above
ANSWER: b {hard, MULTICHANNEL QUEUING MODEL WITH POISSON ARRIVALS

Table 14-1
M/M/2
Mean Arrival Rate:
Mean Service Rate:
Number of Servers:
Queue Statistics:
Mean Number of Units in the System:
Mean Number of Units in the Queue:
Mean Time in the System:
Mean Time in the Queue:
Service Facility Utilization Factor:
Probability of No Units in System:
9 occurrences per minute

2
1.646
0.521
0.183 minutes
0.058 minutes
0.563
0.280
14.69 According to the information provided in Table 14-1, on average, how many units are in the line?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
1.646
0.563
0.280
1.125
0.521
ANSWER: e {easy, MULTICHANNEL QUEUING MODEL WITH POISSON ARRIVALS

14.70 According to the information provided in Table 14-1, what proportion of time is at least one server
busy?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
0.563
0.437
0.720
0.280
none of the above
ANSWER: c {easy, MULTICHANNEL QUEUING MODEL WITH POISSON ARRIVALS

14.71 Using the information provided in Table 14-1 and counting each person being served and the
people in line, on average, how many people would be in this system?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
0.521
1.646
1.125
0.183
none of the above
ANSWER: b {easy, MULTICHANNEL QUEUING MODEL WITH POISSON ARRIVALS

353
14.72 According to the information provided in Table 14-1, what is the average time spent by a person
in this system?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
0.058 minutes
1.646 minutes
0.521 minutes
0.183 minutes
none of the above
ANSWER: d {easy, MULTICHANNEL QUEUING MODEL WITH POISSON ARRIVALS

14.73 According to the information provided in Table 14-1, what percentage of the total available
service time is being used?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
72.0%
28.0%
56.3%
It could be any of the above, depending on other factors.
none of the above

14.74 Cars arrive at a local JLUBE franchise at the rate of 1 every 12 minutes. Service times are
exponentially distributed with an average of 15 minutes. Jack Burns, the JLUBE owner, has decided to
open a second work bay, i.e., make the shop into a two-channel system. Under this new scheme, the
average customer will wait in line
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
9.6 minutes.
2.5 minutes.
24.6 minutes.
2.1 minutes.
none of the above
ANSWER: a {hard, MULTICHANNEL QUEUING MODEL WITH POISSON ARRIVALS

14.75 Cars arrive at a local JLUBE franchise at the rate of 1 every 12 minutes. Service times are
exponentially distributed with an average of 15 minutes. Jack Burns, the JLUBE owner, has decided to
open a second work bay, i.e., make the shop into a two-channel system. Under this new scheme, the total
time an average customer spends in the system will be
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
37 minutes.
2.1 minutes.
9.6 minutes.
33.3 minutes.
24.6 minutes.
ANSWER: e {hard, MULTICHANNEL QUEUING MODEL WITH POISSON ARRIVALS

Table 14-2
M/M/2
Mean Arrival Rate:
Mean Service Rate:
Number of Servers:

2
Queue Statistics:
5.455
3.788
1.091 minutes
0.758 minutes
0.833
0.091
14.76 According to the information provided in Table 14-2, which presents a queuing problem solution,
on average, how many units are in the line?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
5.455
3.788
1.091
0.758
0.833
ANSWER: b {easy, MULTICHANNEL QUEUING MODEL WITH POISSON ARRIVALS

355
what proportion of time is at least one server busy?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
0.833
0.758
0.091
0.909
none of the above
ANSWER: d {easy, MULTICHANNEL QUEUING MODEL WITH POISSON ARRIVALS

there are two servers in this system. Counting each person being served and the people in line, on
average, how many people would be in this system?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
5.455
3.788
9.243
10.900
none of the above
ANSWER: a {easy, MULTICHANNEL QUEUING MODEL WITH POISSON ARRIVALS

Table 14-3
M/M/3:
Mean Arrival Rate:
Mean Service Rate:
Number of Servers:
4 occurrences per hour

2 occurrences per hour
3
Queue Statistics:
2.889
0.889
0.722 minutes
0.222 minutes
0.667
0.111
what proportion of time is the system totally empty?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
0.111
0.333
0.889
0.667
none of the above
ANSWER: a {easy, MULTICHANNEL QUEUING MODEL WITH POISSON ARRIVALS

on average, how long does each customer spend waiting in line?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
0.333 minutes
0.889 minutes
0.222 minutes
0.722 minutes
0.111 minutes

14.81 According to the information provided in Table 14-3, which presents a queuing problem solution
what is the utilization rate of the service facility?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
0.111
0.889
0.222
0.722
0.667
ANSWER: e {easy, MULTICHANNEL QUEUING MODEL WITH POISSON ARRIVALS

14.82 Littles Flow Equations are transferable to a production environment. Which of the following
would be a proper interpretation of Littles Flow Equations?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
Flow Rate = Inventory Flow Time

Flow Time = Inventory Flow Rate
Inventory = Flow Rate Flow Time
Time to Take an Order = Flow Rate Flow Time
Flow Rate = Time to Take an Order Flow Time
ANSWER: c {hard, SOME GENERAL OPERATING CHARACTERISTIC

RELATIONSHIPS}
357
14.83 If everything else remains constant, including the mean arrival rate and service rate, except that
the service time becomes constant instead of exponential,
(a) the average queue length will be halved.
(b) the average waiting time will be doubled.
(c) the average queue length will be doubled.
(d) There is not enough information to know what will happen to the queue length and waiting
time.
(e) none of the above
ANSWER: a {moderate, CONSTANT SERVICE TIME MODEL (M/D/1)}
14.84 At an automatic car wash, cars arrive randomly at a rate of 7 cars every 30 minutes. The car wash
takes exactly 4 minutes (this is constant). On average, what would the length of the line be?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
8.171
7.467
6.53
0.467
none of the above
ANSWER: c {moderate, CONSTANT SERVICE TIME MODEL (M/D/1), AACSB: Analytic

Skills}
14.85 At an automatic car wash, cars arrive randomly at a rate of 7 every 30 minutes. The car wash
takes exactly 4 minutes (this is constant). On average, how long would each car spend at the car wash?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
28 minutes
32 minutes
17 minutes
24 minutes
none of the above
ANSWER: b {moderate, CONSTANT SERVICE TIME MODEL (M/D/1), AACSB: Analytic

Skills}
takes exactly 4 minutes (this is constant). On average, how long would each driver have to wait before
receiving service?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
28 minutes
32 minutes
17 minutes
24 minutes
none of the above
ANSWER: a {moderate, CONSTANT SERVICE TIME MODEL (M/D/1), AACSB: Analytic

Skills}
takes exactly 4 minutes (this is constant). On average, how many customers would be at the car wash
(waiting in line or being serviced)?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
8.17
7.46
6.53
0.46
none of the above

Skills}
14.88 A(An) ___________ state is the normal operating condition of the queuing system.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
primary
transient
NOC
balanced
steady
ANSWER: e {moderate, SOME GENERAL OPERATING CHARACTERISTIC

RELATIONSHIPS}
14.89 At a local fast food joint, cars arrive randomly at a rate of 12 every 30 minutes. The fast food
joint takes exactly 2 minutes (this is constant). The average total time in the system is
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
5.4 minutes.
6.0 minutes.
8.0 minutes.
2.5 minutes.
none of the above

Skills}
Table 14-4
M/D/1
Mean Arrival Rate:
Constant Service Rate:

Queue Statistics:
1.875
1.125
0.625 minutes
0.375 minutes
0.750
0.250
359
for a queuing problem with a constant service rate, on average, how much time is spent waiting in line?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
1.875 minutes
1.125 minutes
0.625 minutes
0.375 minutes
none of the above
ANSWER: d {easy, CONSTANT SERVICE TIME MODEL (M/D/1), AACSB: Analytic

Skills}
for a queuing problem with a constant service rate, on average, how many customers are in the system?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
1.875
1.125
0.625
0.375
none of the above
ANSWER: a {easy, CONSTANT SERVICE TIME MODEL (M/D/1), AACSB: Analytic

Skills}
for a queuing problem with a constant service rate, on average, how many customers arrive per time
period?
(a) 3
(b) 4
(c) 1.875
(d) 1.125
Skills}
14.93 According to Table 14-4, which presents a queuing problem with a constant service rate, on
average, how many minutes does a customer spend in the service facility?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
0.375 minutes
4 minutes
0.625 minutes
0.25 minutes
none of the above
ANSWER: c {easy, CONSTANT SERVICE TIME MODEL (M/D/1), AACSB: Analytic

Skills}
Table 14-5
M/D/1
Mean Arrival Rate:
Constant Service Rate:

Queue Statistics:
1.607
0.893
0.321 minutes
0.179 minutes
0.714
14.94 According to the information provided in Table 14-5, which presents the solution for a queuing
problem with a constant service rate, on average, how much time is spent waiting in line?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
1.607 minutes
0.714 minutes
0.179 minutes
0.893 minutes
none of the above

Skills}
problem with a constant service rate, on average, how many customers are in the system?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
0.893
0.714
1.607
0.375
none of the above

Skills}
for a queuing problem with a constant service rate, on average, how many customers arrive per time
period?
(a) 5
(b) 7
(c) 1.607
(d) 0.893
Skills}
361
problem with a constant service rate, on average, how many minutes does a customer spend in the
system?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
0.893 minutes
0.321 minutes
0.714 minutes
1.607 minutes
none of the above
ANSWER: b {easy, CONSTANT SERVICE TIME MODEL (M/D/1), AACSB: Analytic

Skills}
problem with a constant service rate, what percentage of available service time is actually used?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
0.217
0.643
0.321
0.179
none of the above
ANSWER: e {easy, CONSTANT SERVICE TIME MODEL (M/D/1), AACSB: Analytic

Skills}
problem with a constant service rate, the probability that the server is idle is __________
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
0.217.
0.643.
0.286.
0.714.
none of the above.

Skills}
14.100 The school of business has 3 fax machines. The toner in each machine needs to be changed after
about 5 hours of use. There is one unit secretary who is responsible for the fax machine maintenance. It
takes him 15 minutes to replace the toner cartridge. What is the probability the system is empty?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
1.1500
1.1658
.8578
.8696
none of the above
ANSWER: c {hard, FINITE POPULATION MODEL (M/M/1 WITH FINITE SOURCE),

AACSB: Analytic Skills}
takes him 15 minutes to replace the toner cartridge. What is the average number of fax machines in the
queue?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
1.1658 fax machines

2.9904 fax machines
.1563 fax machines
.0142 fax machines
none of the above
ANSWER: d {hard, FINITE POPULATION MODEL (M/M/1 WITH FINITE SOURCE),

takes him 15 minutes to replace the toner cartridge. What is the average number of fax machines in the
system?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
.0142 fax machines

.1563 fax machines
.0249 fax machines
.2749 fax machines
none of the above
ANSWER: b {hard, FINITE POPULATION MODEL (M/M/1 WITH FINITE SOURCE),

takes him 15 minutes to replace the toner cartridge. What is the average waiting time in the queue?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
.0142 hours
.1563 hours
.0249 hours
.2749 hours
none of the above

363
takes him 15 minutes to replace the toner cartridge. What is the average time spent in the system?
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
.0142 hours
.1563 hours
.0249 hours
.2749 hours
none of the above
ANSWER: d {hard, FINITE POPULATION MODEL (M/M/1 WITH FINITE SOURCE),

takes him 15 minutes to replace the toner cartridge. What is the probability that 2 fax machines need toner
at the same time?
a) .8576
b) .1286
c) .0129
d) .1415
e) none of the above
PROBLEMS
14.106 A new shopping mall is considering setting up an information desk manned by one employee.
Based upon information obtained from similar information desks, it is believed that people will arrive at
the desk at the rate of 15 per hour. It takes an average of two minutes to answer a question. It is assumed
that arrivals are Poisson and answer times are exponentially distributed.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
(f)
Find the probability that the employee is idle.

Find the proportion of time that the employee is busy.
Find the average number of people receiving and waiting to receive information.
Find the average number of people waiting in line to get information.
Find the average time a person seeking information spends at the desk.
Find the expected time a person spends waiting in line to have his question answered.
ANSWER:
(a) Po = 0.50
(b) = 0.50
(c) L = 1
(d) Lq = 0.50
(e) W = 0.0667 hours
(f) Wq = 0.0333 hours {moderate, SINGLE-CHANNEL QUEUING MODEL WITH
POISSON ARRIVALS AND EXPONENTIAL SERVICE TIMES (M/M/1), AACSB: Analytic
Skills}
14.107 Sam the Vet is running a rabies vaccination clinic for dogs at the local grade school. Sam can
vaccinate a dog every 3 minutes. It is estimated that the dogs will arrive independently and randomly
throughout the day at a rate of 1 dog every 6 minutes, according to a Poisson distribution. Also assume
that Sam's vaccinating times are exponentially distributed. Find the:
(a) probability that Sam is idle.
(b) proportion of time that Sam is busy.
(c) average number of dogs receiving or waiting to be vaccinated.
(d) average number of dogs waiting to be vaccinated.
(e) average time a dog waits before getting vaccinated.
(f) average amount (mean) of time a dog spends between waiting in line and getting
vaccinated.
ANSWER:
(a) Po = 0.5
(b) = 0.5
(c) L = 1
(d) Lq = 0.5
(e) Wq = 0.05 hours
(f) W = 0.1 hours {moderate, SINGLE-CHANNEL QUEUING MODEL WITH POISSON
365
that Sam's vaccinating times are exponentially distributed. Find the:
(a) probability that Sam is idle.
(b) proportion of time that Sam is busy.
(c) average number of dogs receiving or waiting to be vaccinated.
(d) average number of dogs waiting to be vaccinated.
(e) average time a dog waits before getting vaccinated.
(f) average amount (mean) of time a dog spends between waiting in line and getting
vaccinated.
ANSWER:
(a) Po = 0.25
(b) = 0.75
(c) L = 3
(d) Lq = 2.25
(e) Wq = 0.15 hours
(f) W = 0.2 hours {moderate, SINGLE-CHANNEL QUEUING MODEL WITH POISSON
14.109 A dry cleaner has a single drive-thru window for customers. The arrival rate of cars follows a
Poisson distribution, while the service time follows an exponential distribution. The average arrival rate is
16 per hour and the average service time is three minutes.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
What is the average number of cars in the line?

What is the average time spent waiting to get to the service window?
What percentage of time is the dry cleaners drive-thru window idle?
What is the probability there are more than 2 cars at the drive-thru window?
ANSWER:
(a) Lq = 3.2
(b) Wq = 0.2 hours (12 minutes)
(c) Po = 0.20
(d) Pn>k = 0.512 {moderate, SINGLE-CHANNEL QUEUING MODEL WITH POISSON
14.110 A dry cleaner has a single drive-thru window for customers. The arrival rate of cars follows a
Poisson distribution, while the service time follows an exponential distribution. The average arrival rate is
16 per hour and the average service time is three minutes. If the dry cleaner wants to accommodate (have
enough room for) all of the waiting cars at least 96 percent of the time, how many car-lengths should they
make the driveway leading to the window?
ANSWER:
The probability of having more than 14 cars in the system is (16/20)14+1 = 0.035, so they should
make the driveway approximately 13 car-lengths long (because one car will be at the service
window). (The probability of having more than 13 cars in the system is 0.044 (which is too
high), and the percentage only gets worse as the queue length is shortened.) {hard, SINGLECHANNEL QUEUING MODEL WITH POISSON ARRIVALS AND EXPONENTIAL
SERVICE TIMES (M/M/1), AACSB: Analytic Skills}
that Sam's vaccinating times are exponentially distributed. Sam would like to have each waiting dog
placed in a holding pen. If Sam wants to be certain he has enough cages to accommodate all dogs at least
90 percent of the time, how many cages should he prepare?
ANSWER:
He needs to prepare 2 cages. The probability of having more than 3 dogs in the system is 6.25
percent while the probability of having more than 2 dogs in the system is 12.5 percent. {hard,
SINGLE-CHANNEL QUEUING MODEL WITH POISSON ARRIVALS AND
EXPONENTIAL SERVICE TIMES (M/M/1), AACSB: Analytic Skills}
14.112 A new shopping mall is considering setting up an information desk operated by two employees.
Based on information obtained from similar information desks, it is believed that people will arrive at the
desk at the rate of 20 per hour. It takes an average of 4 minutes to answer a question. It is assumed that
arrivals are Poisson and answer times are exponentially distributed.
(a) Find the proportion of the time that the employees are busy.
(b) Find the average number of people waiting in line to get some information.
(c) Find the expected time a person spends just waiting in line to have his question answered.
ANSWER:
(a) = 0.667
(b) Lq = 1.0667
(c) Wq = 0.0533 hours {hard, MULTICHANNEL QUEUING MODEL WITH POISSON
ARRIVALS AND EXPONENTIAL SERVICE TIMES (M/M/m), AACSB: Analytic Skills}
367
14.113 Cars arrive at a parking lot entrance at the rate of 20 per hour. The average time to get a ticket
and proceed to a parking space is two minutes. There are two lot attendants at the current time. The
Poisson and exponential distribution appear to be relevant in this situation.
(a) What is the probability that an approaching auto must wait?
(b) What is the average waiting time?
(c) What is the average number of autos waiting to enter the garage?
ANSWER:
(a) Po = 0.50
(b) Wq = 0.25 minutes
(c) Lq = 0.0833 autos {hard, MULTICHANNEL QUEUING MODEL WITH POISSON
ARRIVALS AND EXPONENTIAL SERVICE TIMES (M/M/m), AACSB: Analytic Skills}
14.114 Bank Boston has a branch at Bryant College. The branch is busiest at the beginning of the
college year when freshmen and transfer students open accounts. This year, freshmen arrived at the office
at a rate of 40 per day (8-hour day). On average, it takes the Bank Boston staff person about ten minutes
to process each account application. The bank is considering having one or two tellers. Each teller is paid
$12 per hour and the cost of waiting in line is assumed to be $8 per hour.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
What is the total daily waiting cost for the single teller model?
What is the total daily waiting cost for the two-teller model?
What is the total daily service cost for the single teller model?
What is the total daily service cost for the two-teller model?
Which model is preferred?
ANSWER:
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
Total wait cost = [(5 * .833 hours) (8)] * 8 hours/day = $266.56

Total wait cost = [(5 * .035 hours) (8)] * 8 hours/day = $11.20
Total service cost = (1 * $12) * 8 hours/day = $96
Total service cost = (2 * $12) * 8 hours/day = $192
Two channel model {hard, various, AACSB: Analytic Skills}
14.115 At the start of football season, the ticket office gets busy the day before the first game.
Customers arrive at the rate of four every ten minutes. A ticket seller can service a customer in four
minutes. Traditionally, there are two ticket sellers working. The university is considering an automated
ticket machine similar to the airlines e-ticket system. The automated ticket machine can service a
customer in 2 minutes.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
What is the average length of the queue for the in-person model?
What is the average length of the queue for the automated system model?
What is the average time in the system for the in-person model?
What is the average time in the system for the automated system model?
Assume the ticket sellers earn $8 per hour and the machine costs $20 per hour (amortized
over 5 years). The wait time is only $4 per hour because students are patient. What is the
total cost of each model?
ANSWER:
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
Lq = 2.844
Lq = 1.6
W = 0.1852 hours or 11.11 minutes
W = 0.1 hours or 6 minutes
Total cost (in-person) = (2 * $8/hour) + (24/hour * .1852 hours) ($4/hour) = $33.78
Total cost (automated) = (1 * $20/hour) + (24/hour * .1 hour) ($4/hour) = $29.60
{hard, various, AACSB: Analytic Skills}
14.116 Consider a single-server queuing system with Poisson arrivals of 10 units per hour and a constant
service time of 2 minutes per unit. How long will the customer waiting time be in seconds, on average?
ANSWER: 10 / [(2)(30)(3010)] = .00833333 hours = 0.5 minutes = 30 seconds
{moderate, CONSTANT SERVICE TIME MODEL (M/D/1), AACSB: Analytic Skills}
369
SHORT ANSWER/ESSAY
14.117 With regard to queuing theory, define what is meant by balking.
ANSWER: This refers to the situation when arriving customers choose to not enter the queue
because it is too long to suit their needs or interests. {moderate, CHARACTERISTICS OF A
QUEUING SYSTEM}
14.118 With regard to queuing theory, define what is meant by reneging.
ANSWER: the situation when customers in a queue choose to leave the queue before getting
service {moderate, CHARACTERISTICS OF A QUEUING SYSTEM}
14.119 What is meant by a single-channel queuing system?
ANSWER: one service facility system fed by one queue {moderate, CHARACTERISTICS
OF A QUEUING SYSTEM}
14.120 What is meant by a multichannel queuing system?
ANSWER: more than one service facility all fed by the same queue {moderate,
CHARACTERISTICS OF A QUEUING SYSTEM}
14.121 What is meant by a single-phase system?
ANSWER: Arrivals leave the system after receiving service at only one station. {moderate,
14.122 What is meant by a multiphase system?
ANSWER: Service is provided at more than one station, one after the other. {moderate,

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340 Waiting Lines and Queuing Theory Models CHAPTER 14

Copyright 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall.

Waiting Lines and Queuing Theory Models CHAPTER 14

ANSWER: FALSE {moderate, CHARACTERISTICS OF A QUEUING SYSTEM}

Copyright 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall.

342 Waiting Lines and Queuing Theory Models CHAPTER 14

Copyright 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall.

Waiting Lines and Queuing Theory Models CHAPTER 14

ANSWER: b {moderate, WAITING LINE COSTS}

maximize productivity of the technicians.

ANSWER: e {moderate, WAITING LINE COSTS}

Copyright 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall.

344 Waiting Lines and Queuing Theory Models CHAPTER 14

service costs, arrival costs

ANSWER: e {easy, WAITING LINE COSTS}

the queue size

ANSWER: c {moderate , CHARACTERISTICS OF A QUEUING SYSTEM}

Random arrivals are independent of each other.

ANSWER: e {moderate, CHARACTERISTICS OF A QUEUING SYSTEM}

after joining the queue, becomes impatient and leaves.

ANSWER: a {moderate, CHARACTERISTICS OF A QUEUING SYSTEM}

ANSWER: a {moderate, CHARACTERISTICS OF A QUEUING SYSTEM}

Copyright 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall.

Waiting Lines and Queuing Theory Models CHAPTER 14

size, demographics, and behavior

ANSWER: b {moderate , CHARACTERISTICS OF A QUEUING SYSTEM}

degree to which members of the queue renege.

ANSWER: d {moderate, CHARACTERISTICS OF A QUEUING SYSTEM}

single-channel, multiphase system.

ANSWER: b {moderate, CHARACTERISTICS OF A QUEUING SYSTEM}

single-channel, multiphase system.

ANSWER: d {moderate, CHARACTERISTICS OF A QUEUING SYSTEM}

ANSWER: c {moderate , CHARACTERISTICS OF A QUEUING SYSTEM}

Copyright 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall.

346 Waiting Lines and Queuing Theory Models CHAPTER 14

ANSWER: d {moderate, CHARACTERISTICS OF A QUEUING SYSTEM}

Arrivals come from an infinite, or very large, population.

ANSWER: d {moderate, SINGLE-CHANNEL QUEUING MODEL WITH POISSON

percent of time the system is idle.

ANSWER: e {moderate, SINGLE-CHANNEL QUEUING MODEL WITH POISSON

ANSWER: d {moderate, SINGLE-CHANNEL QUEUING MODEL WITH POISSON

Copyright 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall.

Waiting Lines and Queuing Theory Models CHAPTER 14

ANSWER: c {moderate, SINGLE-CHANNEL QUEUING MODEL WITH POISSON

ANSWER: c {moderate, SINGLE-CHANNEL QUEUING MODEL WITH POISSON

ANSWER: a {moderate, SINGLE-CHANNEL QUEUING MODEL WITH POISSON

Copyright 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall.

348 Waiting Lines and Queuing Theory Models CHAPTER 14

ANSWER: d {moderate, SINGLE-CHANNEL QUEUING MODEL WITH POISSON

ANSWER: a {moderate, SINGLE-CHANNEL QUEUING MODEL WITH POISSON

ANSWER: b {moderate, SINGLE-CHANNEL QUEUING MODEL WITH POISSON

Copyright 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall.

Waiting Lines and Queuing Theory Models CHAPTER 14

ANSWER: d {moderate, SINGLE-CHANNEL QUEUING MODEL WITH POISSON

ANSWER: c {moderate, SINGLE-CHANNEL QUEUING MODEL WITH POISSON

ANSWER: d {moderate, SINGLE-CHANNEL QUEUING MODEL WITH POISSON

ANSWER: a {moderate , CHARACTERISTICS OF A QUEUING SYSTEM}

Copyright 2009 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall.

350 Waiting Lines and Queuing Theory Models CHAPTER 14

14.62 Most systems use a queue discipline known as _______________________.

shortest processing time

ANSWER: c {moderate , CHARACTERISTICS OF A QUEUING SYSTEM}

ANSWER: d {moderate, SINGLE-CHANNEL QUEUING MODEL WITH POISSON