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

(a) Find the value of x.

(2)

(b) Find E(X).

(3)

(c) The die is rolled twice. Find the probability of obtaining two scores of 3.
(2)
(Total 7 marks)

2. The probability distribution of a discrete random variable X is given by

x2
P(X = x) = 14 , x  {1, 2, k}, where k > 0.

(a) Write down P(X = 2).

(1)

(b) Show that k = 3.

(4)

(c) Find E(X).

(2)
(Total 7 marks)

3. A discrete random variable X has a probability distribution as shown in the table below.

x 0 1 2 3

P(X = x) 0.1 a 0.3 b

(a) Find the value of a + b.

(2)

(b) Given that E(X) =1.5, find the value of a and of b.

(4)
(Total 6 marks)
4. Three students, Kim, Ching Li and Jonathan each have a pack of cards, from which they
select a card at random. Each card has a 0, 3, 4, or 9 printed on it.

(a) Kim states that the probability distribution for her pack of cards is as follows.

x 0 3 4 9

P(X = x) 0.3 0.45 0.2 0.35

Explain why Kim is incorrect.

(2)

(b) Ching Li correctly states that the probability distribution for her pack of cards is
as follows.

x 0 3 4 9

P(X = x) 0.4 k 2k 0.3

Find the value of k.

(2)

(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)

5. Two boxes contain numbered cards as shown below.

Two cards are drawn at random, one from each box.

(a) Copy and complete the table below to show all nine equally likely outcomes.

3, 9
3, 10
3, 10
(2)

Let S be the sum of the numbers on the two cards.

 (b) Write down all the possible values of S.
(2)

(c) Find the probability of each value of S.

(2)

(d) Find the expected value of S.

(3)

(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.

(a) Write 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.

Find the value of p, of s and of t.

(2)

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

(ii) Find P (X = 2).

(3)

(d) (i) Construct a probability distribution table for X.

 (ii) Calculate the expected value of X.
(5)

(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

(b) For evidence of using E(X) = ∑x f (x) (M1)

Correct calculation A1
1 2 1 3
1  2   3   4 
e.g. 5 5 10 10
25
(  2.5)
E(X) = 10 A1
N2

1 1

(c) 10 10 (M1)
1
100 A1
N2
[7]

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)

setting the sum of probabilities = 1 M1

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

(c) correct substitution into

EX    xP( X  x) A1

1 4 9

   2   3 
e.g. 1  14   14   14 

36  18 
EX    
14  7  A1
N1
2

3. (a) For summing to 1 (M1)

eg 0.1 + a + 0.3 + b = 1
a + b = 0.6 A1 N2

(b) evidence of correctly using

E( X )   x f ( x) (M1)

eg 0 ´ 0.1 + 1 ´ a + 2 ´ 0.3 + 3 ´ b, 0.1 + a + 0.6 + 3b = 1.5

Correct equation 0 + a + 0.6 + 3b = 1.5 (a + 3b = 0.9) (A1)

Solving simultaneously gives

a = 0.45 b = 0.15 A1A1

N3
[6]

4. (a) Adding probabilities (M1)

Evidence of knowing that sum = 1 for probability distribution R1
eg Sum greater than 1, sum = 1.3, sum does not equal 1
N2

(b) Equating sum to 1 (3k + 0.7 = 1) M1

k = 0.1 A1 N1

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

(d) correct substitution into formula for E(X) A1

1 3 3 2
 13   14   15 
e.g. E(S) = 12 × 9 9 9 9
123
E(S) = 9 A2
N2

(e) METHOD 1

correct expression for expected gain E(A) for 1 game (A1)

4 5
 50   30
e.g. 9 9
50
E(A) = 9

amount at end = expected gain for 1 game × 36 (M1)

= 200 (dollars) A1
N2

METHOD 2
 attempt to find expected number of wins and losses (M1)
4 5
 36,  36
e.g. 5 9

attempt to find expected gain E(G) (M1)

e.g. 16 × 50 – 30 × 20
E(G) = 200 (dollars) A1
N2
[12]

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

(c) (i) P(X = 3)

1 3
= P (getting 1 and 2) = 4 ´ 4 A1
3
= 16 AG N0

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

(ii) evidence of using E(X) = ∑xP(X = x) (M1)

 13   3 
2   3 
E(X) =  16   16  (A1)
35  3
 2 
= 16  16  A1 N2
(e) win $10 Þ scores 3 one time, 2 other time (M1)

13 3
P(3) ´ P(2) = 16 ´ 16 (seen anywhere) A1

evidence of recognizing there are different ways of winning $10 (M1)

 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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