From the given problem,

- Total bottles (combination of HDPE and PET) = 2036

- Total number of bottles “removed” = 936
- Total HDPE bottes = 890, therefore total PET bottles = 2036 – 890 = 1146
- Removed lids, caps and rings (HDPE) = 70% (890) = 623

Therefore, from the above given, we can now start our table,

  Not removed
  Removed (has, lids/caps/rings) Total
HDPE 623 890
PET 1146
Total 936 2036

For HDPE,

Not removed (has lids/caps/rings) = total HDPE – number of bottles removed

= 890 – 623 = 267 bottles

For PET,

Removed = Total number of bottles “removed” – removed (HDPE) = 936 – 623 = 313

Not removed (has lids/caps/rings) = Total PET - number of bottles removed

= 1146 – 313 = 833 bottles

Thus, the table is complete as shown:

  Not removed
  Removed (has lids/caps/rings) Total
HDPE 623 267 890
PET 313 833 1146
Total 936 1100 2036

Answers:

I. What is the probability that a randomly selected bottle has a lid/cap/ring still attached? 
total bottles not removed 1100 275
p= = = =0.54=54 %
total bottles 2036 509
II. What is the probability that a randomly selected bottle is a PET bottle or has the
lid/cap/ring still attached? 

p=P PET + Pnot removed −p petand not removed

total PET total not removed total PET bottlesthat were not removed
¿ + −
total bottles total bottles total bottles
1146 1100 833 1413
¿ + − = =0.69=69 %
2036 2036 2036 2036

III. What is the probability that a randomly selected bottle is a HDPE bottle and has the
lid/cap/ring removed?
HDPE bottles removed 623
p= = =0.31=31%
total bottles 2036

IV. What is the probability that a randomly selected bottle is a PET bottle given that the
lid/cap/ring is removed? 
It is a conditional probability, let A= PET bottles and B = “removed” bottles
P(A B) = P(A∩B) / P(B) = (313/2036) / (936/2036) = 313/936 = 0.33 = 33%
Alternate solution: For conditional probability, there will be the new sample space like in
this problem “given that the lid/cap/ring is removed”, in our table this is 936. Therefore,
out of these only 313 were PET bottles. S0, P= 313/936.

V. Are the events "lid/cap/ring removed" and "HDPE plastic bottle type" independent?
Demonstrate this appropriately. Then provide a brief description of what independence
refers to in this specific case.
- No. They were not independent. For, the Probability of selecting a bottle which has
lid/cap/ring removed is dependent to the total numbers of bottles (any type).
Also, It does not satisfy the probability of Independent Events:
P(A∩B) = P(A) x P(B)
Two events A and B are said to be independent if the fact that one event has occurred
does not affect the probability that the other event will occur.