Joint Probability Distributions and Random Samples

Chapter 5
Joint Probability Distributions
and Random Samples
Fill-in-the-Blank Questions
Section 5.1
1.

Let X and Y be two discrete random variables defined on the sample space S of an experiment, and
let p(x,y) be their joint probability mass function (pmf). The pmf of variable X alone is obtained
by __________ p(x,y) over values of variable __________. This result is called a __________
pmf of __________, and is denoted by __________.
ANSWER: summing, Y, marginal, X, px ( x) .

2.

Let X and Y be two continuous random variables, and let f(x,y) be their joint probability density
function. The marginal probability density function of Y is obtained by __________ f(x,y) over
all possible values of variable __________, and is denoted by __________.
ANSWER: integrating, X, f y ( y )

3.

Two discrete random variables X and Y are said to be __________ if for every pair of x and y
values, their __________ probability mass function (pmf) is the product of their __________
pmfs.
ANSWER: independent, joint, marginal

4.

Consider an experiment consisting of n independent and identical trials, in which each trial can
result in any one of r possible outcomes. Let pi P (outcome I on any particular trial, and define
random variables by X i = the numbers of trials resulting in outcome i (i=1, ..,r). Such an
experiment is called a __________ experiment, and the joint probability mass function of
X 1 ,....., X r is called the __________.
ANSWER: multinomial, multinomial distribution

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CHAPTER FIVE
5.

Let X and Y be two continuous random variables with joint probability density function (pdf)
f(x,y), and marginal pdf f X ( x) for variable X. Then for any X value x for which
f X ( x) 0, fY X ( y x) f ( x, y ) / f X ( x), y , is the __________ pdf of __________
given that __________.
ANSWER: conditional, Y, X=x.

Section 5.2
6.

For a strong positive relationship between two variables X and Y, Cov(X,Y) should be quite
__________.
ANSWER: positive

7.

For a strong negative relationship between two variables X and Y, Cov(X,Y) should be quite
__________.
ANSWER: negative

8.

The defect of covariance is that its computed value depends critically on the __________.
ANSWER: units of measurement

9.

The correlation coefficient of two variables X and Y, denoted by Corr(X,Y), xy , or just is

defined by __________ divided by __________.
ANSWER: Cov(X,Y), X Y

Section 5.3
10.

The value of the sample mean x from any particular sample can be regarded as a __________ of
the population mean , simply because x is a single number corresponding to a single point on
the number line.
ANSWER: point estimate

11.

The __________ gives a point estimate of the population standard deviation.

ANSWER: sample standard deviation

12.

A__________, such as sample mean X or sample standard deviation S, is any quantity whose
value can be calculated from sample data.
ANSWER: statistic

13.

The probability distribution of a statistic is sometimes referred to as its __________ to emphasize

that it describes how the statistic varies in value across all samples that might be selected.
ANSWER: sampling distribution

82

Joint Probability Distributions and Random Samples

14.

The random variables X 1 , X 2 ,....., X n are said to form a __________ random sample of size n if
's
the X i are random variables, and every X i has the same probability distribution.
ANSWER: simple, independent

Section 5.4
15.

Let X 1 , X 2 ,....., X 20 be a random sample from a distribution with mean of 32 and standard of 10.
Then E ( X ) = __________.
ANSWER: 32

16.

Let X 1 , X 2 ,....., X 25 be a random sample from a population with mean of 60 and standard
deviation of 16. Then x = __________.
ANSWER: 3.2

17.

The distribution of the sample mean X becomes more __________ about the population mean
as the size increases. In marked contrast, the distribution of the sample total T0 becomes more
__________ as n increases.
ANSWER: concentrated, spread out

18.

Let X 1 X 2 ,K , X n be a random sample from a normal distribution with mean and standard
deviation . Then for any sample size n, the sample mean X is __________ distributed with
mean __________ and standard deviation__________, as is the sample total T0 , with mean
__________ and standard deviation __________.
ANSWER: normally, , / n , n , n .

19.

If the sample size n is __________ than 30, the central limit theorem can be used.
ANSWER: larger

20.

Let X 1 X 2 ,....., X n be a random sample from a distribution for which only positive values are
possible [ P( X i 0) 1] . Then if n is sufficiently large, the product Y = X 1 X 2 ..... X n has
approximately a __________ distribution.
ANSWER: lognormal

Section 5.5
21.

Given a collection of n random variables, X 1 ,....., X n and n numerical constants a1 ,....., an , the
'
random variable Y a1 , X 1 ..... an X n is called a __________ of the X i s .
ANSWER: linear combination

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CHAPTER FIVE
22.

Let the random variables X 1 X 2 ,....., X n have mean values 1 , 2 ,....., n , and define the random
variable Y as Y a1 X 1 a2 X 2 L an X n , where a1 , a2 ,...., an are n numerical constants. Then,
E(Y) = __________.
ANSWER: a1 1 a2 2 L an n .

23.

2
2
2
If are independent random variables with variances 1 , 2 ,...., n , and the random variable
Y a1 X 1 a2 X 2 ..... an X n , then V(Y) = __________.
2 2
2 2
2 2
ANSWER: a1 1 a2 2 L an n

24.

2
2
If X 1 and X 2 are independent random variables with variances 1 and 2 , respectively, then
V (3 X 1 5 X 2 ) = __________.
2
2
ANSWER: 9 1 25 2

84

Joint Probability Distributions and Random Samples

Multiple-Choice Questions
Section 5.1
25.

A function p(x,y) of two discrete random variables X and Y can be used as a joint probability mass
function provided that:
p ( x, y ) 0 x and y
B. x y p ( x, y ) 1
A.

C. Both A and B are required conditions

D. Either A or B is a required condition
ANSWER: C
26.

A function f(x,y) of two continuous random variables X and Y can be used as a joint probability
density function provided that:
A.

f ( x, y ) 0 x and y

B. f ( x, y )dxdy 1

C. Both A and B are required conditions

D. Either A or B is a required condition
ANSWER: C
27.

Which of the following statements are correct about the independence of two random variables?
A. Two random variables are independent if their joint probability mass function (pmf) or their
joint probability density function (pdf) is the product of the two marginal pmfs or pdfs.
B. Independence of two discrete random variables X and Y require that every entry in the joint
probability table be the product of the corresponding row and column marginal probabilities.
C. Independence of two random variables is most useful when the description of the experiment
under study tells us that X and Y have no effect on one another.
D. All of the above are correct statements
E. Only A and B are correct statements
ANSWER: D

28.

If X and Y are independent random variables with

p X (0) .5, p X (1) .3, p X (2) .2 and pY (0) .6, pY (1) .1, pY (2) .25, and pY (3) .05. Then P ( X 1 and Y 1) is
A. .30
B. .56
C. .70
D. .80
ANSWER: B

Section 5.2

85

CHAPTER FIVE
29.

Which of the following statements are correct if a and c are either both positive
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.

Corr(aX+b, cY+d) = ab Corr(X,Y)

Corr(aX+b, cY+d) = Corr(aX,cY)
Corr(aX+b, cY+d) = Corr(X,Y)
Corr(aX+b, cY+d) = ab Corr(X,Y) + bd
None of the above statements is correct

ANSWER: C
30.

Which of the following statements are correct for any two random variables X and Y?
A. 1 < Corr(X,Y) < 1
B. 1 Corr( X , Y ) 1
C. Corr ( X , Y ) 1
D. Corr ( X , Y ) 1
E. 0<Corr(X,Y)<1
ANSWER: B

31.

Which of the following statements are correct?

A.
B.
C.
D.

The correlation coefficient is not affected by a linear change in the units of measurements.
The strongest possible relationship between two variables X and Y is evidenced by 1
The weakest possible relationship between two variables X and Y is evidenced by 1
If the correlation coefficient of two variables X and Y is zero, then X and Y are
independent.
E. All of the above statements are correct
ANSWER: A
32.

If is the correlation coefficient between two variables X and Y, then which of the following
statements are false?
A. If X and Y are independent, then 0
B. If 0 , then X and Y are independent.
C. 1 or +1 if and only if Y = aX + b for some numbers a and b, with a 0
D. is a measure of the degree of linear relationship between X and Y.
E. All of the above statements are false
ANSWER: B

33.

86

If is the correlation coefficient between two variables X and Y, then which of the following
statements are correct?

Joint Probability Distributions and Random Samples

A. A value of less than 1 in absolute value indicates only that the relationship is not
completely linear, but there may still be a very strong nonlinear relationship.
B. 0 does not imply that X and Y are independent, but there is complete absence of a linear
relationship.
C. When 0 , X and Y are said to be uncorrelated.
D. The variables X and Y could be uncorrelated yet highly dependent because there is a strong
nonlinear relationship.
E. All of the above are correct statements
ANSWER: E
34.

For any two variables X and Y, Corr(2X+1,3Y+4) is the same as

A.
B.
C.
D.
E.

6 Corr(X+1,Y+4)
5 Corr(X,Y) +4
5 Corr(X,Y) +5
Corr(X,Y)
None of the above statements is true

ANSWER: D
35.

For any two variables X and Y with correlation coefficient , and for descriptive purposes, the
relationship will be described as
A. strong if .8
B. moderate if .5 .8
C. weak if .5
D. All of the above statements are true
E. None of the above statements is true
ANSWER: D

36.

For any two variables X and Y, if the covariance is 1225, the variance of X is 1600, and the
variance of Y is 2500, then the correlation coefficient is
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.

.0175
.4900
.6125
.7656
None of the above answers is correct

ANSWER: C

Section 5.3
37.

Which of the following statements are true?

87

CHAPTER FIVE
A. Before the observations in a sample becomes available, we view each observation as a
random variable.
B. A statistic is a random variable, which will be denoted by an uppercase letter.
C. A lower case letter is used to represent the calculated or observed value of the statistic.
D. None of the above statements is true
E. All of the above statements are true
ANSWER: E
38.

The sampling distribution of X appears below:

x
p( x )

10
.25

15
.30

20
010

25
.35

Then, the expected value of X ; E ( X ) is

A.
B.
C.
D.
E.

17.75
17.50
4.183
4.213
None of the above answers is correct

ANSWER: A
39.

Consider the following sampling distribution of X .

x
p( x )

0
.2

1
.5

2
.3

The variance of X ; V ( X ) , is then

A. 1.1
B. 1.049
C. 0.490
D. 1.7
E. 1.304
ANSWER: C
40.

Which of the following statements are correct?

A. The sample mean, regarded as a statistic (before a sample has been selected or an experiment
carried out), is denoted by X while the calculated value of this statistic is x .
B. S 2 represents the sample standard deviation and is regarded as a statistic, while the calculated
value of this statistic is s 2 .
C. A statistic is any quantity whose value can be calculated from population data.
D. All of the above statements are correct
E. None of the above statements is correct
ANSWER: A

Section 5.4

88

Joint Probability Distributions and Random Samples

41.

Which of the following statements are true if X 1 , X 2 ,L L , X n is a random sample of size n taken
from a population with mean value and standard deviation ?
A.

E( X ) x

B. V ( X ) x2 2 / n and x n
C. E (T0 ) n , where T0 X 1 X 2 L L X n
2
D. V (T0 ) n and T0 n where T0 X 1 X 2 L L X n

E. All of the above statements are true

ANSWER: E
42.

Let X 1 , X 2 ,L L , X 25 be a random sample drawn from a population with mean of 75 and standard
deviation of 25. Then x is
A.
B.
C.
D.

25
75
15
5

ANSWER: B
43.

Let X 1 , X 2 ,L L , X 64 be a random sample from a population with mean of 72 and a standard

deviation of 16. Then x is
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.

16
9
18
2
4

ANSWER: D
44.

A random sample of size 35 is drawn from a population with mean of 5 and standard deviation of
10. Let T0 be the sample total. Then, E (T0 ) is
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.

180
360
50
7.2
3.6

ANSWER: A

45.

A random sample of size 100 is drawn from a population with mean of 50 and standard deviation
of 8. Let T0 be the sample total. Then, T0 is
A. 800

89

CHAPTER FIVE
B.
C.
D.
E.

6.25
80
2.0
500

ANSWER: C
46.

Let X 1 , X 2 ,L L , X n be a random sample from a distribution with mean and variance 2 .

Then if n is sufficiently large, the mean X has approximately a normal distribution with mean
x and variance x2 2 / n . This result is well known as
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.

Approximation Theorem
Central Limit Theorem
Estimation Theorem
Mean Value Theorem
None of the above.

ANSWER: B

Section 5.5
47.

Let X 1 ,L , X n be random variables with mean values 1 ,L L , n , respectively, and variances of

12 ,L , n2 respectively. Define the random variable Y as Y a1 X 1 L an X n , where a1 ,L L , an
are numerical constants. Then which of the following statements are correct?
2
2
A. V (Y ) a1 1 L L an n
2 2
2 2
B. V (Y ) a1 1 L L an n
2 2
2 2
C. V (Y ) a1 1 L L an n if X 1 ,L L , X n are independent
2
2
D. V (Y ) a1 1 L L an n if X 1 ,L L , X n are independent
E. None of the above statements are correct

ANSWER: C
48.

Let X 1 ,L L , X n be any random variables with mean values 1 ,L L , n , respectively, and define
the random variable Y as Y a1 X 1 L L an X n , where a1 ,L L , an are numerical constants.
Then, which of the following statements are correct?
A.

E (Y ) a12 1 L L an2 n
n

B. V (Y ) ai a j Cov( X i , X j )
i 1 j 1

C. Cov ( X i , X j ) 0 for i j whether or not X i and X j are independent

D. Cov ( X i , X j ) 1 for i j whether or not X i and X j are independent
E. None of the above statements is correct
ANSWER: B
49.

90

Which of the following statements are correct for any two random variables X 1 and X 2 , with
mean values 1 and 2 ?

Joint Probability Distributions and Random Samples

A. E (2 X 1 3 X 2 ) 2 1 32
B. E (2 X 1 3 X 2 ) 1 2 5
C. E (2 X 1 3 X 2 ) 1 2 6
D. E (2 X 1 3 X 2 ) 51 2
E. None of the above are correct
ANSWER: A
50.

If X 1 , X 2 , X 3 are three independent random variables with variances of 2,4, and 5, respectively,
then V (2 X 1 3 X 2 4 X 3 ) is
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.

32
12
108
140
None of the above answers are correct

ANSWER: D

91

CHAPTER FIVE

Applied and Computational Questions

Section 5.1
51.

Let X denote the number of brand X VCRs sold during a particular week by a certain store. The
pmf of X is
x
px ( x )

0
.1

1
.2

2
.3

3
.25

4
.15

Seventy percent of all customers who purchase brand X VCRs also buy an extended warranty. Let
Y denote the number of purchasers during this week who buy an extended warranty.
a.
b.
c.

What is P(X = 4, Y = 2)? [Hint: This probability equals P(Y = 2/X = 4) P(X = 4); now think
of the four purchases as four trials of a binomial experiment, with success on a trial
corresponding to buying an extended warranty.]
Calculate P(X =Y).
Determine the joint pmf of X and Y and then the marginal pmf of Y.

ANSWER:
4
2
2
a. p(4, 2) P(Y 2 | X 4) P( X 4) [ (.7) (.4) ] (.15) .0397
2

b. P ( X Y ) p (0, 0) p (1,1) p(2, 2) p(3,3) p(4, 4) .1 (.2)(.7) (.3)(.7) 2
(.25)(.7)3 (.15)(.7) 4 .5088
c. p( x, y ) 0 unless y 0,1,K , x; x 0,1, 2,3, 4. For any such pair,
x
p( x, y ) P (Y y | X x) P ( X x ) (.7) y (.3) x y p x ( x)
y
p y (4) p ( y 4) p( x 4, y 4) p(4, 4) (.7) 4 (.15) .0360
4
p y (3) p (3,3) p(4,3) (.7)3 (.25) (.7)3 (.3)(.15) .1475
3
3
p y (2) p (2, 2) p(3, 2) p(4, 2) (.7) 2 (.3) (.7) 2 (.3)(.25)
2
4
(.7) 2 (.3) 2 (.15) .2969
2
2
Py (1) p (1,1) p (2,1) p(3,1) p(4,1) (.7)(.2) (.7)(.3)(.3)
1
3
4
2
3
(.7)(.3) (.25) (.7)(.3) (.15) .3246
1
1
p y (0) 1 [.3246 .2969 .1475 .0360] .1950

92

Joint Probability Distributions and Random Samples

52.

Each front tire on a particular type of vehicle is supposed to be filled to a pressure of 26 psi.
Suppose the actual air pressure in each tire is a random variableX for the right tire and Y for the
left tire, with joint pdf
K ( x 2 y 2 )
0

fk ( x, y )
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

20 x 30, 20 y 30
otherwise

What is the value of K?

What is the probability that both tires are underfilled?
What is the probability that the difference in air pressure between the two tires is at most 2
psi?
Determine the (marginal) distribution of air pressure in the right tire alone.
Are X and Y independent random variables?

ANSWER:

30

30

2
2
a. 1 f ( x, y) dxdy 20 20 K ( x y ) dxdy

30

20

30

20

x 2 dydx K

30

20

30

20 K 19,000 / 3 K 3 / 380, 000

26

b. P ( X 26 and Y 26) 20

30

30

20

20

y 2 dxdy 10 K x 2 dx 10 K y 2 dy

20

26

20

26

K ( x 2 y 2 )dxdy 12 K x 2 dx
20

4 Kx 3 |26
20 38,304 K .3024
c.

p( X Y 2)

f ( x, y )dxdy

regionIII

= 1 f ( x, y ) dxdy f ( x, y ) dxdy
I

II

28

30

30

x2

= 1 20 x 2 f ( x, y )dydx 22 20 f ( x, y )dydx
= .3593 (after much algebra)
d. f x ( x)

30

f ( x, y )dy K ( x 2 y 2 )dy 10 Kx 2 K
20

10 K .05,
2

y 3 30
|20
3

20 x 30

e. f y ( y ) is obtained by substituting y for x in (d); clearly f ( x, y ) f x ( x) f y ( y ), so X and Y are

not independent.
53.

Two components of a minicomputer have the following joint pdf for their useful lifetimes X and Y:
x (1 y )
x 0 and y 0
xe
otherwise
0

f ( x, y )
a.
b.
c.

What is the probability that the lifetime X of the first component exceeds 3?
What are the marginal pdfs of X and Y? Are the two lifetimes independent? Explain.
What is the probability that the lifetime of at least one component exceeds 3?

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CHAPTER FIVE
ANSWER:

a. P ( X 3) 3

xe x (1 y ) dydx e x dx .0498
3

b. The marginal pdf of X is

x (1 y )

xe

x (1 y )

dy e x for 0 x; that of Y is

1
for 0 y . It is now clear that f(x,y) is not the product of the marginal
(1 y )2
pdfs, so the two random variables are not independent.

xe

dx

c. P (at least one exceeds 3) 1 P( X 3 and Y 3)

1

xe x (1 y ) dydx 1

xe x e xy dy

1 e x (1 e 3 x )dx e 3 .25 .25e 12 .2998

0

54.

The joint pdf of pressures for right (X) and left (Y) front tires is given by
K x 2 y 2
20 x 30, 20 y 30
f x, y
.
0
otherwise

a.

Determine the conditional pdf of Y given that X = x and the conditional pdf of X given that Y =
y if you are given
FX x 10kx 2 .05 for 20 x 30 and FY y 10ky 2 .05 for 20 y 30.

b.

If the pressure in the right tire is found to be 22 psi, what is the probability that the left tire has
a pressure of at least 25 psi? Compare this to P(Y 25).
If the pressure in the right tire is found to be 22 psi, what is the expected pressure in the left
tire, and what is the standard deviation of pressure in this tire?

c.

ANSWER:
a. fY | X ( y | x)

f ( x, y )
k ( x2 y2

f x ( x) 10kx 2 .05

f X |Y ( x | y )

k ( x 2 , y 2 )
10ky 2 .05

20 y 30
20 x 30

k 3 / 380, 000

30

b. P (Y 25 | X 22) 25 fY | X ( y | 22)dy
k ((22) 2 y 2 )
dy .783
25 10 K (22) 2 .05

P (Y 25)

30

25

30

30

fY ( y )dy (10ky 2 .05)dy .75

25

30
k ((22) 2 y 2 )
dy
c. E (Y | X 22) y fY | X ( y | 22)dy 20 y
10k (22) 2 .05
=25.372912
30
k ((22)2 y 2 )
E (Y 2 | X 22) y 2
dy 652.028640
20
10k (22) 2 .05

V (Y | X 22) E (Y 2 | X 22) [ E (Y | X 22)]2 8.243976

94

Joint Probability Distributions and Random Samples

Section 5.2
55.

An instructor has given a short test consisting of two parts. For a randomly selected student, let X
= the number of points earned on the first part and Y = the number of points earned on the second
part. Suppose that the joint pmf of X and Y is given in the accompanying table.
p(x,y)
0
5
10
a.
b.

0
.02
.04
.01

5
.06
.15
.15

10
.02
.20
.14

15
.10
.10
.01

If the score recorded in the grade book is the total number of points earned on the two parts,
what is the expected recorded score E(X + Y)?
If the maximum of the two scores is recorded, what is the expected recorded score?

ANSWER:
( x y ) p ( x, y ) (0 0)(.02) + (0 + 5)(.06) + + (10 + 15)(.01) = 14.10
a. E ( X Y )
x
y
max( x y ) p ( x, y ) = (0)(.02) + (5)(.06) ++(15)(.01) = 9.60
b. E[max( X , Y )]
x
y
56.

Abby and Bianca have agreed to meet for lunch between noon and 1:00 P.M. Denote Abbys
arrival time by X, Biancas by Y, and suppose X and Y are independent with pdfs.
3x 2 0 x 1
otherwise
0

f X ( x)

2y 0 y 1
otherwise
0

fY ( y )

What is the expected amount of time that the one who arrives first must wait for the other person?
[Hint: h(X, Y ) = |X Y|.]
ANSWER:
E[h( X , Y )]

x y 6 x 2 ydxdy 2

= 12

57.

( x y) 6 x 2 ydydx

( x 3 y x 2 y 2 ) dydx 12

x5
1
dx
6
3

Show that if X and Y are independent random variables, then E ( XY ) E ( X ) E (Y ).

ANSWER:
E ( XY ) xy p ( x, y ) xy px ( x) py ( y )
x

E ( X ) E (Y ). (replace with

xp ( x)
yp

( y)

in the continuous case)

95

CHAPTER FIVE
58.

Show that if Y aX b(a 0), then Corr( X , Y ) 1 or 1. Under what conditions will
1?
ANSWER:
Cov( X , Y ) Cov( X , aX b) E[ X ( aX b)] E ( X ) E ( aX b) a Var( X ), therefore
aVar ( X )
aVar ( X )

1 if a 0, and 1 if a 0
Corr ( X , Y )
Var ( X ) Var (Y )
Var ( X ) a 2Var ( X )

Section 5.3
59.

A particular brand of dishwasher soap is sold in three sizes: 25oz, 40oz, and 65 oz. Twenty
percent of all purchasers select a 25 oz box, fifty percent select a 40 oz box, and the remaining
thirty percent choose a 65 oz box. Let X 1 and X 2 denote the package sizes selected by two
independently selected purchasers.
Determine the sampling distribution of X , calculate E ( X ) , and compare to .
Determine the sampling distribution of the sample variance
S 2 , calculate E ( S 2 ), and compare to 2 .
ANSWER:
a.
b.

P ( x2 )
.20
.50
.30

P ( x1 )
x2 | x1
25
40
65

x
p( x )

25
.04

20
25

.50
40

.30
65

.04
.10
.06

.10
.25
.15

.06
.15
.09

a.
32.5
.20

40
.25

45
.12

52.5
.30

65
.09

E ( x ) (25)(.04) 32.5(.20) K 65(.09) 44.5

b.
s2
P(s 2 )

0
.38

112.5
.20

312.5
.30

800
.12

E ( s 2 ) 212.25 2
60.

96

It is known that 80% of all brand A zip drives work in a satisfactory manner throughout the
warranty period (are success). Suppose that n = 10 drives are randomly selected. Let X = the
number of successes in the sample. The statistic X/n is the sample proportion (fraction) of
successes. Obtain the sampling distribution of this statistic. [Hint: One possible value of X/n is .
3, corresponding to X = 3. What is the probability of this value (what kind of random variable is
X)?]

Joint Probability Distributions and Random Samples

ANSWER:
x
x/n
p(x/n)

0
0
.000

1
.1
.000

2
.2
.000

3
.3
.001

4
.4
.005

5
.5
.027

6
.6
.088

7
.7
.201

8
.8
.302

9
.9
.269

10
1.0
.107

X is a binomial random variable with p = .8.

61.

Let X be the number of packages being mailed by a randomly selected customer at a certain
shipping facility. Suppose the distribution of X is as follows:
x
p(x)
a.
b.
c.

d.

1
.4

2
.3

3
.2

4
.1

Consider a random sample of size n = 2 (two customers), and let X be the sample mean
number of packages shipped. Obtain the probability distribution of X .
Refer to part (a) and calculate P( X 2.5).
Again consider a random sample of size n = 2, but now focus on the statistic R = the sample
range (difference between the largest and smallest values in the sample). Obtain the
distribution of R. [Hint: Calculate the value of R for each outcome and use the probabilities
from part (a).]
If a random sample of size n = 4 is selected, what is P( X 1.5) ? (Hint: You should not
have to list all possible outcomes, only those for which x 1.5.)

ANSWER:
Outcome
Probability
x
r

1,1
.16
1
0

1,2
.12
1.5
1

1,3
.08
2
2

1,4
.04
2.5
3

2,1
.12
1.5
1

2,2
.09
2
0

2,3
.06
2.5
1

2,4
.03
3
2

Outcome
Probability
x
r

1,1
.08
2
2

3,2
.06
2.5
1

3,3
.04
3
0

3,4
.02
3.5
1

4,1
.04
2.5
3

4,2
.03
3
2

4,3
.02
3.5
1

4,4
.01
4
2

a.
x
p( x )

1
.16

1.5
.24

2
.25

2.5
.20

b. P ( x 2.5) .85
c.
r
0
.30
p(r )

1
.40

2
.22

3
.08

3
.10

3.5
.04

4
.01

d. P ( X 1.5) P (1,1,1,1) P(2,1,1,1) K P(1,1,1, 2) P(1,1, 2, 2) K

P(2,2,1,1) + P (3,1,1,1) ++P(1,1,1,3)
(.4) 4 4(.4)3 (.3) 6(.4)2 (.3) 2 4(.4) 2 (.2) 2 .2400

97

CHAPTER FIVE
62.

A company maintains three offices in a certain region, each staffed by two employees.
Information concerning yearly salaries (1000s of dollars) is as follows:
Office
Employee
Salary
a.
b.

1
1
19.7

1
2
23.6

2
3
20.2

2
4
23.6

3
5
15.8

3
6
19.7

Suppose two of these employees are randomly selected from among the six (without
replacement). Determine the sampling distribution of the sample mean salary X .
Suppose one of the three offices is randomly selected. Let X 1 and X 2 denote the salaries
of the two employees. Determine the sampling distribution of X .

c.

How does E ( X ) from parts (a) and (b) compare to the population mean salary ?

ANSWER:
a.
x
p( x )

17.75
4
30

18.0
2
30

19.7
6
30

17.75
1/3

21.65
1/3

21.9
1/3

19.95
4
30

21.65
8
30

21.9
4
30

23.6
2
30

b.
x
p( x )

c. all three values are the same: 20.4333

Section 5.4
63.

Let X 1 , X 2 .K , X 100 denote the actual net weights of 100 randomly selected 50-lb bags of fertilizer.
a. If the expected weight of each bag is 50 and the variance is 1, calculate P(49.8 X 50.3)
(approximately) using the CLT.
b. If the expected weight of each bag is 49.8 lb rather than 50 lb so that on average bags are
underfilled, calculate P(49.8 X 50.3).
ANSWER:

x
1

.10
n
100
50.3 50
49.8 50
P (49.8 X 50.3) P
Z
.10
.10

P (2.0 Z 3.0) .9759

a. x 50, x

50.3 49.8
49.8 49.8
Z
.10
.10

b. P (49.8 X 50.3) P

P (0 Z 5) .5000

98

Joint Probability Distributions and Random Samples

64.

The breaking strength of a rivet has a mean value of 10,000 psi and a standard deviation of 500
psi.
a.
b.

What is the probability that the sample mean breaking strength for a random sample of 40
rivets is between 9950 and 10,250?
If the sample size had been 15 rather than 40, could the probability requested in part (a) be
calculated from the given information?

ANSWER:
10, 000 psi, =500 psi
a. n = 40
9,950 10, 000

P (9,950 X 10, 250) P

b.

65.

500 / 40

10, 250 10, 000

500 / 40

P (.63 Z 3.16) (3.16) (.63) =.9992 - .2643 =.7349

According to the Rule of Thumb given in your text, n should be greater than 30 in order to
apply the C.L.T., thus using the same procedure for n = 15 as was used for n = 40 would not
appropriate.

The lifetime of a certain type of battery is normally distributed with mean value 12 hours and
standard deviation 1 hour. There are four batteries in a package. What lifetime value is such that
the total lifetime of all batteries in a package exceeds that value for only 5% of all packages?
ANSWER:
X is normally distributed with 12 and 1. Sample size n=4.

T0 n (4)(12) 48 and T0 n (2)(1) 2,

We desire the 95th percentile: 48 + (1.645)(2) = 51.29
66.

The number of parking tickets issued in Grand Rapids on any given weekday has a Poisson
distribution with parameter 50. What is the approximate probability that
a. Between 40 and 70 tickets are given out on a particular day? (Hint: When is large, a
Poisson random variable has approximately a normal distribution.)
b. The total number of tickets given out during a 5-day week is between 215 and 265?
ANSWER:
a. With Y = # of tickets, Y has approximately a normal distribution with 50,
70.5 50
39.5
7.071, so P(40 Y 70) P
Z
7.071
7.071

P (1.48 Z 2.90) .9287

b.

2
Here 250, 250, 15.811, so P(215 Y 265)

265.5 250
214.5 250
Z
P (2.25 Z 0.98) .8267
15.811
15.811

99

CHAPTER FIVE

Section 5.5
67.

Let X 1 , X 2 , and X 3 represent the times necessary to perform three successive repair tasks at a
certain service facility. Suppose they are independent normal random variables with expected
2
2
2
values 1 , 2 , and 3 and variances 1 , 2 , and 3 , respectively.
a.

2
2
2
If 2 3 65 and 1 2 3 20,
Calculate P ( X 1 X 2 X 3 210). What is P(150 X 1 X 2 X 3 210) ?

b.

Using the i ' s and i ' s given in part (a), calculate P ( X 59) and P(62 X 68).
Using the i ' s and i ' s given in part (a), calculate P (10 X 1 -.5X 2 .5 X 3 5).
2
2
2
If 1 40, 2 50, 3 60, 1 10, 2 12, and 3 14, calculate
P ( X 1 X 2 X 3 160) and P ( X 1 X 2 2 X 3 ).

c.
d.

ANSWER:
a. E ( X 1 X 2 X 3 ) 195, V ( X 1 X 2 X 3 ) 60, x1 x2 x3 7.746
210 195

P ( X 1 X 2 X 3 210) P Z
P ( Z 1.94) .9738
7.746

P 175 X 1 X 2 X 3 210 P 2.58 Z 1.94 .9689

x
12

2.582
n
3
59 65

P ( X 59) P Z
P ( Z 2.232) .9898
2.582

P (62 X 68) P (1.16 Z 1.16) .754

c. E ( X 1 .5 X 2 .5 X 3 ) 0;
V ( X 1 .5 X 2 .5 X 3 ) 12 .25 22 .25 32 30, sd 5.4772
b.

x 65, x

50
10 0
Z

5.4772
5.4772

P (1.83 Z .91) .8186 .0336 .785

P (10 X 1 .5 X 2 .5 X 3 5) P

d. E ( X 1 X 2 X 3 ) 150, V ( X 1 X 2 X 3 ) 36, x1 x2 x3 6
160 150

P ( X 1 X 2 X 3 200) P Z
P ( Z 1.67) .9525
6

We want P( X 1 X 2 2 X 3 ), or written another way, P( X 1 +X 2 2 X 3 0).

E ( X 1 X 2 2 X 3 ) 40 50 2(60) 30,
V ( X 1 X 2 2 X 3 ) 12 22 4 32 78,36, sd 8.832, so
0 (30)

P ( X 1 X 2 2 X 3 0) P Z
P ( Z 3.40) .0003
8.832

100

Joint Probability Distributions and Random Samples

68.

Suppose your waiting time for a bus in the morning is uniformly distributed on [0,5], whereas
waiting time in the evening is uniformly distributed on [0,10] independent of morning waiting
time.
a.
b.
c.
d.

If you take the bus each morning and evening for a week, what is your total expected waiting
time? [Hint: Define random variables X 1 ,K X 10 and use a rule of expected value.)
What is the variance of your total waiting time?
What are the expected value and variance of the difference between morning and evening
waiting times on a given day?
What are the expected value and variance of the difference between morning waiting time and
total evening waiting time for a particular week?

ANSWER:
Let X 1 ,K , X 5 denote morning times and X 6 ,K , X 10 denote evening times.
a. E ( X 1 K X 10 ) E ( X 1 ) K E ( X 10 ) 5E ( X 1 ) 5 E ( X 6 ) 5(2.5) 5(5) 37.5
b. Var( X 1 K X 10 ) Var( X 1 ) K Var( X 10 ) 5 Var(X1 ) 5Var( X 6 )
25 100
625

]
52.083
12 12
12
c. E ( X 1 X 6 ) E ( X 1 ) E ( X 6 ) 2.5 5 2.5
25 100 125
Var( X 1 X 6 ) Var( X 1 ) Var( X 6 )

10.417
12 12
12
d. E[( X 1 K X 5 ) ( X 6 K X 10 )] 5(2.5) 5(5) 12.5
Var[( X 1 K X 5 ) ( X 6 K X 10 )]
Var( X 1 K X 5 ) Var( X 6 K X 10 )] 52.083
5[

69.

Three different roads feed into a particular freeway entrance. Suppose that during a fixed time
period, the number of cars coming from each road onto the freeway is a random variable, with
expected value and standard deviation as given in the table.

Expected value
Standard deviation
a.
b.
c.

Road 1
750
16

Road 2
1000
24

Road 3
550
18

What is the expected total number of cars entering the freeway at this point during the period?
(Hint: Let X i , the number from road i.)
What is the variance of the total number of entering cars? Have you made any assumptions
about the relationship between the numbers of cars on the different roads?
With X i denoting the number of cars entering from road I during the period, suppose that
Cov( X 1 , X 2 ) 80, Cov( X 1 , X 3 ) 90, and Cov( X 2 , X 3 ) 100 (so that the three streams
of traffic are not independent). Compute the expected total number of entering cars and the
standard deviation of the total.

ANSWER:
a. E ( X 1 X 2 X 3 ) = 750 + 1000 + 550 = 2300.
b. Assuming independence of X 1 , X 2 , X 3 , Var( X 1 X 2 X 3 ) (16) 2 (24) 2 (18) 2 1156
c. E ( X 1 X 2 X 3 ) 2300 as before, but now Var( X 1 +X 2 X 3 ) =1696, with standard
deviation = 41.1825

101

CHAPTER FIVE
70.

In an area having sandy soil, 50 small trees of a certain type were planted, and another 50 trees
were planted in an area having clay soil. Let X = the number of trees planted in sandy soil that
survive 1 year and Y = the number of trees planted in clay soil that survive 1 year. If the
probability that a tree planted in sandy soil will survive 1 year is .7 and the probability of 1-year
survival in clay soil is .6, compute an approximation to P(6 X Y 6) (do not bother with the
continuity correction).
ANSWER:
2
X is approximately normal with 1 (50)(.7) 35 and 1 (50)(.7)(.3) 10.5, as is
2
2
Y with 2 30 and 2 12. Thus X Y 5 and X Y 22.5, so X-Y 4.74 and

1
11
Z
P (2.32 Z .21) .573
4.74
4.74

p(6 X Y 6) P

102