2.04d Normal approximation to binomial

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AQA S1 2016 June Q6
12 marks Moderate -0.8
6 The proportions of different colours of loom bands in a box of 10000 loom bands are given in the table.
ColourBlueGreenRedOrangeYellowWhite
Proportion0.250.250.180.120.150.05
  1. A sample of 50 loom bands is selected at random from the box. Use a binomial distribution with \(n = 50\), together with relevant information from the table, to estimate the probability that this sample contains:
    1. exactly 4 red loom bands;
    2. at most 10 yellow loom bands;
    3. at least 30 blue or green loom bands;
    4. more than 35 but fewer than 45 loom bands that are neither yellow nor white.
  2. The random variable \(R\) denotes the number of red loom bands in a random sample of \(\mathbf { 3 0 0 }\) loom bands selected from the box. Estimate values for the mean and the variance of \(R\).
    [0pt] [2 marks]
Edexcel S2 Q5
12 marks Standard +0.3
  1. Lupin seeds are sold in packets of 15 . On average, 9 seeds in a packet are green and 6 are red. Find, to 2 decimal places, the probability that in any particular packet there are
    1. less than 2 red seeds,
    2. more red than green seeds.
    The seeds from 10 packets are then combined together.
  2. Use a suitable approximation to find the probability that the total number of green seeds is more than 100 .
Edexcel S2 Q7
17 marks Standard +0.8
7. In a certain field, daisies are randomly distributed, at an average density of 0.8 daisies per \(\mathrm { cm } ^ { 2 }\). One particular patch, of area \(1 \mathrm {~cm} ^ { 2 }\), is selected at random. Assuming that the number of daisies per \(\mathrm { cm } ^ { 2 }\) has a Poisson distribution,
  1. find the probability that the chosen patch contains
    1. no daisies,
    2. one daisy. Ten such patches are chosen. Using your answers to part (a),
  2. find the probability that the total number of daisies is less than two.
  3. By considering the distribution of daisies over patches of \(10 \mathrm {~cm} ^ { 2 }\), use the Poisson distribution to find the probability that a particular area of \(10 \mathrm {~cm} ^ { 2 }\) contains no more than one daisy.
  4. Compare your answers to parts (b) and (c).
  5. Use a suitable approximation to find the probability that a patch of area \(1 \mathrm {~m} ^ { 2 }\) contains more than 8100 daisies.
Edexcel S2 Q5
15 marks Moderate -0.3
5. In a certain school, \(32 \%\) of Year 9 pupils are left-handed. A random sample of 10 Year 9 pupils is chosen.
  1. Find the probability that none are left-handed.
  2. Find the probability that at least two are left-handed.
  3. Use a suitable approximation to find the probability of getting more than 5 but less than 15 left-handed pupils in a group of 35 randomly selected Year 9 pupils.
    Explain what adjustment is necessary when using this approximation. \section*{STATISTICS 2 (A) TEST PAPER 3 Page 2}
Edexcel S2 Q5
14 marks Standard +0.3
  1. In World War II, the number of V2 missiles that landed on each square mile of London was, on average, \(3 \cdot 5\). Assuming that the hits were randomly distributed throughout London,
    1. suggest a suitable model for the number of hits on each square mile, giving a suitable value for any parameters.
    2. calculate the probability that a particular square mile received
      1. no hits,
      2. more than 7 hits.
    3. State, with a reason, whether the model is likely to be accurate.
    In contrast, the number of bombs weighing more than 1 ton landing on each square mile was 45 .
  2. Use a suitable approximation to find the probability that a randomly selected square mile received more than 60 such bombs. Explain what adjustment must be made when using this approximation.
Edexcel S2 Q6
16 marks Standard +0.3
6. In a fruit packing plant, apples are packed on to trays of 10 , and then checked for blemishes. The chance of any particular apple having a blemish is \(5 \%\). If a tray is selected at random, find
  1. the probability that at least two of the apples in it are blemished,
  2. the probability that exactly two are blemished. Trays are now packed in boxes of 50 trays each. In one such box, find
  3. the probability that at most one tray contains at least two blemished apples,
  4. the expected number of trays containing at least two blemished apples.
  5. Use a suitable approximation to find the probability that in a random selection of 20 trays there are more than 10 blemished apples.
Edexcel S2 Q4
11 marks Moderate -0.8
4. A random variable \(X\) has the distribution \(\mathrm { B } ( 80,0.375 )\).
  1. Write down the mean and variance of \(X\).
  2. Use the Normal approximation to the binomial distribution to estimate \(\mathrm { P } ( X > 40 )\).
Edexcel S2 Q6
16 marks Standard +0.3
6. In a particular parliamentary constituency, the percentage of Conservative voters at the last election was \(35 \%\), and the percentage who voted for the Monster Raving Loony party was \(2 \%\).
  1. Find the probability that a random sample of 10 electors includes at least two Conservative voters. Use suitable approximations to find
  2. the probability that a random sample of 500 electors will include at least 200 who voted either Conservative or Monster Raving Loony,
  3. the probability that a random sample of 200 electors will have at least 5 Monster Raving Loony voters in it.
  4. One of (b) or (c) requires an adjustment to be made before a calculation is done. Explain what this adjustment is, and why it is necessary.
AQA S3 2009 June Q5
10 marks Moderate -0.3
5 The random variable \(X\) has a binomial distribution with parameters \(n\) and \(p\).
  1. Given that $$\mathrm { E } ( X ) = n p \quad \text { and } \quad \mathrm { E } ( X ( X - 1 ) ) = n ( n - 1 ) p ^ { 2 }$$ find an expression for \(\operatorname { Var } ( X )\).
  2. Given that \(X\) has a mean of 36 and a standard deviation of 4.8:
    1. find values for \(n\) and \(p\);
    2. use a distributional approximation to estimate \(\mathrm { P } ( 30 < X < 40 )\).
AQA S3 2009 June Q7
17 marks Standard +0.8
7 The daily number of customers visiting a small arts and crafts shop may be modelled by a Poisson distribution with a mean of 24 .
  1. Using a distributional approximation, estimate the probability that there was a total of at most 150 customers visiting the shop during a given 6-day period.
  2. The shop offers a picture framing service. The daily number of requests, \(Y\), for this service may be assumed to have a Poisson distribution. Prior to the shop advertising this service in the local free newspaper, the mean value of \(Y\) was 2. Following the advertisement, the shop received a total of 17 requests for the service during a period of 5 days.
    1. Using a Poisson distribution, carry out a test, at the \(10 \%\) level of significance, to investigate the claim that the advertisement increased the mean daily number of requests for the shop's picture framing service.
    2. Determine the critical value of \(Y\) for your test in part (b)(i).
    3. Hence, assuming that the advertisement increased the mean value of \(Y\) to 3, determine the power of your test in part (b)(i).
AQA S3 2010 June Q7
15 marks Challenging +1.2
7 The random variable \(X\) has a Poisson distribution with parameter \(\lambda\).
    1. Prove, from first principles, that \(\mathrm { E } ( X ) = \lambda\).
    2. Hence, given that \(\mathrm { E } ( X ( X - 1 ) ) = \lambda ^ { 2 }\), find, in terms of \(\lambda\), an expression for \(\operatorname { Var } ( X )\).
  1. The mode, \(m\), of \(X\) is such that $$\mathrm { P } ( X = m ) \geqslant \mathrm { P } ( X = m - 1 ) \quad \text { and } \quad \mathrm { P } ( X = m ) \geqslant \mathrm { P } ( X = m + 1 )$$
    1. Show that \(\lambda - 1 \leqslant m \leqslant \lambda\).
    2. Given that \(\lambda = 4.9\), determine \(\mathrm { P } ( X = m )\).
  2. The random variable \(Y\) has a Poisson distribution with mode \(d\) and standard deviation 15.5. Use a distributional approximation to estimate \(\mathrm { P } ( Y \geqslant d )\).
    \includegraphics[max width=\textwidth, alt={}]{b855b5b3-097e-4894-aaec-d77f515949b0-19_2484_1709_223_153}
AQA S3 2012 June Q4
6 marks Standard +0.8
4 The manager of a medical centre suspects that patients using repeat prescriptions were requesting, on average, more items during 2011 than during 2010. The mean number of items on a repeat prescription during 2010 was 2.6.
An analysis of a random sample of 250 repeat prescriptions during 2011 showed a total of 688 items requested. The number of items requested on a repeat prescription may be modelled by a Poisson distribution. Use a distributional approximation to investigate, at the \(5 \%\) level of significance, the manager's suspicion.
AQA S3 2012 June Q7
15 marks Challenging +1.2
7
  1. The random variable \(X\) has a binomial distribution with parameters \(n\) and \(p\).
    1. Prove, from first principles, that \(\mathrm { E } ( X ) = n p\).
    2. Hence, given that \(\mathrm { E } ( X ( X - 1 ) ) = n ( n - 1 ) p ^ { 2 }\), find, in terms of \(n\) and \(p\), an expression for \(\operatorname { Var } ( X )\).
  2. The mode, \(m\), of \(X\) is such that $$\mathrm { P } ( X = m ) \geqslant \mathrm { P } ( X = m - 1 ) \quad \text { and } \quad \mathrm { P } ( X = m ) \geqslant \mathrm { P } ( X = m + 1 )$$
    1. Use the first inequality to show that $$m \leqslant ( n + 1 ) p$$
    2. Given that the second inequality results in $$m \geqslant ( n + 1 ) p - 1$$ deduce that the distribution \(\mathrm { B } ( 10,0.65 )\) has one mode, and find the two values for the mode of the distribution \(B ( 35,0.5 )\).
  3. The random variable \(Y\) has a binomial distribution with parameters 4000 and 0.00095 . Use a distributional approximation to estimate \(\mathrm { P } ( Y \leqslant k )\), where \(k\) denotes the mode of \(Y\).
    (3 marks)
AQA S3 2015 June Q5
16 marks Standard +0.3
5
  1. The random variable \(X\) has a binomial distribution with parameters \(n\) and \(p\).
    1. Prove, from first principles, that \(\mathrm { E } ( X ) = n p\).
    2. Given that \(\mathrm { E } ( X ( X - 1 ) ) = n ( n - 1 ) p ^ { 2 }\), find an expression for \(\operatorname { Var } ( X )\).
    1. The random variable \(Y\) has a binomial distribution with \(\mathrm { E } ( Y ) = 3\) and \(\operatorname { Var } ( Y ) = 2.985\). Find values for \(n\) and \(p\).
    2. The random variable \(U\) has \(\mathrm { E } ( U ) = 5\) and \(\operatorname { Var } ( U ) = 6.25\). Show that \(U\) does not have a binomial distribution.
  2. The random variable \(V\) has the distribution \(\operatorname { Po } ( 5 )\) and \(W = 2 V + 10\). Show that \(\mathrm { E } ( W ) = \operatorname { Var } ( W )\) but that \(W\) does not have a Poisson distribution.
  3. The probability that, in a particular country, a person has blood group AB negative is 0.2 per cent. A sample of 5000 people is selected. Given that the sample may be assumed to be random, use a distributional approximation to estimate the probability that at least 6 people but at most 12 people have blood group AB negative.
    [0pt] [3 marks]
OCR H240/02 2018 June Q13
12 marks Standard +0.8
13 In this question you must show detailed reasoning. The probability that Paul's train to work is late on any day is 0.15 , independently of other days.
  1. The number of days on which Paul's train to work is late during a 450-day period is denoted by the random variable \(Y\). Find a value of \(a\) such that \(\mathrm { P } ( Y > a ) \approx \frac { 1 } { 6 }\). In the expansion of \(( 0.15 + 0.85 ) ^ { 50 }\), the terms involving \(0.15 ^ { r }\) and \(0.15 ^ { r + 1 }\) are denoted by \(T _ { r }\) and \(T _ { r + 1 }\) respectively.
  2. Show that \(\frac { T _ { r } } { T _ { r + 1 } } = \frac { 17 ( r + 1 ) } { 3 ( 50 - r ) }\).
  3. The number of days on which Paul's train to work is late during a 50-day period is modelled by the random variable \(X\).
    1. Find the values of \(r\) for which \(\mathrm { P } ( X = r ) \leqslant \mathrm { P } ( X = r + 1 )\).
    2. Hence find the most likely number of days on which the train will be late during a 50-day period.
OCR MEI Paper 2 2019 June Q15
6 marks Challenging +1.2
15 You must show detailed reasoning in this question. The screenshot in Fig. 15 shows the probability distribution for the continuous random variable \(X\), where \(X \sim \mathrm {~N} \left( \mu , \sigma ^ { 2 } \right)\). \begin{figure}[h]
\includegraphics[alt={},max width=\textwidth]{95eb3bcc-6d3c-4f7e-9b27-5e046ab57ec5-11_387_954_1599_260} \captionsetup{labelformat=empty} \caption{Fig. 15}
\end{figure} The distribution is symmetrical about the line \(x = 35\) and there is a point of inflection at \(x = 31\).
Fifty independent readings of \(X\) are made. Show that the probability that at least 45 of these readings are between 30 and 40 is less than 0.05 .
AQA S1 2007 January Q2
12 marks Moderate -0.8
2 A hotel has 50 single rooms, 16 of which are on the ground floor. The hotel offers guests a choice of a full English breakfast, a continental breakfast or no breakfast. The probabilities of these choices being made are \(0.45,0.25\) and 0.30 respectively. It may be assumed that the choice of breakfast is independent from guest to guest.
  1. On a particular morning there are 16 guests, each occupying a single room on the ground floor. Calculate the probability that exactly 5 of these guests require a full English breakfast.
  2. On a particular morning when there are 50 guests, each occupying a single room, determine the probability that:
    1. at most 12 of these guests require a continental breakfast;
    2. more than 10 but fewer than 20 of these guests require no breakfast.
  3. When there are 40 guests, each occupying a single room, calculate the mean and the standard deviation for the number of these guests requiring breakfast.
AQA S1 2005 June Q5
19 marks Moderate -0.3
5
  1. At a particular checkout in a supermarket, the probability that the barcode reader fails to read the barcode first time on any item is 0.07 , and is independent from item to item.
    1. Calculate the probability that, from a shopping trolley containing 17 items, the reader fails to read the barcode first time on exactly 2 of the items.
    2. Determine the probability that, from a shopping trolley containing 50 items, the reader fails to read the barcode first time on at most 5 of the items.
  2. At another checkout in the supermarket, the probability that a faulty barcode reader fails to read the barcode first time on any item is 0.55 , and is independent from item to item. Determine the probability that, from a shopping trolley containing 50 items, this reader fails to read the barcode first time on at least 30 of the items.
  3. At a third checkout in the supermarket, a record is kept of \(X\), the number of times per 50 items that the barcode reader fails to read a barcode first time. An analysis of the records gives a mean of 10 and a standard deviation of 6.8.
    1. Estimate \(p\), the probability that the barcode reader fails to read a barcode first time.
    2. Using your estimate of \(p\) and assuming that \(X\) can be modelled by a binomial distribution, estimate the standard deviation of \(X\).
    3. Hence comment on the assumption that \(X\) can be modelled by a binomial distribution.
AQA S1 2015 June Q6
13 marks Moderate -0.8
6
  1. In a particular country, 35 per cent of the population is estimated to have at least one mobile phone. A sample of 40 people is selected from the population.
    Use the distribution \(\mathrm { B } ( 40,0.35 )\) to estimate the probability that the number of people in the sample that have at least one mobile phone is:
    1. at most 15 ;
    2. more than 10 ;
    3. more than 12 but fewer than 18 ;
    4. exactly equal to the mean of the distribution.
  2. In the same country, 70 per cent of households have a landline telephone connection. A sample of 50 households is selected from all households in the country.
    Stating a necessary condition regarding this selection, estimate the probability that fewer than 30 households have a landline telephone connection.
    [0pt] [4 marks]
OCR S2 Q2
7 marks Moderate -0.8
2 The random variable \(W\) has the distribution \(B \left( 40 , \frac { 2 } { 7 } \right)\). Use an appropriate approximation to find \(\mathrm { P } ( W > 13 )\).
OCR S2 Q4
7 marks Moderate -0.8
4 DVD players are tested after manufacture. The probability that a randomly chosen DVD player is defective is 0.02 . The number of defective players in a random sample of size 80 is denoted by \(R\).
  1. Use an appropriate approximation to find \(\mathrm { P } ( R \geqslant 2 )\).
  2. Find the smallest value of \(r\) for which \(\mathrm { P } ( R \geqslant r ) < 0.01\).
AQA S3 2006 June Q5
12 marks Standard +0.3
5 The number of letters per week received at home by Rosa may be modelled by a Poisson distribution with parameter 12.25.
  1. Using a normal approximation, estimate the probability that, during a 4 -week period, Rosa receives at home at least 42 letters but at most 54 letters.
  2. Rosa also receives letters at work. During a 16-week period, she receives at work a total of 248 letters.
    1. Assuming that the number of letters received at work by Rosa may also be modelled by a Poisson distribution, calculate a \(98 \%\) confidence interval for the average number of letters per week received at work by Rosa.
    2. Hence comment on Rosa's belief that she receives, on average, fewer letters at home than at work.
AQA S3 2007 June Q6
20 marks Standard +0.3
6
  1. The random variable \(X\) has a binomial distribution with parameters \(n\) and \(p\).
    1. Prove that \(\mathrm { E } ( X ) = n p\).
    2. Given that \(\mathrm { E } \left( X ^ { 2 } \right) - \mathrm { E } ( X ) = n ( n - 1 ) p ^ { 2 }\), show that \(\operatorname { Var } ( X ) = n p ( 1 - p )\).
    3. Given that \(X\) is found to have a mean of 3 and a variance of 2.97, find values for \(n\) and \(p\).
    4. Hence use a distributional approximation to estimate \(\mathrm { P } ( X > 2 )\).
  2. Dressher is a nationwide chain of stores selling women's clothes. It claims that the probability that a customer who buys clothes from its stores uses a Dressher store card is 0.45 . Assuming this claim to be correct, use a distributional approximation to estimate the probability that, in a random sample of 500 customers who buy clothes from Dressher stores, at least half of them use a Dressher store card.
Edexcel Paper 3 Specimen Q5
9 marks Moderate -0.3
  1. A company sells seeds and claims that \(55 \%\) of its pea seeds germinate.
    1. Write down a reason why the company should not justify their claim by testing all the pea seeds they produce.
    A random selection of the pea seeds is planted in 10 trays with 24 seeds in each tray.
  2. Assuming that the company's claim is correct, calculate the probability that in at least half of the trays 15 or more of the seeds germinate.
  3. Write down two conditions under which the normal distribution may be used as an approximation to the binomial distribution. A random sample of 240 pea seeds was planted and 150 of these seeds germinated.
  4. Assuming that the company's claim is correct, use a normal approximation to find the probability that at least 150 pea seeds germinate.
  5. Using your answer to part (d), comment on whether or not the proportion of the company's pea seeds that germinate is different from the company's claim of \(55 \%\)
Edexcel Paper 3 Specimen Q3
10 marks Standard +0.8
3. For a particular type of bulb, \(36 \%\) grow into plants with blue flowers and the remainder grow into plants with white flowers. Bulbs are sold in mixed bags of 40 Russell selects a random sample of 5 bags of bulbs.
  1. Find the probability that fewer than 2 of these bags will contain more bulbs that grow into plants with blue flowers than grow into plants with white flowers.
    (4) Maggie takes a random sample of \(n\) bulbs.
    Using a normal approximation, the probability that more than 244 of these \(n\) bulbs will grow into blue flowers is 0.0521 to 4 decimal places.
  2. Find the value of \(n\).
    (6)
    (Total 10 marks)