TUTORIAL-RANDOM VARIABLES

1. The discrete random variable X can take only the values 1, 2, and 3. For these
3
x +k
values, the cumulative distribution function is defined by F ( x )= , x=1 , 2 ,3
40
a. Show that k =13
b. Find the probability distribution of X
259
c. Given that Var [ X ] = .Find the value of Var [4 X−5 ]
320

2. A mining company plans to develop two potential coal mining sites. Each site has
probability 0.30 of being successfully developed and the success of each site is
independent of the other. If either of the two mining sites is successful, it will
generate MK4 million in profit; if both are successful, profits will be MK7 million.
If neither is successful, profits will be 0. Let X be the company’s profit. Find E[X]

3. A continuous random variable X has cumulative distribution function

{
0 , x ←2
F ( x )= x+2 ,−2 ≤ x ≤ 4
6
1 , x> 4

a. Find P( X< 0)
b. Find the probability density function f (x) of X
c. Write the name of the distribution of X
d. Find the mean and the variance of X
e. Write down the value of P( X=1)

4. The water from a lake is tested and is found to contain on average three bacteria
per litre of water. A sample of 250 ml is collected from the lake.
a. Determine the probability that the 250 ml water sample will contain exactly
two bacteria.
b. A larger sample of two litres of water is collected from the lake. Find the
probability that this larger sample will contain less than ten but no less than six
bacteria.
5. A discrete random variable X has Poisson distribution with mean λ. Given that
P ( X=8 )=P( X=9). Determine the value of P(4< X ≤ 6).

6. Lots of 40 components are produced by a particular machine. The procedure for

sampling the lot is to select 5 components at random (without replacement) and to
reject the batch if it contains more than 3 defective components.
a. What is the probability that exactly one defective is found in the sample if there
are 3 defectives in the entire lot.
b. Find the expected value and the variance of the number of defectives in the
sample.

7. It has been established over a long period of time that the probability that an
electricity company operative will be able to take a reading from a house meter,
due to the resident being at home, is 0.4.
a. Determine the probability that the first reading to be taken will be on the
seventh house visit.
b. Find the probability that the operative will be able to take
i. exactly 3 readings in his first 7 visits.
ii. his 3rd reading on his 7th visit.

8. Daily demand for sugar is normally distributed with a mean of 100 and a standard
deviation of 15.
a. What is the probability that the demand in a day will exceed 125?
b. What is the probability that the demand will be less than 70?
c. How many packets of sugar should be stocked to ensure that with 95%
probability, all demands will be met?

9. The plant manager of a manufacturing facility is concerned with drug use among
plant workers and plans to implement random drug testing. One of the tests to be
applied measures the level of factor-X in blood samples. Among recent users of
cocaine, the level of factor-X is normally distributed with a mean of 10 and a
standard deviation of 1.3. The employer plans to send a warning letter to all
employees with factor-X level of x or greater than x . Find the value of x that will
ensure that 90% of recent cocaine users will be sent a warning letter.
10. Telephone calls arrive at a switchboard at an average rate of 2 per minute. Let X
denotes the waiting time in minutes until the 4th call arrives and follows gamma
distribution.
a. Write the probability density function of X.
b. Find its mean and variance.