WORKING OUT
x̅ 37841 45 81481 2 1 600
x 600
mean length x̅ 600
45.81481 600 645.81
646135
475181
SD
EE 81
3784172
3767.43
100
not including 4600
81 41
21
41 salmon have a weight less than or equal to 460
so
41 must be between 4600 CW 7700
IQ R 54W 3800 1600
min 1600 Max 7700
Q1 3800 Q2 4600 Q 5400 IQR 16W
NO OUTLIER
15 1600 2400 5400
013
2400 7800 ALL DATA IS
S
4 3800 2400 1400 WITHIN
DISCRETE RANDOM VARIABLES
random variable value dependent on the
outcome of a random event
discrete can
only be certain numerical
values
P X X probability that random variable X
is a particular value x
discrete uniform distribution
when all of the probabilities are
the same
F X cumulative distribution
x EXP X x
expected value for
random variable X
a fair 4 sided spinner is spun labelled 1 4
1 2 314
I 2 3 4
P X X
x 1
E x X X P X x
I 2 3
EC 1 2 or 2.5
6
ptqto
X 0.12p0.9491 E 2pt4qt2
0.42pt4q ptq
ptq 0.4 2
2pt4q I
0.8
2p 29 I
2p 4g
0.2
2g
0.1
q
0.1 0.4
Pt
p 0.3
MMMM
MMMMM
MMM
E x
x2
ECC
b work out E X
I 2 3 4 s
multiply
PWA to
22 I 4 9 16 25
710 820 28 20 540 2.55
E x
E X 2.55
c work out X
X 1 2 3 4 5
PCX to to multiply
22 I 4 9 16 25
420 2 25
8.45
EX 720 1640 20 2
E X2 8.45
Exercise 6C
1 a The probability distribution for X 2 is:
x 2 4 6 8
P(X = x) 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.2
x2 4 16 36 64
P(X2 = x2) 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.2
Note that for this variable P( X x) P( X 2 x 2 ) as X only takes positive values.
E( X ) x P( X x)
2 0.3 4 0.3 6 0.2 8 0.2 4.6
E( X 2 ) x 2 P( X x)
4 0.3 16 0.3 36 0.2 64 0.2 26
b The probability distribution for X is:
x –2 –1 1 2
P(X = x) 0.1 0.4 0.1 0.4
x2 4 1 1 4
In this case, X can take negative values, so calculate the values of P( X 2 x2 ) .
P( X 2 1) P( X 1) P( X 1) 0.4 0.1 0.5
2
P( X 4) P( X 2) P( X 2) 0.1 0.4 0.5
The probability distribution for X 2 is:
x2 1 4
P(X2 = x2) 0.5 0.5
E( X ) x P( X x)
2 0.1 ( 1) 0.4 1 0.1 2 0.8
0.3
E( X 2 ) x 2 P( X x)
4 0.1 1 0.4 1 0.1 4 0.4
2.5
Using the X2 distribution to calculate E(X2) gives the same result
E( X 2 ) x 2 P( X 2 x 2 ) 1 0.5 4 0.5 2.5
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2 E( X ) x P( X x)
(1 0.1) (2 0.1) (3 0.1) (4 0.2) (5 0.4) (6 0.1)
0.1 0.2 0.3 0.8 2.0 0.6
4
E( X 2 ) x 2 P( X x)
(1 0.1) (4 0.1) (9 0.1) (16 0.2) (25 0.4) (36 0.1)
0.1 0.4 0.9 3.2 10 3.6
18.2
3 a The probability distribution for X is:
x 2 3 6
1 1 1
P(X = x) 2 3 6
The probability distribution for X 2 is:
x2 4 9 36
1 1 1
P(X2 = x2) 2 3 6
b E( X ) x P( X x)
2 12 3 1
3 6 1
6
1 1 1
3
E( X 2 ) x 2 P( X x)
1 1 1
4 9 36
2 3 6
11
c (E( X )) 2 32 9 and E( X 2 ) 11 from part b
So (E( X )) 2 does not equal E(X 2 )
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4 a The probability distribution for X is:
x 1 2 3 4 5
1 1 1 1 1
P(X = x) 2 4 8 16 16
b E( X ) x P( X x)
1 12 2 1
4 3 1
8 4 1
16 5 1
16
1 1 6 9 31
2 2 16 16 16
1.9375
E( X 2 ) x 2 P( X x)
12 1
2 22 1
4 32 1
8 42 1
16 52 1
16
1 1
2 4 1
4 9 1
8 16 1
16 25 1
16
83
16
5.1875
c (E( X )) 2 (1.9375) 2 3.7539 (4 d.p.)
So (E( X )) 2 does not equal E(X 2 )
5 The probabilities add up to 1, so
0.1 a b 0.2 0.1 1
a b 0.6 (1)
E( X ) xP( X x) 2.9 , so
(1 0.1) (2 a ) (3 b) (4 0.2) (5 0.1) 2.9
0.1 2a 3b 0.8 0.5 2.9
2a 3b 1.5 ( 2)
Multiply (1) by 2
2a 2b 1.2 ( 3)
Subtract equation (3) from (1) to give
b 0.3
Substitute the value of b in equation (3) to obtain
2a 0.6 1.2
a 0.3
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6 The probability distribution for X is:
x –2 –1 0 5
P(X = x) 3a 2a a b
E( X ) xP( X x) 1.2 , so
1.2 2 3a 1 2a 0 a 5 b
1.2 6a 2a 5b
1.2 8a 5b (1)
P X x 1, so
1 3a 2a a b
1 6a b (2)
(2) 5 5 30a 5b (3)
(3) (1) 3.8 38a a 0.1
Substituting for a in equation (2) gives
b 1 6a 1 0.6 0.4
So the full solution is
a 0.1, b 0.4
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Challenge
When three dice are thrown there are 6 6 6 216 outcomes.
There is only one way of the number 1 being the highest score on the three dice and that is 1, 1, 1.
To achieve the highest score of 2, each dice must be either 1 or 2. So there are 2 2 2 8 ways for the
highest score on three dice to be no more than 2. But one of those is 1, 1, 1, which gives a highest score
of 1 so this needs to be subtracted to leave 7 possible ways for a highest score of 2.
To achieve the highest score of 3, each dice must be either 1 or 2 or 3. So there are 3 3 3 27 ways
for the highest score on three dice to be no more than 3. But one of those is 1, 1, 1, which gives a highest
score of 1 and there are 7 possible ways for a highest score of 2 so these both need to be subtracted to
give 19 ways of getting a highest score of 3.
Using this approach, this is the number of ways of getting each highest score:
Highest score on the
Working Number of ways
three dice
1 1, 1, 1 1
2 2 2 2 1 7
3 3 3 3 7 1 19
4 4 4 4 19 7 1 37
5 5 5 5 37 19 7 1 61
6 6 6 6 61 37 19 7 1 91
Converting the number of ways into probabilities gives:
x 1 2 3 4 5 6
1 7 19 37 61 91
P(X = x) 216 216 216 216 216 216
E( X ) xP( X x)
1 1
216 2 7
216 3 19
216 4 37
216 5 61
216 6 91
216
1071
216
119
24 4.9583 (4 d.p.)
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EX IX P X X
x I 2 3 4 1 2.5
x I 4 9 16
x EX 2.25 0.25 0.25 2.25 X EX
PCX X 11 2.512 2.25
2 5 2 0.25
fat 2
I 44 2.5
EX 44 914 1614 7.5
Variance EX EX Variance 7.5 25 1.25
Variance EX x
I I 0 1 2 3 TOTAL
w D I II
22
EX
EX
Exercise 6D
1 a By symmetry E( X ) = 1
Alternatively, use E( X ) = å x P( X = x)
E( X ) = 15 (1 0 1 2 3) = 15 5 = 1
b E( X 2 ) = å x 2 P( X = x)
E( X 2 ) = 15 (1 0 1 4 9) = 15 15 = 3
Var ( X ) = E( X 2 ) (E( X ))2
= 3 12 = 2
2 a E( X ) = å x P( X = x)
= 1 13 2 12 3 16
= 13 1 12 = 116 = 1.833 (3 d.p.)
E( X 2 ) = å x 2 P( X = x )
= 1 13 4 12 9 61
= 13 2 23 = 23
6
Var ( X ) = E( X 2 ) ( E( X )) 2
116 = 138
2
= 23
6 36 36 = 36 = 0.472 (3 d.p.)
121 17
b E( X ) = å x P( X = x)
= 1 14 0 12 1 14 = 0 (or derive answer by symmetry)
E( X 2 ) = å x 2 P( X = x)
= 1 14 0 12 1 14 = 12 = 0.5
Var( X ) = E( X 2 ) (E( X ))2 = 0.5 02 = 0.5
c E( X ) = å x P( X = x)
= (2) 13 (1) 13 1 16 2 16
= 1 12 = 12 = 0.5
E( X 2 ) = å x 2 P( X = x)
= 4 13 1 13 1 16 4 16
= 53 56 = 156 = 2.5
Var( X ) = E( X 2 ) (E( X ))2 = 2.5 (0.5)2 = 2.5 0.25 = 2.25
3 The probability distribution for Y is:
y 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
P(Y = y) 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8
E(Y ) = 18 (1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8) = 18 36 = 4.5
E(Y 2 ) = 18 (1 4 9 16 25 36 49 64) = 18 204 = 25.5
Var(Y ) = E(Y 2 ) (E(Y ))2 = 25.5 (4.5)2 = 25.5 20.25 = 5.25
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4 a This sample space diagram shows the 36 possible outcomes:
+ 1 2 3 4 5 6
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
4 5 6 7 8 9 10
5 6 7 8 9 10 11
6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Use the table to construct the probability distribution of S:
s 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
1 2 3 4 5 6 5 4 3 2 1
P(S = s) 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 36 36
b E (S ) = 361 (2 1 3 2 4 3 5 4 6 5 7 6 8 5 9 4 10 3 11 2 12 1)
= 361 (2 6 12 20 30 42 40 36 30 22 12)
= 252
36 = 7
The answer can also be derived by symmetry.
c E( S 2 ) = 361 (4 9 2 16 3 25 4 36 5 49 6 64 5 81 4 100 3 121 3 144)
= 361 (4 18 48 100 180 294 320 324 300 242 144)
= 1974
36 = 54.833 (3 d.p.)
Var ( S ) = E(S 2 ) (E( S )) 2
= 1974
36
(7) 2 = 1974
36
49 = 1974361764
= 210
36 = 5.833 (3 d.p.)
d Standard deviation = 5.8333 = 2.415 (3 d.p.)
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5 a This sample space diagram shows the 16 possible outcomes:
Difference
between 1 2 3 4
scores
1 0 1 2 3
2 1 0 1 2
3 2 1 0 1
4 3 2 1 0
Use the table to construct the probability distribution of D:
d 0 1 2 3
4 6 4 2
P(D = d) 16 16 16 16
Simplify the probabilities:
d 0 1 2 3
1 3 1 1
P(D = d) 4 8 4 8
b E( D) = 0 14 1 38 2 14 3 18 = 108 = 45 = 1.25
c E( D 2 ) = 0 14 1 83 4 41 9 18 = 20
8
= 25 = 2.5
Var ( D) = E(D 2 ) (E( D))2
= 2.5 (1.25)2 = 2.5 1.5625 = 0.9375
Alternatively, in fractional form
Var ( D ) = 52 54 = 52 16
2 25
= 16
40
16
25
= 16
15
6 a P(heads on first spin) = 12 P(T = 1) = 12
P(tails on first spin, heads on second spin) = 12 12 P(T = 2) = 1
4
P(T = 3) = 1 P(T = 1) P(T = 2) = 1 12 14 = 1
4
Alternatively note that
P(T = 3) = P (heads, heads, tails) P (heads, heads, heads)
= 12 12 21 21 21 12 = 18 18 = 1
4
b E(T ) = 1 12 2 14 3 14 = 47 = 1.75
E(T 2 ) = 1 12 4 14 9 14 = 154 = 3.75
Var(T ) = 154 74 = 16
2 60
16
49
= 16
11
= 0.6875
7 a E( X ) = å xP( X = x) = a 2b 3a = 4a 2b
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7 b å p( x ) = 1, so 2a b = 1 (1)
As E( X ) = 4a 2b = 2(2a b)
E( X ) = 2
E( X 2 ) = a 4b 9a = 10a 4b
Var( X ) = E( X 2 ) ( E( X ))2
= 10a 4b 2 2 = 10a 4b 4
As Var(X) = 0.75, this gives
10a 4b = 4.75 ( 2)
Multiply equation (1) by 4 to give
8a 4 b = 4 ( 3)
Subtract (3) from (2)
2a = 4.75 4 = 0.75 a = 0.375
Substitute value of a in (1)
0.75 b = 1 b = 0.25
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