CHAPTER FIVE

DISCRETE PROBABILITY DISTRIBUTIONS

PROBLEMS

1. Thirty two percent of the students in a management class are graduate students.
A random sample of 5 students is selected. Using the binomial probability
function, determine the probability that the sample contains exactly 2 graduate
students?

Answer:
0.322 (rounded)

2. Seventy percent of the students applying to a university are accepted. Using the
binomial probability tables, what is the probability that among the next 18
applicants

a. At least 6 will be accepted?

b. Exactly 10 will be accepted?
c. Exactly 5 will be rejected?
d. Fifteen or more will be accepted?
e. Determine the expected number of acceptances
f. Compute the standard deviation.

Answers:
a. 0.9988
b. 0.0811
c. 0.2017
d. 0.1646
e. 12.6
f. 1.9442

3. General Hospital has noted that they admit an average of 8 patients per hour.

a. What is the probability that during the next hour less then 3 patients will be
admitted?
b. What is the probability that during the next two hours exactly 8 patients will
be admitted?

Answers:
a. 0.0137
b. 0.0120

4. The demand for a product varies from month to month. Based on the past year's
data, the following probability distribution shows MNM company's monthly
demand.

1
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2 Chapter Five

x f(x)
Unit Demand Probability
0 0.10
1,000 0.10
2,000 0.30
3,000 0.40
4,000 0.10

a. Determine the expected number of units demanded per month.

b. Each unit produced costs the company $8.00, and is sold for $10.00. How
much will the company gain or lose in a month if they stock the expected
number of units demanded, but sell 2000 units?

Answers:
a. 2300
b. Profit = $1600

5. Twenty-five percent of the employees of a large company are minorities. A

random sample of 7 employees is selected.

a. What is the probability that the sample contains exactly 4 minorities?

b. What is the probability that the sample contains fewer than 2 minorities?
c. What is the probability that the sample contains exactly 1 non-minority?
d. What is the expected number of minorities in the sample?
e. What is the variance of the minorities?

Answers:
a. 0.0577
b. 0.4450
c. 0.0013
d. 1.75
e. 1.3125

6. A salesperson contacts eight potential customers per day. From past experience,
we know that the probability of a potential customer making a purchase is .10.

a. What is the probability the salesperson will make exactly two sales in a day?
b. What is the probability the salesperson will make at least two sales in a day?
c. What percentage of days will the salesperson not make a sale?
d. What is the expected number of sales per day?
Answers:
a. 0.1488
b. 0.1869
c. 43.05%

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Discrete Probability Distributions 3

d. 0.8
7. A life insurance company has determined that each week an average of seven
claims is filed in its Nashville branch.

a. What is the probability that during the next week exactly seven claims will be
filed?
b. What is the probability that during the next week no claims will be filed?
c. What is the probability that during the next week fewer than four claims will
be filed?
d. What is the probability that during the next week at least seventeen claims
will be filed?

Answers:
a. 0.1490
b. 0.0009
c. 0.0817
d. 0.0009

8. When a particular machine is functioning properly, 80% of the items produced

are non-defective. If three items are examined, what is the probability that one is
defective? Use the binomial probability function to answer this question.

Answer:
0.384

9. Ten percent of the items produced by a machine are defective. Out of 15 items
chosen at random,

a. what is the probability that exactly 3 items will be defective?

b. what is the probability that less than 3 items will be defective?
c. what is the probability that exactly 11 items will be non-defective?

Answers:
a. 0.1285
b. 0.816
c. 0.0428

10. The student body of a large university consists of 30% Business majors. A
random sample of 20 students is selected.

a. What is the probability that among the students in the sample at least 10 are
Business majors?
b. What is the probability that at least 16 are not Business majors?
c. What is the probability that exactly 10 are Business majors?
d. What is the probability that exactly 12 are not Business majors?

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4 Chapter Five
Answers:
a. 0.0479
b. 0.2374
c. 0.0308
d. 0.1144

11. Shoppers enter Hamilton Place Mall at an average of 120 per hour.

a. What is the probability that exactly 5 shoppers will enter the mall between
noon and 12:05 p.m.?
b. What is the probability that at least 35 shoppers will enter the mall between
5:00 and 5:10 p.m.?

Answers:
a. 0.0378
b. 0.0015

12. A production process produces 90% non-defective parts. A sample of 10 parts

from the production process is selected.

a. What is the probability that the sample will contain 7 non-defective parts?
b. What is the probability that the sample will contain at least 4 defective parts?
c. What is the probability that the sample will contain less than 5 non-defective
parts?
d. What is the probability that the sample will contain no defective parts?

Answers:
a. 0.0574
b. 0.0128
c. 0.0001
d. 0.3487

13. Fifty-five percent of the applications received for a particular credit card are
accepted. Among the next twelve applications,

a. what is the probability that all will be rejected?

b. what is the probability that all will be accepted?
c. what is the probability that exactly 4 will be accepted?
d. what is the probability that fewer than 3 will be accepted?
e. Determine the expected number and the variance of the accepted applications.

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Discrete Probability Distributions 5

Answers:
a. 0.0001
b. 0.0008
c. 0.0762
d. 0.0079
e. 6.60; 2.9700

14. The probability distribution of the daily demand for a product is shown below.

Demand Probability
0 0.05
1 0.10
2 0.15
3 0.35
4 0.20
5 0.10
6 0.05

a. What is the expected number of units demanded per day?

b. Determine the variance and the standard deviation.

Answers:
a. 3.05
b. variance = 2.0475 std. dev. = 1.431

15. In a large corporation, 65% of the employees are male. A random sample of five
employees is selected. Use the Binomial probability tables to answer the
following questions.

a. What is the probability that the sample contains exactly three male
employees?
b. What is the probability that the sample contains no male employees?
c. What is the probability that the sample contains more than three female
employees?
d. What is the expected number of female employees in the sample?

Answers:
a. 0.3364
b. 0.0053
c. 0.0541
d. 1.75

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6 Chapter Five
16. For the following probability distribution:

x f(x)
0 0.01
1 0.02
2 0.10
3 0.35
4 0.20
5 0.11
6 0.08
7 0.05
8 0.04
9 0.03
10 0.01

a. Determine E(x).
b. Determine the variance and the standard deviation.

Answers:
a. 4.14
b. variance = 3.7 std. dev. = 1.924

17. A random variable x has the following probability distribution:

x f(x)
0 0.08
1 0.17
2 0.45
3 0.25
4 0.05

a. Determine the expected value of x.

b. Determine the variance.

Answers:
a. 2.02
b. 0.9396

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Discrete Probability Distributions 7

18. A company sells its products to wholesalers in batches of 1,000 units only. The
daily demand for its product and the respective probabilities are given below.

Demand (Units) Probability

0 0.2
1000 0.2
2000 0.3
3000 0.2
4000 0.1

a. Determine the expected daily demand.

b. Assume that the company sells its product at $3.75 per unit. What is the
expected daily revenue?

Answers:
a. 1800
b. $6,750

19. The records of a department store show that 20% of its customers who make a
purchase return the merchandise in order to exchange it. In the next six
purchases,

a. what is the probability that three customers will return the merchandise for
exchange?
b. what is the probability that four customers will return the merchandise for
exchange?
c. what is the probability that none of the customers will return the merchandise
for exchange?

Answers:
a. 0.0819
b. 0.0154
c. 0.2621

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20. In a large university, 15% of the students are female. If a random sample of
twenty students is selected,

a. what is the probability that the sample contains exactly four female students?
b. what is the probability that the sample will contain no female students?
c. what is the probability that the sample will contain exactly twenty female
students?
d. what is the probability that the sample will contain more than nine female
students?
e. what is the probability that the sample will contain fewer than five female
students?
f. what is the expected number of female students?

Answers:
a. 0.1821
b. 0.0388
c. 0.0000
d. 0.0002
e. 0.8298
f. 3

21. In a southern state, it was revealed that 5% of all automobiles in the state did not
pass inspection. Of the next ten automobiles entering the inspection station,

a. what is the probability that none will pass inspection?

b. what is the probability that all will pass inspection?
c. what is the probability that exactly two will not pass inspection?
d. what is the probability that more than three will not pass inspection?
e. what is the probability that fewer than two will not pass inspection?
f. Find the expected number of automobiles not passing inspection.
g. Determine the standard deviation for the number of cars not passing
inspection.

Answers:
a. 0.0000
b. 0.5987
c. 0.0746
d. 0.0011
e. 0.9138
f. 0.5
g. 0.6892

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Discrete Probability Distributions 9

22. The random variable x has the following probability distribution:

x f(x)
0 .25
1 .20
2 .15
3 .30
4 .10

a. Is this probability distribution valid? Explain and list the requirements for a
valid probability distribution.
b. Calculate the expected value of x.
c. Calculate the variance of x.
d. Calculate the standard deviation of x.

Answers:
a. yes f(x) 0 and f(x) = 1
b. 1.8
c. 1.86
d. 1.364

23. The probability function for the number of insurance policies John will sell to a
customer is given by

f(X) = .5 - (X/6) for X = 0, 1, or 2

a. Is this a valid probability function? Explain your answer.

b. What is the probability that John will sell exactly 2 policies to a customer?
c. What is the probability that John will sell at least 2 policies to a customer?
d. What is the expected number of policies John will sell?
e. What is the variance of the number of policies John will sell?

Answers:
a. yes f(x) > 0 and f(x) = 1
b. 0.167
c. 0.167
d. 0.667
e. 0.556

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10 Chapter Five
24. The probability distribution for the rate of return on an investment is

Rate of Return
(In Percent) Probability
9.5 .1
9.8 .2
10.0 .3
10.2 .3
10.6 .1

a. What is the probability that the rate of return will be at least 10%?
b. What is the expected rate of return?
c. What is the variance of the rate of return?

Answers:
a. 0.7
b. 10.03
c. 0.0801

25. In a large university, 75% of students live in dormitories. A random sample of 5

students is selected. Use the binomial probability tables to answer the following
questions.

a. What is the probability that the sample contains exactly three students who
live in the dormitories?
b. What is the probability that the sample contains no students who lives in the
dormitories?
c. What is the probability that the sample contains more than three students who
do not live in the dormitories?
d. What is the expected number of students (in the sample) who do not live in
the dormitories?

Answers:
a. 0.2637
b. 0.001
c. 0.0156
d. 1.25

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Discrete Probability Distributions 11

26. A manufacturing company has 5 identical machines that produce nails. The
probability that a machine will break down on any given day is .1. Define a
random variable X to be the number of machines that will break down in a day.
a. What is the appropriate probability distribution for X? Explain how X
satisfies the properties of the distribution.
b. Compute the probability that 4 machines will break down.
c. Compute the probability that at least 4 machines will break down.
d. What is the expected number of machines that will break down in a day?
e. What is the variance of the number of machines that will break down in a
day?
Answers:
a. binomial
b. 0.00045
c. 0.00046
d. 0.5
e. 0.45

27. On the average, 6.7 cars arrive at the drive-up window of a bank every hour.
Define the random variable X to be the number of cars arriving in any hour.

a. What is the appropriate probability distribution for X? Explain how X

satisfies the properties of the distribution.
b. Compute the probability that exactly 5 cars will arrive in the next hour.
c. Compute the probability that no more than 5 cars will arrive in the next hour.
Answers:
a. Poisson; it shows the probability of x occurrences of the event over a time
period.
b. 0.1385
c. 0.3406

28. Twenty-five percent of all resumes received by a corporation for a management

position are from females. Fifteen resumes will be received tomorrow.
a. What is the probability that exactly 5 of the resumes will be from females?
b. What is the probability that fewer than 3 of the resumes will be from females?
c. What is the expected number of resumes from women?
d. What is the variance of the number of resumes from women?
Answers:
a. 0.1651
b. 0.2361
c. 3.75
d. 2.8125
29. The average number of calls received by a switchboard in a 30-minute period is

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12 Chapter Five
15.

a. What is the probability that between 10:00 and 10:30 the switchboard will
receive exactly 10 calls?
b. What is the probability that between 10:00 and 10:30 the switchboard will
receive more than 9 calls but fewer than 15 calls?
c. What is the probability that between 10:00 and 10:30 the switchboard will
receive fewer than 7 calls?

Answers:
a. 0.0486
b. 0.3958
c. 0.0075

30. Two percent of the parts produced by a machine are defective. Twenty parts are
selected at random. Use the binomial probability tables to answer the following
questions.

a. What is the probability that exactly 3 parts will be defective?

b. What is the probability that the number of defective parts will be more than 2
but fewer than 6?
c. What is the probability that fewer than 4 parts will be defective?
d. What is the expected number of defective parts?
e. What is the variance for the number of defective parts?

Answers:
a. 0.0065
b. 0.0071
c. 0.9940
d. 0.4
e. 0.392

31. Compute the hypergeometric probabilities for the following values of n and x.
Assume N = 8 and r = 5.

a. n = 5, x = 2
b. n = 6, x = 4
c. n = 3, x = 0
d. n = 3, x = 3
Answers:
a. 0.1786
b. 0.5357
c. 0.01786
d. 0.1786
32. Seven students have applied for merit scholarships. This year 3 merit

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Discrete Probability Distributions 13

scholarships were awarded. If a random sample of 3 applications (from the

population of 7) is selected,

a. what is the probability that 2 students were recipients of scholarships?

b. what is the probability that no students were the recipients of scholarship?

Answers:
a. 0.2143
b. 0.1143

33. Determine the probability of being dealt 4 kings in a 5-card poker hand.

Answer:
120/6,497,400 = 0.00001847

34. Twenty percent of the applications received for a particular position are rejected.
What is the probability that among the next fourteen applications,

a. none will be rejected?

b. all will be rejected?
c. less than 2 will be rejected?
d. more than four will be rejected?
e. Determine the expected number of rejected applications and its variance.

Answers:
a. 0.0440
b. 0.0000
c. 0.1979
d. 0.1297
e. 2.8, 2.24

35. An insurance company has determined that each week an average of nine claims
are filed in their Atlanta branch. What is the probability that during the next
week

a. exactly seven claims will be filed?

b. no claims will be filed?
c. less than four claims will be filed?
d. at least eighteen claims will be filed?
Answers:
a. 0.1171
b. 0.0001
c. 0.0212
d. 0.0053

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14 Chapter Five
36. A local university reports that 10% of their students take their general education
courses on a pass/fail basis. Assume that fifteen students are registered for a
general education course.

a. What is the expected number of students who have registered on a pass/fail

basis?
b. What is the probability that exactly five are registered on a pass/fail basis?
c. What is the probability that more than four are registered on a pass/fail basis?
d. What is the probability that less than two are registered on a pass/fail basis?

Answers:
a. 1.5
b. 0.01050
c. 0.0172
d. 0.5491

37. Only 0.02% of credit card holders of a company report the loss or theft of their
credit cards each month. The company has 15,000 credit cards in the city of
Memphis. Use the Poisson probability tables to answer the following questions.
What is the probability that during the next month in the city of Memphis

a. no one reports the loss or theft of their credit cards?

b. every credit card is lost or stolen?
c. six people report the loss or theft of their cards?
d. at least nine people report the loss or theft of their cards?
e. Determine the expected number of reported lost or stolen credit cards.
f. Determine the standard deviation for the number of reported lost or stolen
cards.

Answers:
a. 0.0498
b. 0.0000
c. 0.0504
d. 0.0038
e. 3
f. 1.73

38. A production process produces 2% defective parts. A sample of 5 parts from the
production is selected. What is the probability that the sample contains exactly
two defective parts? Use the binomial probability function and show your
computations to answer this question.

Answer:
0.0037648

39. A retailer of electronic equipment received six VCRs from the manufacturer.

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Discrete Probability Distributions 15

Three of the VCRs were damaged in the shipment. The retailer sold two VCRs to
two customers.

a Can a binomial formula be used for the solution of the above problem?
b. What kind of probability distribution does the above satisfy, and is there a
function for solving such problems?
c. What is the probability that both customers received damaged VCRs?
d. What is the probability that one of the two customers received a defective
VCR?

Answers:
a. No, in a binomial experiment, trials are independent of each other.
b. Hypergeometric probability distribution
c. 0.2
d. 0.6

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