112 CHAPTER 2 Probability

Exercises for Section 2.4

1. Detennine whether each of the following random vari
ables is discrete or continuous.
a. The number of heads in 100 tosses of a coin.
b. The length of a rod randomly chosen from a day's
production.
c. The final exam score of a randomly chosen stu
dent from last semester's engineering statistics
class.
d. The age of a randomly chosen Colorado School of
Mines student.
e. The age that a randomly chosen Colorado School
of Mines student will be on his or her next
birthday.
2. Computer chips often contain surface imperfections.
For a certain type of computer chip, the probability
mass function of the number of defects X is presented
in the following table.
a. Find P(X 2).
b. Find P(X > 1).
c. Find f.Ox.
d. Find
3. A chemical supply company ships a certain sol
vent in 10-gallon drums. Let X represent the num
ber of drums ordered by a randomly chosen cus
tomer. Assume X has the following probability mass
function:
a. Find the mean number of drums ordered.
b. Find the variance of the number of drums
ordered.
c. Find the standard deviation ofthe number ofdrums
ordered.
d. Let Y be the number of gallons ordered. Find the
probability mass function of Y.
e. Find the mean number of gallons ordered.
f. Find the variance of the number of gallons
ordered.
g. Find the standard deviation of the number of gal
lons ordered.
4. Let X represent the number of tires with low air pres
sure on a randomly chosen car.
a. Which of the three functions below is a possible
probability mass function of X? Explain.
x
0 1
0.2 0.2 0.3 0.1 0.1 PI(X)
0.1 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.2 p:c(x)
0.1 0.2 0.4 0.2 0.1 P3(X)
b. For the possible probability mass function, com
pute f.Ox and a ~ .
5. A survey of cars on a certain stretch of highway
morning commute hours showed that 70% had only
one occupant, 15% had 2, 10% had 3, 3% had 4, and
2% had 5. Let X represent the number of occupants
in a randomly chosen car.
a. Find the probability mass function of X.
b. Find P(X ::S 2).
c. Find P(X > 3).
d. Find f.Ox.
e. Find ax.
6. The element titanium has five stable occurring iso
topes, differing from each other in the number of neu
trons an atom contains. If X is the number of neutrons
in a randomly chosen titanium atom, the probability
mass function of X is given as follows:
x 24 25 26 27 28
p(X) 0.0825 0.0744 0.7372 0.0541 0.0518
a. Find f.Ox.
b. Find ax.
7. A certain type of component is packaged in lots
of four. Let X represent the number of properly
turlctlommg components in a randomly chosen lot.
.Ass ume that the probabi Iity that exactl y x components
functi on is proportional to x; in other words, assume
mat the probability mass functi on of X is given by
ex x = 1, 2, 3. or 4
p (x) = 0
{
otherwise
v. here e is a constant.
Find the value of the consta nt c so that p(x) is a
probability mass function.
b. Find P(X = 2).
Find the mean number of properly functioning
components .
d. Find the variance of the number of properly func
ti oning components.
e. Find the standard deviation of the number of prop
erly functi oning component s.
' . After manufac ture, computer di sks are tested for er
rors. Let X be the number of errors detected on a
randoml y chosen di sk. The following table presents
values of the cumul ati ve dis tribution function F (x)
of X.
x F(x)
0 OA I
0. 72
2 0.83
3 0.95
4 LOO
a. What is the probability that two or fewer errors are
detected?
b. What is the probability that more thall three en-ors
are detec ted?
c. What is the probability that exactly one error is
detected ?
d. What is the probability that no errors are detec ted ?
e. What is the most probable number of elTors to be
detected?
On 100 different days, a traffic engineer counts the
number of cars that pass tlu'ough a ce11ain intersecti on
between 5 P.M. and 5:05 P.M. The result s are presented
in the following tabl e.
2.4 Random Variables 113
Number Number Proportion
of Cars of Days of Days
0 36 0. 36
1 28 0.28
2 15 0.15
3 10 0. 10
4 7 0.D7
5 4 0.04
a. Let X be the number of cars passing tlu'ough the
intersecti on between 5 P.M. and 5:05 P.M. on a ran
domly chosen day. Someone suggests that for any
positive integer x, the probability mass function
of X is P, (x) = (0.2)(0. 8)' . Using this function,
compute P(X = x) for values of x from 0 through
5 InclUSive.
b. Someone e lse suggests that for any positive inte
ger x, the probability mass function is /h (x ) =
(0.4)(0.6)'. Using thi s func ti on, compute P( X =
x) for values of x from 0 through 5 inclusive.
c. Compare the results of parts (a) and (b) to the data
in the table. Which probability mass functi on ap
pears to be the better model? Explain .
d. Someone says that neither of the functions is a
good model si nce neither one agrees with the data
exactl y. Is this right" Expl ain .
lO. Microprocessing chips are randomly sampl ed one
by one from a large popUl ation, and tested to de
termi ne if they are acceptable for a certain applica
tion. Ninety percent of the ch ips in the popul ation are
acceptable.
a. What is the probability that the fi rst chip chosen is
acceptable?
b. What is the probability that the first chip is unac
ceptable, and the second is acceptabl e?
c. Let X represent the number of chips that are tested
up to and including the firs t acceptable chip. Find
P(X = 3) .
d. Find the probability mass function of X.
11. Refer to Exercise 10. Let Y be the number of chips
tested up to and incl uding the second acceptable
chip.
a. What is the smallest possible value for y.)
b. What is the probability that Y takes 0 11 that value ?
114 CHAPTER 2 Probability
c. Let X represent the number of chips that are tested 3. What proportion of steel plates have elongations
up to and including the first acceptable ch ip. Find greater than 25 %?
PlY = 31X = I).
b. Find the mean elongation.
d. Find PlY = 31X = 2).
c. Find the variance of the elongations.
e. Find PlY = 3).
d. Find the standard deviation of the elongations.
e. Find the cumu lative distribution function of the
12. Three components are randomly sampled, one at a
elongations.
time, from a large lot. As each component is selected,
it is tested . If it passes the test, a success (S) occurs: if
f. A particular plate elongates 28%. What proportion
it fails the test, a failure (F) occurs. Assume that 80%
of plates elongate more than thi s?
of the components in the lot will succeed in passing the
15. The lifetime of a transistor in a certain appl ication
test. Let X represent the number of successes among
has a lifetime that is random wi th probability density
the three sampled components.
fun ction
a. What are the possible values for X'J
- 0 I I
0 I 1>0
b Find P(X = 3).
f(t) = 0 e .
{
1:'00
c. The event that the first (;omponent fails and the next
two succeed is denoted by FSS. Find P(FSS). a. Find the mean lifetime.
d. Find P(SFS) and P (SSF). b. Find the standard deviation of the lifetimes.
e. Use the results of parts (c) and (d) to find c. Find the cumulative distribution functi on of the
P(X = 2). lifetime.
f. Find P(X = I) . d. Find the probability that the lifetime will be less
than 12 months.
g. Find P( X = 0) .
h. Find /J.. x .
16. A process that manufactures pi ston rings produces
I. Find rings whose diameters (in centimeters) vary according
J. Let Y represent the number of successes if four to the probability density function
components are sampled. Find PlY = 3).
9.75 <x < 10.25
f(x) = - 16(x - lW]
otherwise
between 80 Q and 120 Q. Let X be the mass of a ran
13. Resistors labeled 100 Q have true resistances that are
a. Find the mean diameter of rings manufactured by
doml y chosen resistor. The probability density func
this process.
tion of X is given by
b. Find the standard deviation of the diameters of
X - 80
80 < x < 120 rings manufactured by thi s process. (Hill l: Equa
f(x) =
tion 2.36 may be easier to use than Equation 2.37 .)
{
otherwi se
c. Find the cumulative distribut ion function of pi ston
a. What propOition of resistors have resistances less
ring diameters.
than 90 Q?
d. What propOition of piston rings have diameters less
b. Find the mean resistance.
than 9.75 cm?
c. Find the standard deviation of the resistances.
e. What proportion of pi ston rings have diameters
between 9.75 and 10.25 cm?
d. Find the cumulative distributi on function of the
resistances.
17. Refer to Exercise 16. A competing process produces
rings whose diameters (in centimeters) vary according
14. Elongation (i n percent) of steel plates treated wi th alu
to the probability densit y function
minum are random with probability densi ty function
15[1 - 25(x - 10.05)']/4
20 < x < 30
f(x) = 985 < x < 10.25
{
otherwise
o otherwise
Spec ifications call for the diameter to be 10.00.1 cm.
Which process is better, this one or the one in Exer
cise 16? Explain.
The lifetime, in years, of a certain type of fuel cell is
a random variable with probabilit y density function
81
x > 0
f(x) = (x 3)"
{
,x ::: 0
a. What IS the probability that a fuel cell lasts more
than 3 years?
b. What is the probabi Iity that a fuel cell lasts between
I and 3 years?
c. Find tbe mean lifetime.
d. Find the vari ance of the lifetimes.
e. Find the cumulative di stribution function of the
lifetilne.
f. Find the median lifetime.
g. Find the 30th percentile of the lifetimes.
The level of impurity (in percent) in the product of
a certain chemical process is a random variable with
probability density function
3 0
0 < x < 4
64 - x)
{
otherwise
a. What is the probabilit y that the impurity level is
greater than 3%?
b. What is the probability that the impurity level is
between 2% and 3%
c. Find the mean impurity level.
d. Find the variance of the impurity level s.
e. Find the cumulative distribution function of the
impurity leve l.
The main bearing clearance (in mm) in a certain type
of engine is a random variable with probability density
runction
625.1 o< x ::: 0.04
f(x) = 50 - 0625X 0.04 < x ::: 0. 08
{
otherwi se
a. What is the probability that the clearance is less
than 0.02 mm?
b. Find the mean clearance.
c. Find the standard deviation of the cl earances.
2,4 Random Variables 115
d. Find the cumulative distribution function of the
clearance.
e. Find the median clearance.
f. The specification for the clearance is 0.015 to
0.063 mm. What is the probability that the speci
fication is met?
21. The concentration of a reactant is a random va riable
with probability density function
O< x < 1
f(x) = {1. 2(X + x")
o othelwi se
a. What is the probability that the concentration is
greater than 0.5?
b. Find the mean concentration.
c, Find the probability that the concentration is within
O. I of the mean.
d. Find the standard deviati on a of the concentrations.
e. Find the probability that the concentration is within
2a of the mean.
f. Find the cumu lative di stribution function of the
concentration,
22. The error in the length of a part (absolute value of
the di fference between the actual length and the target
length). in mm, is a random variable with probabil ity
density functi on
O<x<1
f (x) = { I
otherwise
a. What is the probability that the error is less than
0.2 mm?
b. Find the mean error.
c. Find the variance of the error.
d. Find the cumulative distribution functi on of the
error.
e. Find the median error.
f. The specification for the elTor is 0 to 0.3 mm. What
is the probability that the specification is met?
23. The thickness of a washer (in rrun) is a random vari
able with probability density functi on'
2 <..1'<4
f( x) = x) {
othelwise
116 CHAPTER 2 Probability
a. What is the probability that the thi ckness is less 25. The repair time (in hours) for a certain machine is a
than 2.5 m? random variable wi th probability density function
b. What is the probability that the thickness is
between 2.5 and 3.5 m?
x
x>O
f( x) _ { xe
- 0
c. Find the mean thickness. x.:sO
d. Find the standard deviation a of the thicknesses.
e. Find the probability that the thickness is wi thin a
a. What is the probability that the repair time is less
of the mean.
than 2 hours?
f. Find the cumulative distribution function of the
b. What is the probability that the repair time is be
thickness.
tween 1.5 and 3 hours?
c. Find the mean repair time.
24. Particles are a major component of air pollution in
many areas. It is of interest to study the sizes of con
d. Find the cumulative distribution function of the
taminating particles. Let X represent the diameter, in repair times .
micrometers, of a randomly chosen particle. Assume
26. The diameter of a rivet (in mm) is a random variable
that in a certain area, the probability density function
with probability density function
of X is inversely proportional to the volume of the
particle; that is, assume that
6(X - 12)(13 - x) 12 < x .:s 13
f(x) = 0
x ~ l
{
otherwi se
f(x) = { ~ 1
x < 1
a. What is the probability that the diameter is less
where c is a constant. than 12.5 mm?
a. Find the value of c so that f(x) is a probability
b Find the mean diameter.
density function.
c. Find the standard deviation of the diameters.
b. Find the mean particle diameter.
d. Find the cumulative dist.ribution function of the
c. Find the cumulative distribution function of the
diameter.
particle diameter. e. The speci fi cation for the diameter is 12.3 to
d. Find the median particle diameter.
12.7 mm. What is the probability that the speci
fication is met?
e. The term PM
IO
refers to particles 10 l.1.m or less
in diameter. What proportion of the contaminating
particles are PM10 ?
f. The term PM2.5 refers to particles 2.5 I1-m or less
in diameter. What proportion of the contaminating
particles are PM
z5
?
g. What proportion of the PM 10 particles are PM
z
)?
2.5 Linear Functions of Random Variables
In practice we often construct new random variables by performing arithmetic operations
on other random variables. For example, we might add a constant to a random variable,
multiply a random variable by a constant, or add two or more random variables together.
In this section, we describe how to compute means and variances of random variables