OCR MEI S2 (Statistics 2) 2016 June

1 A researcher believes that there may be negative association between the quantity of fertiliser used and the percentage of the population who live in rural areas in different countries. The data below show the percentage of the population who live in rural areas and the fertiliser use measured in kg per hectare, for a random sample of 11 countries.

1. Draw a scatter diagram to illustrate the data.
2. Explain why it might not be valid to carry out a test based on the product moment correlation coefficient in this case.
3. Calculate the value of Spearman's rank correlation coefficient.
4. Carry out a hypothesis test at the \(1 \%\) significance level to investigate the researcher's belief.
5. Explain the meaning of ' \(1 \%\) significance level'.
6. In order to carry out a test based on Spearman's rank correlation coefficient, what modelling assumptions, if any, are required about the underlying distribution?

2 When a genetic sequence of plant DNA is given a dose of radiation, some of the genes may mutate. The probability that a gene mutates is 0.012 . Mutations occur randomly and independently.

1. Explain the meanings of the terms 'randomly' and 'independently' in this context. A short stretch of DNA containing 20 genes is given a dose of radiation.
2. Find the probability that exactly 1 out of the 20 genes mutates. A longer stretch of DNA containing 500 genes is given a dose of radiation.
3. Explain why a Poisson distribution is an appropriate approximating distribution for the number of genes that mutate.
4. Use this Poisson distribution to find the probability that there are
   (A) exactly two genes that mutate,
   (B) at least two genes that mutate. A third stretch of DNA containing 50000 genes is given a dose of radiation.
5. Use a suitable approximating distribution to find the probability that there are at least 650 genes that mutate.

3 Many types of computer have cooling fans. The random variable \(X\) represents the lifetime in hours of a particular model of cooling fan. \(X\) is Normally distributed with mean 50600 and standard deviation 3400.

1. Find \(\mathrm { P } ( 50000 < X < 55000 )\).
2. The manufacturers claim that at least \(95 \%\) of these fans last longer than 45000 hours. Is this claim valid?
3. Find the value of \(h\) for which \(99.9 \%\) of these fans last \(h\) hours or more.
4. The random variable \(Y\) represents the lifetime in hours of a different model of cooling fan. \(Y\) is Normally distributed with mean \(\mu\) and standard deviation \(\sigma\). It is known that \(\mathrm { P } ( Y < 60000 ) = 0.6\) and \(\mathrm { P } ( Y > 50000 ) = 0.9\). Find the values of \(\mu\) and \(\sigma\).
5. Sketch the distributions of lifetimes for both types of cooling fan on a single diagram.

4

1. A random sample of 80 GCSE students was selected to take part in an investigation into whether attitudes to mathematics differ between girls and boys. The students were asked if they agreed with the statement 'Mathematics is one of my favourite subjects'. They were given three options 'Agree', 'Disagree', 'Neither agree nor disagree'. The results, classified according to sex, are summarised in the table below.

   	Agree	Disagree	Neither
   Male	17	13	8
   Female	12	11	19

   The contributions to the test statistic for the usual \(\chi ^ { 2 }\) test are shown in the table below.

   	Agree	Disagree	Neither
   Male	0.7550	0.2246	1.8153
   Female	0.6831	0.2032	1.6424

   1. Calculate the expected frequency for females who agree. Verify the corresponding contribution, 0.6831 , to the test statistic.
   2. Carry out the test at the \(5 \%\) level of significance.
2. The level of radioactivity in limpets (a type of shellfish) in the sea near to a nuclear power station is regularly monitored. Over a period of years it has been found that the level (measured in suitable units) is Normally distributed with mean 5.64. Following an incident at the power station, a researcher suspects that the mean level of radioactivity in limpets may have increased. The researcher selects a random sample of 60 limpets. Their levels of radioactivity, \(x\) (measured in the same units), are summarised as follows. $$\sum x = 373 \quad \sum x ^ { 2 } = 2498$$ Carry out a test at the \(5 \%\) significance level to investigate the researcher's belief.