Questions — Edexcel S2 (562 questions)

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Edexcel S2 Q1
Easy -1.8
  1. It is estimated that \(4 \%\) of people have green eyes. In a random sample of size \(n\), the expected number of people with green eyes is 5 .
    1. Calculate the value of \(n\).
Edexcel S2 Q8
Standard +0.3
  1. The continuous random variable \(X\) has probability density function given by
Edexcel S2 2024 October Q1
Standard +0.3
  1. During an annual beach-clean, the people doing the clean are asked to conduct a litter survey.
    At a particular beach-clean, litter was found at a rate of 4 items per square metre.
    1. Find the probability that, in a randomly selected area of 2 square metres on this beach, exactly 5 items of litter were found.
    Of the litter found on the beach, 30\% of the items were face masks.
  2. Find the probability that, in a randomly selected area of 5 square metres on this beach, more than 4 face masks were found.
  3. Using a suitable approximation, find the probability that, in a randomly selected area of 20 square metres on this beach, less than 60 items of litter were found that were not face masks.
Edexcel S2 2024 October Q2
Standard +0.3
  1. A multiple-choice test consists of 25 questions, each having 5 responses, only one of which is correct.
Each correct answer gains 4 marks but each incorrect answer loses 1 mark.
Sam answers all 25 questions by choosing at random one response for each question.
Let \(X\) be the number of correct answers that Sam achieves.
  1. State the distribution of \(X\) Let \(M\) be the number of marks that Sam achieves.
    1. State the distribution of \(M\) in terms of \(X\)
    2. Hence, show clearly that the number of marks that Sam is expected to achieve is zero. In order to pass the test at least 30 marks are required.
  2. Find the probability that Sam will pass the test. Past records show that when the test is done properly, the probability that a student answers the first question correctly is 0.5 A random sample of 50 students that did the test properly was taken.
    Given that the probability that more than \(n\) but at most 30 students answered the first question correctly was 0.9328 to 4 decimal places,
  3. find the value of \(n\)
Edexcel S2 2024 October Q3
Standard +0.3
  1. During Monday afternoons, customers are known to enter a certain shop at a mean rate of 7 customers every 10 minutes.
    1. Suggest a suitable distribution to model the number of customers that enter this shop in a 10-minute interval on Monday afternoons.
    2. State two assumptions necessary for this distribution to be a suitable model of this situation.
    A new shop manager wants to find out if the rate of customers has changed since they took over.
  2. Write down suitable null and alternative hypotheses that the shop manager should use. The shop manager decides to monitor the number of customers entering the shop in a random 10-minute interval next Monday afternoon.
  3. Using a \(3 \%\) level of significance, find the critical region to test whether the rate of customers has changed.
  4. Find the actual significance level of this test based on your critical region from part (d) During the random 10-minute interval that Monday afternoon, 12 customers entered the shop.
  5. Comment on this finding, using the critical region in part (d)
Edexcel S2 2024 October Q4
Standard +0.3
    1. The continuous random variable \(X\) is uniformly distributed over the interval \([ a , b ]\)
Given that
  • \(\mathrm { P } ( X > 27 ) = \frac { 3 } { 4 }\)
  • \(\operatorname { Var } ( X ) = 300\)
    1. find the value of \(a\) and the value of \(b\)
Given also that $$4 \times \mathrm { P } ( X < k - 10 ) = \mathrm { P } ( X > k + 20 )$$
  • find the value of \(k\) (ii) A piece of wire of length 42 cm is cut into 2 pieces at a random point. Each of the two pieces of the wire is bent to form the outline of a square.
    Find the probability that the side length of the larger square minus the side length of the smaller square will be greater than 2 cm .
  • Edexcel S2 2024 October Q5
    Moderate -0.3
    1. The continuous random variable \(X\) has a probability density function given by
    $$f ( x ) = \begin{cases} \frac { 1 } { 4 } ( 3 - x ) & 1 \leqslant x \leqslant 2 \\ \frac { 1 } { 4 } & 2 < x \leqslant 3 \\ \frac { 1 } { 4 } ( x - 2 ) & 3 < x \leqslant 4 \\ 0 & \text { otherwise } \end{cases}$$ The cumulative distribution function of \(X\) is \(\mathrm { F } ( x )\)
    1. Show that \(\mathrm { F } ( x ) = \frac { 1 } { 4 } \left( 3 x - \frac { x ^ { 2 } } { 2 } \right) - \frac { 5 } { 8 }\) for \(1 \leqslant x \leqslant 2\)
    2. Find \(\mathrm { F } ( x )\) for all values of \(x\)
    3. Find \(\mathrm { P } ( 1.2 < X < 3.1 )\)
    Edexcel S2 2024 October Q6
    Standard +0.3
    1. Two boxes, A and B , each contain a large number of coins.
    In box A
    • there are only 1 p coins and 2 p coins
    • the ratio of 1 p coins to 2 p coins is \(1 : 3\)
    In box B
    • there are only 2 p coins and 5 p coins
    • the ratio of 2 p coins to 5 p coins is \(1 : 4\)
    One coin is randomly selected from box A and two coins are randomly selected from box B The random variable \(T\) represents the total of the values of the three coins selected.
    1. Find the sampling distribution of \(T\) The random variable \(M\) represents the median of the values of the three coins selected.
    2. Find the sampling distribution of \(M\)
    Edexcel S2 2024 October Q7
    Standard +0.3
    1. The continuous random variable \(X\) has probability density function given by
    $$f ( x ) = \begin{cases} a x & 0 \leqslant x \leqslant 4 \\ b x + c & 4 < x \leqslant 8 \\ 0 & \text { otherwise } \end{cases}$$ where \(a\), \(b\) and \(c\) are constants. \begin{figure}[h]
    \includegraphics[alt={},max width=\textwidth]{6e6f7a1a-b577-4f28-a7a9-557b9d325851-24_389_1013_630_529} \captionsetup{labelformat=empty} \caption{Figure 1}
    \end{figure} Figure 1 shows the graph of the probability density function \(\mathrm { f } ( x )\) The graph consists of two straight line segments of equal length joined at the point where \(x = 4\)
    1. Show that \(a = \frac { 1 } { 16 }\)
    2. Hence find
      1. the value of \(b\)
      2. the value of \(c\)
    3. Using algebraic integration, show that \(\operatorname { Var } ( X ) = \frac { 8 } { 3 }\)
    4. Find, to 2 decimal places, the lower quartile and the upper quartile of \(X\) A statistician claims that $$\mathrm { P } ( - \sigma < X - \mu < \sigma ) > 0.5$$ where \(\mu\) and \(\sigma\) are the mean and standard deviation of \(X\)
    5. Show that the statistician's claim is correct.
    Edexcel S2 2016 January Q1
    5 marks Easy -1.2
    The manager of a clothing shop wishes to investigate how satisfied customers are with the quality of service they receive. A database of the shop's customers is used as a sampling frame for this investigation.
    1. Identify one potential problem with this sampling frame. [1]
    Customers are asked to complete a survey about the quality of service they receive. Past information shows that 35\% of customers complete the survey. A random sample of 20 customers is taken.
    1. Write down a suitable distribution to model the number of customers in this sample that complete the survey. [2]
    2. Find the probability that more than half of the customers in the sample complete the survey. [2]
    Edexcel S2 2016 January Q2
    10 marks Moderate -0.3
    The continuous random variable \(X\) is uniformly distributed over the interval \([a, b]\) Given that \(\mathrm{P}(3 < X < 5) = \frac{1}{8}\) and \(\mathrm{E}(X) = 4\)
    1. find the value of \(a\) and the value of \(b\) [3]
    2. find the value of the constant, \(c\), such that \(\mathrm{E}(cX - 2) = 0\) [2]
    3. find the exact value of \(\mathrm{E}(X^2)\) [3]
    4. find \(\mathrm{P}(2X - b > a)\) [2]
    Edexcel S2 2016 January Q3
    11 marks Moderate -0.3
    Left-handed people make up 10\% of a population. A random sample of 60 people is taken from this population. The discrete random variable \(Y\) represents the number of left-handed people in the sample.
      1. Write down an expression for the exact value of \(\mathrm{P}(Y \leq 1)\)
      2. Evaluate your expression, giving your answer to 3 significant figures. [3]
    1. Using a Poisson approximation, estimate \(\mathrm{P}(Y \leq 1)\) [2]
    2. Using a normal approximation, estimate \(\mathrm{P}(Y \leq 1)\) [5]
    3. Give a reason why the Poisson approximation is a more suitable estimate of \(\mathrm{P}(Y \leq 1)\) [1]
    Edexcel S2 2016 January Q4
    12 marks Standard +0.3
    A continuous random variable \(X\) has cumulative distribution function $$\mathrm{F}(x) = \begin{cases} 0 & x < 0 \\ \frac{1}{4}x & 0 \leq x \leq 1 \\ \frac{1}{20}x^4 + \frac{1}{5} & 1 < x \leq d \\ 1 & x > d \end{cases}$$
    1. Show that \(d = 2\) [2]
    2. Find \(\mathrm{P}(X < 1.5)\) [2]
    3. Write down the value of the lower quartile of \(X\) [1]
    4. Find the median of \(X\) [3]
    5. Find, to 3 significant figures, the value of \(k\) such that \(\mathrm{P}(X > 1.9) = \mathrm{P}(X < k)\) [4]
    Edexcel S2 2016 January Q5
    10 marks Standard +0.3
    The number of eruptions of a volcano in a 10 year period is modelled by a Poisson distribution with mean 1
    1. Find the probability that this volcano erupts at least once in each of 2 randomly selected 10 year periods. [2]
    2. Find the probability that this volcano does not erupt in a randomly selected 20 year period. [2]
    The probability that this volcano erupts exactly 4 times in a randomly selected \(w\) year period is 0.0443 to 3 significant figures.
    1. Use the tables to find the value of \(w\) [3]
    A scientist claims that the mean number of eruptions of this volcano in a 10 year period is more than 1 She selects a 100 year period at random in order to test her claim.
    1. State the null hypothesis for this test. [1]
    2. Determine the critical region for the test at the 5\% level of significance. [2]
    Edexcel S2 2016 January Q6
    15 marks Standard +0.3
    A continuous random variable \(X\) has probability density function $$\mathrm{f}(x) = \begin{cases} ax^2 + bx & 1 \leq x \leq 7 \\ 0 & \text{otherwise} \end{cases}$$ where \(a\) and \(b\) are constants.
    1. Show that \(114a + 24b = 1\) [4]
    Given that \(a = \frac{1}{90}\)
    1. use algebraic integration to find \(\mathrm{E}(X)\) [4]
    2. find the cumulative distribution function of \(X\), specifying it for all values of \(x\) [3]
    3. find \(\mathrm{P}(X > \mathrm{E}(X))\) [2]
    4. use your answer to part (d) to describe the skewness of the distribution. [2]
    Edexcel S2 2016 January Q7
    12 marks Standard +0.3
    A fisherman is known to catch fish at a mean rate of 4 per hour. The number of fish caught by the fisherman in an hour follows a Poisson distribution. The fisherman takes 5 fishing trips each lasting 1 hour.
    1. Find the probability that this fisherman catches at least 6 fish on exactly 3 of these trips. [6]
    The fisherman buys some new equipment and wants to test whether or not there is a change in the mean number of fish caught per hour. Given that the fisherman caught 14 fish in a 2 hour period using the new equipment,
    1. carry out the test at the 5\% level of significance. State your hypotheses clearly. [6]
    Edexcel S2 Q1
    6 marks Easy -1.8
    The small village of Tornep has a preservation society which is campaigning for a new by-pass to be built. The society needs to measure
    1. the strength of opinion amongst the residents of Tornep for the scheme and
    2. the flow of traffic through the village on weekdays. The society wants to know whether to use a census or a sample survey for each of these measures.
      1. In each case suggest which they should use and specify a suitable sampling frame. [4] For the measurement of traffic flow through Tornep,
      2. suggest a suitable statistic and a possible statistical model for this statistic. [2]
    Edexcel S2 Q2
    7 marks Moderate -0.8
    On a stretch of motorway accidents occur at a rate of 0.9 per month.
    1. Show that the probability of no accidents in the next month is 0.407, to 3 significant figures. [1] Find the probability of
    2. exactly 2 accidents in the next 6 month period, [3]
    3. no accidents in exactly 2 of the next 4 months. [3]
    Edexcel S2 Q3
    7 marks Moderate -0.3
    In a sack containing a large number of beads \(\frac{1}{4}\) are coloured gold and the remainder are of different colours. A group of children use some of the beads in a craft lesson and do not replace them. Afterwards the teacher wishes to know whether or not the proportion of gold beads left in the sack has changed. She selects a random sample of 20 beads and finds that 2 of them are coloured gold. Stating your hypotheses clearly test, at the 10\% level of significance, whether or not there is evidence that the proportion of gold beads has changed. [7]
    Edexcel S2 Q4
    12 marks Standard +0.3
    A company always sends letters by second class post unless they are marked first class. Over a long period of time it has been established that 20\% of letters to be posted are marked first class. In a random selection of 10 letters to be posted, find the probability that the number marked first class is
    1. at least 3, [2]
    2. fewer than 2. [2]
    One Monday morning there are only 12 first class stamps. Given that there are 70 letters to be posted that day,
    1. use a suitable approximation to find the probability that there are enough first class stamps, [7]
    2. State an assumption about these 70 letters that is required in order to make the calculation in part (c) valid. [1]
    Edexcel S2 Q5
    12 marks Standard +0.3
    The maintenance department of a college receives requests for replacement light bulbs at a rate of 2 per week. Find the probability that in a randomly chosen week the number of requests for replacement light bulbs is
    1. exactly 4, [2]
    2. more than 5. [2]
    Three weeks before the end of term the maintenance department discovers that there are only 5 light bulbs left.
    1. Find the probability that the department can meet all requests for replacement light bulbs before the end of term. [3]
    The following term the principal of the college announces a package of new measures to reduce the amount of damage to college property. In the first 4 weeks following this announcement, 3 requests for replacement light bulbs are received.
    1. Stating your hypotheses clearly test, at the 5\% level of significance, whether or not there is evidence that the rate of requests for replacement light bulbs has decreased. [5]
    Edexcel S2 Q6
    14 marks Standard +0.3
    The continuous random variable X has cumulative distribution function F(x) given by $$\text{F}(x) = \begin{cases} 0, & x < 1 \\ \frac{1}{2}(-x^3 + 6x^2 - 5), & 1 \leq x \leq 4 \\ 1, & x > 4 \end{cases}$$
    1. Find the probability density function f(x). [3]
    2. Find the mode of X. [2]
    3. Sketch f(x) for all values of x. [3]
    4. Find the mean \(\mu\) of X. [3]
    5. Show that F(\(\mu\)) > 0.5. [1]
    6. Show that the median of X lies between the mode and the mean. [2]
    Edexcel S2 Q7
    17 marks Moderate -0.3
    In a computer game, a star moves across the screen, with constant speed, taking 1 s to travel from one side to the other. The player can stop the star by pressing a key. The object of the game is to stop the star in the middle of the screen by pressing the key exactly 0.5 s after the star first appears. Given that the player actually presses the key 7 s after the star first appears, a simple model of the game assumes that T is a continuous uniform random variable defined over the interval [0, 1].
    1. Write down P(T < 0.2). [1]
    2. Write down E(T). [1]
    3. Use integration to find Var(T). [4]
    A group of 20 children each play this game once.
    1. Find the probability that no more than 4 children stop the star in less than 0.2 s. [3]
    The children are allowed to practise this game so that this continuous uniform model is no longer applicable.
    1. Explain how you would expect the mean and variance of T to change. [2]
    It is found that a more appropriate model of the game when played by experienced players assumes that T has a probability density function g(t) given by $$g(t) = \begin{cases} 4t, & 0 \leq t \leq 0.5, \\ 4 - 4t, & 0.5 \leq t \leq 1, \\ 0, & otherwise. \end{cases}$$
    1. Using this model show that P(T < 0.2) = 0.08. [2]
    A group of 75 experienced players each played this game once.
    1. Using a suitable approximation, find the probability that more than 7 of them stop the star in less than 0.2 s. [4]
    Edexcel S2 Q1
    7 marks Easy -1.8
    Explain what you understand by
    1. a population, [1]
    2. a statistic. [2]
    A questionnaire concerning attitudes to classes in a college was completed by a random sample of 50 students. The students gave the college a mean approval rating of 75\%.
    1. Identify the population and the statistic in this situation. [2]
    2. Explain what you understand by the sampling distribution of this statistic. [2]
    Edexcel S2 Q2
    7 marks Standard +0.3
    The number of houses sold per week by a firm of estate agents follows a Poisson distribution with mean 2.5. The firm appoints a new salesman and wants to find out whether or not house sales increase as a result. After the appointment of the salesman, the number of house sales in a randomly chosen 4-week period is 14. Stating your hypotheses clearly test, at the 5\% level of significance, whether or not the new salesman has increased house sales. [7]