Exercise 3B
1 a i Yes, since n = 120 is large (> 50) and p = 0.6 is close to 0.5.
ii µ = np =120 × 0.6 = 72 and σ = np (1 − p ) = 72 × 0.4 = 28.8 = 5.37 (3 s.f.)
2
X B(72,5.37 )
b i No, n = 20 is not large enough (< 50).
c i Yes, since n = 250 is large (> 50) and p = 0.52 is close to 0.5.
ii µ =np =250 × 0.52 =130 and σ= np (1 − p )= 130 × 0.48= 62.4= 7.90 (3 s.f.)
X B(130, 7.902 )
d i No, p = 0.85 is too far from 0.5.
e i Yes, since n = 400 is large (> 50) and p = 0.48 is close to 0.5.
ii µ =np =400 × 0.48 =192 and σ= np (1 − p )= 192 × 0.52= 99.84= 9.99 (3 s.f.)
X B(192,9.992 )
f i Yes, since n = 1000 is large (> 50) and p = 0.58 is close to 0.5.
ii µ =np =1000 × 0.58 =580 and σ= np (1 − p )= 580 × 0.42= 243.6= 15.6 (3 s.f.)
2
X B(580,15.6 )
2 A normal approximation is valid since n = 150 is large (> 50) and p = 0.45 is close to 0.5.
µ =np =150 × 0.45 =67.5 and σ= np(1 − p= ) 67.5 × 0.55= 37.125= 6.093 (4 s.f.)
So X can be approximated by Y N(67.5, 6.0932 )
a P( X 60) ≈ P(Y < 60.5) =
0.1253 (4 d.p.)
b P( X > 75) ≈ P(Y > 75.5) =
0.0946 (4 d.p.)
c P(65X 80) ≈ P(64.5 < Y < 80.5) =
0.6723 (4 d.p.)
3 A normal approximation is valid since n = 200 is large (> 50) and p = 0.53 is close to 0.5.
µ =np =200 × 0.53 =106 and σ= np(1 − p)= 106 × 0.47= 49.82= 7.058 (4 s.f.)
So X can be approximated by Y N(106, 7.0582 )
a P( X < 90) ≈ P(Y < 89.5) =
0.0097 (4 d.p.)
b P(100X < 110) ≈ P(99.5 < Y < 109.5) =
0.5115 (4 d.p.)
c P( X = 105) ≈ P(104.5 < Y < 105.5) =
0.0559 (4 d.p.)
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4 A normal approximation is valid since n = 100 is large (> 50) and p = 0.6 is close to 0.5.
µ = np =100 × 0.6 = 60 and σ = np(1 − p) = 60 × 0.4 = 24 = 4.899 (4 s.f.)
So X can be approximated by Y N(60, 4.8992 )
a P( X > 58) ≈ P(Y > 58.5) =
0.6203 (4 d.p.)
b P(60 < X 72) ≈ P(60.5 < Y < 72.5) =
0.4540 (4 d.p.)
c P( X = 70) ≈ P(69.5 < Y < 70.5) =
0.0102 (4 d.p.)
5 Let X be the number of heads in 70 tosses of a fair coin, so X ~ B(70, 0.5).
Since p = 0.5 and 70 is large, X can be approximated by the normal distribution Y N( µ , σ 2 ),
where µ = 70 × 0.5 = 35 and σ = 70 × 0.5 × 0.5 = 17.5
So Y N(35,17.5)
P( X > 45) ≈ P(Y 45.5) = 0.0060 (4 d.p.)
6 A normal approximation is valid since n = 1200 is large and p is close to 0.5.
50
µ =np =1200 × =594.059
101
51
and
= σ np (1 −
= p) 594.059 ×= 299.9705= 9 … 17.32 (4 s.f.)
101
So Y N(594.059, 299.97...)
P( X 600) ≈ P(Y > 599.5) = 0.3767 (4 d.p.)
7 a The number of trials, n, must be large (> 50), and the success probability, p, must be close to 0.5.
20
b Using the binomial distribution, P(= = × 0.4510 × 0.55=
X 10) 10
0.1593 (4 d.p.)
10
c A normal approximation is valid since n = 240 is large and p = 0.45 is close to 0.5.
µ =np =240 × 0.45 =108 and σ= np(1 − p)= 108 × 0.55= 59.4= 7.707 (4 s.f.)
So Y N(108,59.4)
0.5772 (4 d.p.)
P( X < 110) ≈ P(Y < 109.5) =
d P( X q ) = 0.2 ⇒ P(Y > (q − 0.5)) = 0.2
Using the inverse normal function,
P(Y > (q − 0.5)) = 0.2 ⇒ q − 0.5 =114.485 ⇒ q = 114.985
So q = 115
8 a Using the cumulative binomial function with N = 30 and p = 0.52,
P( X < 17) =P( X 16) = 0.6277 (4 d.p.)
b A normal approximation is valid since n = 600 is large and p = 0.52 is close to 0.5.
µ =np =600 × 0.52 =312 and σ= np(1 − p)= 312 × 0.48= 149.76= 12.24 (4 s.f.)
So Y N(312,149.76)
P(300 X 350) ≈ P(299.5 < Y < 350.5) = 0.8456 (4 d.p.)
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100
9 a Using the binomial distribution, P(=
X 5=
5) 55 45
× 0.56 × 0.44= 0.0784 (4 d.p.)
55
b A normal approximation is valid since n = 100 is large and p = 0.56 is close to 0.5.
µ =np =100 × 0.56 =56 and σ = np(1 − p) = 56 × 0.44 = 24.64 = 4.964 (4 s.f.)
So Y B(56, 24.64)
P( X = 55) ≈ P(54.5 < Y < 55.5) =0.07863 (4 s.f.)
0.07838...(−)0.07863...
Percentage error = ×100 = 0.31 % (2 d.p.)
0.07838...
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