College of Engineering

GENG 200 Probability and Statistics for Engineers

Fall 2014
Tutorial #1 Chap2

Recommended Exercises from textbook:

Chapter 2: 155, 156, 178, 185, 187, 189, 195, 197

Problem#1
A computer system uses passwords that are exactly seven characters and each character is
one of the 26 letters (a-z) or 10 integers (0-9). Uppercase letters are not used.
1-How many passwords are possible?
2-If a password consists of exactly 6 letters and one number:
i- In how many ways the number can be positioned in the password?
ii- How many passwords are possible?
3-If a password consists of 5 letters and two numbers, how many passwords are possible?
i- In how many ways the two numbers can be positioned in the password?
ii- How many passwords are possible?
4- Generate a function that gives the number of possible passwords formed by n characters
with i letters and j numbers (i+j=n, and n=1,2,3.)
5-What is the probability to guess a password when you are given all its 7 characters (not
ordered)?
6- What is the probability to guess a password that has only two missing characters?
7- Answer the above questions (1-6) under the assumption that a character is used once in
the password, i.e, all the characters forming the password are different.

Problem#2

A
0.5

B
0.4

D
0.3
E
0.4

C
0.8

The above circuit operates if and only if there is a path of functional devices from left to
right. The reliability level (probability that device perform its intended function) of each
device ( A,B,C,D and E) is shown in the graph.
Assume that devices (A,B,C,D and E) fail independently.
1- The reliability level of the circuit, i.e. what is the probability that the circuit operates?
2- A device called F can perform the functions of devices D and E at the same time and
hence can replace them is now available on the market;
iii-

At what conditions on device Fs reliability level will you consider it to change D

and E?
What should be the reliability level of device F that let the circuit reach 75% of
reliability?

3- In order to increase the circuits reliability, you are allowed to duplicate (*) only one of
the device used: which device would you duplicate? And why?
(*) Duplication is equivalent to redundancy, which simply means to insert an identical device
in parallel to the used one. This is also called, active redundancy (see Figure below for an
example)

Problem#3
Part A
A family that owns two cars (a new one and an old one) is selected; each of the cars
could be manufactured either in America (U), Europe (E), or Asia (A).
(1)- What are the possible outcomes of this experiment (sample space S)?
(2)- Which outcomes are contained in the event that only one car is American?
(3)- Which outcomes are contained in the event that the two cars are made in Europe?
What is the compliment of this event?
(4)- Identify two events that are mutually exclusive.

Part B
Now a car produced in Europe or Asia will be referred to as Foreign (F) car.
Let:
(

={the older car is American} and

)

, and

={the newer car is American},

)

(1)-Write down the following (write down the outcomes):

- The space, S
- Event

={the older car is American}

- Event

={the newer car is American}.

(2)-Write down the following events (which outcomes are contained in the event)
AND calculate the associated probability (you should express the probability first
as a function of
and then find its value)
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

The older car is Foreign

The newer car is Foreign
At least one car is American
Both cars are foreign
Exactly one of the two cars is American

(3)- Calculate the probability that the older car is American given that the newer car
is American