Practice Problem –Set 3 Probability Fall 2021

Random Variables

Assignment Ex. Sec title/ Page # Problems (12)

Chapter 4 Discrete Distributions
Lecture 5 Sec4.1 Random variables 2,4,5,23,25
Lecture 6 Sec 4.2 Binomial Distribution 34
Lecture 7
Sec 4.4 Mean and Variance 56,59,62,63,65

4.6,7 Poisson Process 84

4.8 Geometric
Tutorial and Practice Ex.
1. Two fair dice are rolled. Let X equal the product of the 2 dice. Compute the probability
mass function of the R.V. X p(X=i), i=1,2,…,36

2. The probability mass function of a random variable X is given by the following table:
x 1 3 4 7
p(x) 3k 4k 6k 7k
Find 𝑘 , 𝑉𝑎𝑟(2 − 𝑋), 𝑃(𝑋 ≥ 3|𝑋 ≤ 6)

3. Suppose the distribution function of the R.V. X is given by :

0 X  5
0.3 5 X 0

a) F ( x)  0.7 0  X 1
0.9 1 X  4

1 4 X
i) Plot the cdf F(x)
ii) Find the pmf p(x) of X
iii) P(1/2 < X < 3) , 𝑃(𝑋 ≤ 0) and 𝑃(𝑋 > 1)
iv) Compute 𝜇𝑋 , 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝜎𝑋 .
4. Let
k (0.6) x X  1,2,3,...., 
f ( x)  
 0 otherwise

be the pmf of the R.V X. Find k and the cdf of X, E[X] , and Var(X), hence compute
(a) E[(2+X)2]; (b) Var(4+3X)

5. A shipment of personal computers PCs has 2% defective PCs. If 10 PCs are selected at
random
a. What is the probability that at least one is defective ?
b. Find the mean number of defective PCs

6. Customers arrive at a service counter according to a Poisson process at an average of

20 customers per hour. Determine the probability that
Practice Problem –Set 3 Probability Fall 2021
Random Variables

i) At most 5 customers arrive during a 5-minute period.

ii) No customers arrive during a 5-minute period.
iii) If 10 such service counters are used at an office. Find the probability that at most
one service counter will have no customers during a 5-minute period.

7. Let the number of car accidents be a Poisson R.V. If the rate of car accidents in a road is
3 accidents in a day, compute
i) the probability of having no accidents in the afternoon interval (12 pm, 18 pm).
ii) the average and standard deviation of accidents in a week.
iii) the probability of having at least 6 accidents in a month.

8. A secretary makes 2 errors per page , on average. What is the probability that on the
next page she will make a) 4 or more errors , b) no errors.

9. The probability that a student passes the written test is 0.7. Find the probability that a
student will pass the test on het a) third try , b) before the fourth try.

10. Find the probability that a person flipping a coin gets

a. The third head on the seventh flip
b. The first head on the fourth flip
11. If X is a binomial R.V. with expected value 6 and variance 2.4 , find P(X=5)