SPS SPS SM Statistics 2024 January — Question 7

Exam BoardSPS
ModuleSPS SM Statistics (SPS SM Statistics)
Year2024
SessionJanuary
TopicDiscrete Probability Distributions
TypePiecewise or conditional probability function

7. The probability distribution of a random variable \(X\) is modelled as follows.
\(\mathrm { P } ( X = x ) = \begin{cases} \frac { k } { x } & x = 1,2,3,4 ,
0 & \text { otherwise, } \end{cases}\)
where \(k\) is a constant.
  1. Show that \(k = \frac { 12 } { 25 }\).
  2. Show in a table the values of \(X\) and their probabilities.
  3. The values of three independent observations of \(X\) are denoted by \(X _ { 1 } , X _ { 2 }\) and \(X _ { 3 }\). Find \(\mathrm { P } \left( X _ { 1 } > X _ { 2 } + X _ { 3 } \right)\). In a game, a player notes the values of successive independent observations of \(X\) and keeps a running total. The aim of the game is to reach a total of exactly 7 .
  4. Determine the probability that a total of exactly 7 is first reached on the 5th observation. END OF TEST