Math 4030

Assignment 2 (Ch. 3)

Due: Sept. 29, 4:00PM

1. (P55: 3.1) An environmental engineer suspects mercury contamination in
an area which contains three lakes and three streams. He will check all
six for mercury contamination.
a. Draw a diagram similar to that of Figure 3.1 on Page 47 showing the
points of the sample space S.
b. List the points of the sample space that belongs to the event
A = Equally many lakes and streams are contaminated .
c. List the points of the sample space that belongs to the event
B = Fewer lakes than streams are contaminated .
d. List the points of the sample space that belongs to the event
C = At least two lakes are contaminated .
e. List the points of the sample space that belongs to the event
D = No lakes are contaminated .
f. Which of the pair(s), if any, of events, A and B, B and C, C and D, or D
and A are mutually exclusive?
g. List the points of the sample space that belongs to the event A B,
A B, B, A C, A D, and A B, respectively.
2. (P66: 3.29) When we roll a pair of balanced dice, what are the
probabilities of getting
a. At least one 3;
b. Total of 8;
c. Total of 8 or 9;
d. Double (i.e. Two dice give the same number.);
e. Total at least 6;
f. Total at most 8;
g. Difference of the two dice is 2.
3. (P67: 3.45) If each point of the sample space of Figure 3.12 (in the
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textbook) represents an outcome having the probability 1/32, find

a. PA B
b. PA B
c. PA B
d. PA|B
e. PB|A
f. PA B|B
4. A batch of 60 software widgets contain 4 defective ones that will have
connectivity problems when used. A random sample of 3 software widgets
are chosen for installation. Use the definition of classical probability, find
the probability that
a. None of the 3 have connectivity problems.
b. The first widget installed has connectivity problems, but the rest do
not.
c. Exactly 2 have connectivity problems.
d. At least 2 have connectivity problems.
5. The following table gives the composition of student athlete population
in a high school. For example, 60% of the student athletes are males, 25%
of the athletes are male football players.
Football Basketball Track Total
Male

0. 25

Female

0. 05

Total

0. 3

0. 6
0. 15
0. 5

a. Fill the remaining entries of the above table.

b. If randomly select one athlete from this school, what is the probability
that the athlete is a female?
c. Given that the selected athlete is a male, what is the probability that
he plays basketball?

d. Knowing the selected athlete is plays either football or basket ball,

what is the selected athlete is a female?
e. Are events "the randomly selected athlete is a male" and "the randomly
selected athlete plays basketball" independent?
f. Are events "the randomly selected athlete is a male" and "the randomly
selected athlete plays football" independent?
6. (P78, 3.62) In one area of the States, red cars are targeted by law
enforcement for special attention. Assume that the probability of a red
car being stopped for speeding is 0.06, while the probability of a non-red
car being stopped for speeding is only 0.02. Also assume that 12% cars are
red in that area. Find
a. probability that a car will be stopped for speeding;
b. probability that a car stopped for speeding is red.
7. In a box of 100 colored light bulbs, 35 are red (of which 3 are defective),
45 are blue (of which 2 are defective), 10 are green (of which 2 are
defective), and 10 are orange (of which 1 is defective). If a randomly
selected bulb (from this box) is found defective, what is the probability
that it is of blue color?
8. (Page 102: 4.34) A discrete random variable X has the following
probability distribution table.
Number of malfunctions x Probability fx
0

0.17

0.23

0.24

0.20

0.11

0.05

a. Draw the probability histogram for the distribution of X.

b. Find the probability PX > 2.
c. Find the probability PX = 3.
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d. Find the probability PX = 1. 3.

e. Find the mean of X.
f. Find the standard deviation of X.
9. Use the random variable X defined in Question 8, we define a new
random variable Y = 10 + 5X, which represents the fixing cost of the
malfunctions.
a. Make the probability distribution table for Y.
b. Find the mean of Y.
c. Find the variance and standard deviation of Y.