Exam Questions Discrete Probability Distributions
Exam Questions Discrete Probability Distributions
Exam Questions Discrete Probability Distributions
All paper 1
1. In a game a player rolls a biased four-faced die. The probability of each possible score is
shown below.
Score 1 2 3 4
1 2 1
Probability x
5 5 10
(c) The die is rolled twice. Find the probability of obtaining two scores of 3.
(2)
(Total 7 marks)
x2
P(X = x) = 14 , x {1, 2, k}, where k > 0.
3. A discrete random variable X has a probability distribution as shown in the table below.
x 0 1 2 3
(a) Kim states that the probability distribution for her pack of cards is as follows.
x 0 3 4 9
(b) Ching Li correctly states that the probability distribution for her pack of cards is
as follows.
x 0 3 4 9
(c) Jonathan correctly states that the probability distribution for his pack of cards is
x 1
given by P(X = x) = 20 . One card is drawn at random from his pack.
(i) Calculate the probability that the number on the card drawn is 0.
(ii) Calculate the probability that the number on the card drawn is greater than
0.
(4)
(Total 8 marks)
(a) Copy and complete the table below to show all nine equally likely outcomes.
3, 9
3, 10
3, 10
(2)
(e) Anna plays a game where she wins $50 if S is even and loses $30 if S is odd.
Anna plays the game 36 times. Find the amount she expects to have at the end of
the 36 games.
(3)
(Total 12 marks)
6. A four-sided die has three blue faces and one red face. The die is rolled.
Let B be the event a blue face lands down, and R be the event a red face lands down.
(i) P (B);
(ii) P (R).
(2)
(b) If the blue face lands down, the die is not rolled again. If the red face lands down,
the die is rolled once again. This is represented by the following tree diagram,
where p, s, t are probabilities.
Guiseppi plays a game where he rolls the die. If a blue face lands down, he scores 2 and
is finished. If the red face lands down, he scores 1 and rolls one more time. Let X be the
total score obtained.
3
.
(c) (i) Show that P (X = 3) = 16
(e) If the total score is 3, Guiseppi wins $10. If the total score is 2, Guiseppi gets
nothing.
Guiseppi plays the game twice. Find the probability that he wins exactly $10.
(4)
(Total 16 marks)
Mark scheme
1. (a) For summing to 1 (M1)
1 2 1
x 1
e.g. 5 5 10
3
x = 10 A1 N2
1 1
(c) 10 10 (M1)
1
100 A1
N2
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4 2
2. (a) P(X = 2) 14 7 A1 N1 1
1
(b) P(X = 1) = 14 (A1)
k2
P(X = k) = 14 (A1)
1 4 k2
e.g. 14 14 14 = 1, 5 + k2 = 14
k2 9
accept
14 14
k2 = 9 A1
k=3 AG N0
4
36 18
EX
14 7 A1
N1
2
eg 0.1 + a + 0.3 + b = 1
a + b = 0.6 A1 N2
0 1
P X 0
(c) (i) 20 (M1)
1
= 20 A1 N2
(ii) Evidence of using P(X > 0) = 1 P(X = 0)
4 5 10
or
20 20 20 (M1)
19
= 20 A1 N2
[8]
5. (a)
3, 9 4, 9 5, 9
3, 10 4, 10 5, 10
3, 10 4, 10 5, 10
A2
N2
(b) 12, 13, 14, 15 (accept 12, 13, 13, 13, 14, 14, 14, 15, 15) A2
N2
1 3 3 2
(c) P(12) = 9 , P(13) = 9 , P(14) = 9 , P(15) = 9 A2
N2
(e) METHOD 1
METHOD 2
attempt to find expected number of wins and losses (M1)
4 5
36, 36
e.g. 5 9
3
6. (a) (i) P(B) = 4 A1 N1
1
(ii) P(R) = 4 A1
N1
3
p
(b) 4 A1 N1
1 3
s , t
4 4 A1
N1
1 1 3 or 1 3
(ii) P(X = 2) = 4 ´ 4 + 4 16 (A1)
13
= 16 A1 N2
(d) (i)
X 2 3
P(X = x) 13 3
16 16
A2 N2
13 3
P(3) ´ P(2) = 16 ´ 16 (seen anywhere) A1
13 3
2 ,
e.g. P(3) ´ P(2) + P(2) ´ P(3), 16 16
36 3 36 3
256 256 256 256
78 39
P(win $10) = 256 128 A1
N3
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