5.02l Poisson conditions: for modelling

20\% of the t -shirts made by the manufacturer are small and sell for \(\pounds 10 30 \%\) of the t -shirts made by the manufacturer are medium and sell for \(\pounds 12\) The rest of the t -shirts made by the manufacturer are large and sell for \(\pounds 15\)

1. Find the mean value of the t -shirts made by the manufacturer. A random sample of 3 t -shirts made by the manufacturer is taken.
2. List all the possible combinations of the individual selling prices of these 3 t-shirts.
3. Find the sampling distribution of the median selling price of these 3 t-shirts.
   1. A supermarket receives complaints at a mean rate of 6 per week.
   2. State one assumption necessary, in order for a Poisson distribution to be used to model the number of complaints received by the supermarket.
   3. Find the probability that, in a given week, there are
      1. fewer than 3 complaints received by the supermarket,
      2. at least 6 complaints received by the supermarket.
   In a randomly selected week, the supermarket received 12 complaints.
4. Test, at the \(5 \%\) level of significance, whether or not there is evidence that the mean number of complaints is greater than 6 per week.
   State your hypotheses clearly. Following changes made by the supermarket, it received 26 complaints over a 6-week period.
5. Use a suitable approximation to test whether or not there is evidence that, following the changes, the mean number of complaints received is less than 6 per week. You should state your hypotheses clearly and use a 5\% significance level.
   1. The continuous random variable \(Y\) has cumulative distribution function given by
   $$\mathrm { F } ( y ) = \left\{ \begin{array} { l r } 0 & y < 0 \\ \frac { 1 } { 21 } y ^ { 2 } & 0 \leqslant y \leqslant k \\ \frac { 2 } { 15 } \left( 6 y - \frac { y ^ { 2 } } { 2 } \right) - \frac { 7 } { 5 } & k < y \leqslant 6 \\ 1 & y > 6 \end{array} \right.$$
6. Find \(\mathrm { P } \left( \left. Y < \frac { 1 } { 4 } k \right\rvert \, Y < k \right)\)
7. Find the value of \(k\)
8. Use algebraic calculus to find \(\mathrm { E } ( Y )\)
   1. The discrete random variable \(X\) is given by
   $$X \sim \mathrm {~B} ( n , p )$$ The value of \(n\) and the value of \(p\) are such that \(X\) can be approximated by a normal random variable \(Y\) where $$Y \sim \mathrm {~N} \left( \mu , \sigma ^ { 2 } \right)$$ Given that when using a normal approximation $$\mathrm { P } ( X < 86 ) = 0.2266 \text { and } \mathrm { P } ( X > 97 ) = 0.1056$$
9. show that \(\sigma = 6\)
10. Hence find the value of \(n\) and the value of \(p\)

3. (a) State two conditions under which a Poisson distribution is a suitable model to use in statistical work. The number of cars passing an observation point in a 10 minute interval is modelled by a Poisson distribution with mean 1.
(b) Find the probability that in a randomly chosen 60 minute period there will be

1. exactly 4 cars passing the observation point,
2. at least 5 cars passing the observation point. The number of other vehicles, other than cars, passing the observation point in a 60 minute interval is modelled by a Poisson distribution with mean 12.
   (c) Find the probability that exactly 1 vehicle, of any type, passes the observation point in a 10 minute period.

3. The random variable \(X\) is the number of misprints per page in the first draft of a novel.

1. State two conditions under which a Poisson distribution is a suitable model for \(X\). The number of misprints per page has a Poisson distribution with mean 2.5. Find the probability that
2. a randomly chosen page has no misprints,
3. the total number of misprints on 2 randomly chosen pages is more than 7 . The first chapter contains 20 pages.
4. Using a suitable approximation find, to 2 decimal places, the probability that the chapter will contain less than 40 misprints.

2. A traffic officer monitors the rate at which vehicles pass a fixed point on a motorway. When the rate exceeds 36 vehicles per minute he must switch on some speed restrictions to improve traffic flow.

1. Suggest a suitable model to describe the number of vehicles passing the fixed point in a 15 s interval. The traffic officer records 12 vehicles passing the fixed point in a 15 s interval.
2. Stating your hypotheses clearly, and using a \(5 \%\) level of significance, test whether or not the traffic officer has sufficient evidence to switch on the speed restrictions.
3. Using a \(5 \%\) level of significance, determine the smallest number of vehicles the traffic officer must observe in a 10 s interval in order to have sufficient evidence to switch on the speed restrictions.

3. (a) Write down two conditions needed to approximate the binomial distribution by the Poisson distribution. A machine which manufactures bolts is known to produce \(3 \%\) defective bolts. The machine breaks down and a new machine is installed. A random sample of 200 bolts is taken from those produced by the new machine and 12 bolts were defective.
(b) Using a suitable approximation, test at the \(5 \%\) level of significance whether or not the proportion of defective bolts is higher with the new machine than with the old machine. State your hypotheses clearly.

1 A study undertaken by Goodhealth Hospital found that the number of patients each month, \(X\), contracting a particular superbug can be modelled by a Poisson distribution with a mean of 1.5 .

1. 1. Calculate \(\mathrm { P } ( X = 2 )\).
   2. Hence determine the probability that exactly 2 patients will contract this superbug in each of three consecutive months.
2. 1. Write down the distribution of \(Y\), the number of patients contracting this superbug in a given 6-month period.
   2. Find the probability that at least 12 patients will contract this superbug during a given 6-month period.
3. State two assumptions implied by the use of a Poisson model for the number of patients contracting this superbug.

4 Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are pulses of gamma rays lasting a few seconds, which are produced by explosions in distant galaxies. They are detected by satellites in orbit around Earth. One particular satellite detects GRBs at a constant average rate of 3.5 per week (7 days). You may assume that the detection of GRBs by this satellite may be modelled by a Poisson distribution.

1. Find the probability that the satellite detects:
   1. exactly 4 GRBs during one particular week;
   2. at least 2 GRBs on one particular day;
   3. more than 10 GRBs but fewer than 20 GRBs during the 28 days of February 2013.
2. Give one reason, apart from the constant average rate, why it is likely that the detection of GRBs by this satellite may be modelled by a Poisson distribution.
   (1 mark)

5 Peter, a geologist, is studying pebbles on a beach. He uses a frame, called a quadrat, to enclose an area of the beach. He then counts the number of quartz pebbles, \(X\), within the quadrat. He repeats this procedure 40 times, obtaining the following summarised data. $$\sum x = 128 \quad \text { and } \quad \sum ( x - \bar { x } ) ^ { 2 } = 126.4$$ Peter believes that the distribution of \(X\) can be modelled by a Poisson distribution with \(\lambda = 3.2\).

1. Use the summarised data to support Peter's belief.
2. Using Peter's model, calculate the probability that:
   1. a single placing of the quadrat contains more than 5 quartz pebbles;
   2. a single placing of the quadrat contains at least 3 quartz pebbles but fewer than 8 quartz pebbles;
   3. when the quadrat is placed twice, at least one placing contains no quartz pebbles.
3. Peter also models the number of flint pebbles enclosed by the quadrat by a Poisson distribution with mean 5 . He assumes that the number of flint pebbles enclosed by the quadrat is independent of the number of quartz pebbles enclosed by the quadrat. Using Peter's models, calculate the probability that a single placing of the quadrat contains a total of either 9 or 10 pebbles which are quartz or flint.
   [0pt] [3 marks]

1 In a survey of the tideline along a beach, plastic bottles were found at a constant average rate of 280 per kilometre, and drinks cans were found at a constant average rate of 220 per kilometre. It may be assumed that these objects were distributed randomly and independently. Calculate the probability that:

1. a 10 m length of tideline along this beach contains no more than 5 plastic bottles;
2. a 20 m length of tideline along this beach contains exactly 2 drinks cans;
3. a 30 m length of tideline along this beach contains a total of at least 12 but fewer than 18 of these two types of object.
   [0pt] [4 marks]

5. A traffic analyst is interested in the number of heavy lorries passing a certain junction. He counts the numbers of lorries in 100 five-minute intervals, and gets the following results: Q. 5 continued on next page ... \section*{STATISTICS 2 (A) TEST PAPER 9 Page 2}

1. continued ...
   1. Show that the mean of \(X\) is 3 , and find the variance of \(X\).
   2. Give two reasons for thinking that \(X\) can be modelled by a Poisson distribution. (2 marks)
   After a new landfill site has been established nearby, a member of an environmental group notices that 18 lorries pass the junction in a period of 15 minutes. The group claims that this is evidence that the mean number of lorries per five-minute interval has increased.
2. Test whether the group's claim is valid. Work at the \(5 \%\) significance level, and state your hypotheses clearly.

4. A music website is visited by an average of 30 different people per hour on a weekday evening. The site's designer believes that the number of visitors to the site per hour can be modelled by a Poisson distribution.

1. State the conditions necessary for a Poisson distribution to be applicable and comment on their validity in this case. Assuming that the number of visitors does follow a Poisson distribution, find the probability that there will be
2. less than two visitors in a 10 -minute interval,
3. at least ten visitors in a 15-minute interval.
4. Using a suitable approximation, find the probability of the site being visited by more than 100 people between 6 pm and 9 pm on a Thursday evening.
   (5 marks)

1 The random variable \(X\) represents the number of cars arriving at a car wash per 10-minute period. From observations over a number of days, an estimate was made of the probability distribution of \(X\). Table 1 shows this estimated probability distribution. \begin{table}[h] \end{table}

1. In this question you must show detailed reasoning. Use Table 1 to calculate estimates of each of the following.
   You should now assume that \(X\) can be modelled by a Poisson distribution with mean equal to the value which you calculated in part (a).
2. Find each of the following.

4 It is known that in an electronic circuit, the number of electrons passing per nanosecond can be modelled by a Poisson distribution. In a particular electronic circuit, the mean number of electrons passing per nanosecond is 12 .

1. 1. Determine the probability that there are more than 15 electrons passing in a randomly selected nanosecond.
   2. Determine the probability that there are fewer than 50 electrons passing in a randomly selected period of 5 nanoseconds.
2. Explain what you can deduce about the electrons passing in the circuit from the fact that a Poisson distribution is a suitable model.

7 A biologist is investigating migrating butterflies. Fig. 7.1 shows the numbers of migrating butterflies passing her location in 100 randomly chosen one-minute periods. \begin{table}[h] \end{table}

1. 1. Use the data to show that a suitable estimate for the mean number of butterflies passing her location per minute is 3.3.
   2. Explain how the value of the variance estimate calculated from the sample supports the suggestion that a Poisson distribution may be a suitable model for these data. The biologist decides to carry out a test to investigate whether a Poisson distribution may be a suitable model for these data.
2. In this question you must show detailed reasoning. Complete the copy of Fig. 7.2 of expected frequencies and contributions for a chi-squared test in the Printed Answer Booklet. \begin{table}[h]

   Number of butterflies	Frequency	Probability	Expected frequency	Chi-squared contribution
   0	6	0.0369	3.6883	1.4489
   1	9	0.1217	12.1714	0.8264
   2	18			0.2160
   3	26			0.6916
   4	13	0.1823	18.2252	1.4981
   5	16	0.1203	12.0286
   6	9	0.0662	6.6158	0.8593
   \(\geqslant 7\)	3	0.0510	5.0966	0.8625

   \captionsetup{labelformat=empty} \caption{Fig. 7.2}
   \end{table}
3. Complete the chi-squared test at the \(5 \%\) significance level.

1 The number of failures of a machine each week at a factory is modelled by a Poisson distribution with mean 0.45.

1. Write down the variance of the distribution.
2. Find the probability that there are exactly 2 failures in a week.
3. State a distribution which can be used to model the number of failures in a period of 4 weeks.
4. Find the probability that there are at least 2 failures in a period of 4 weeks.

4 Zara uses a metal detector to search for coins on a beach.
She wonders if the numbers of coins that she finds in an area of \(10 \mathrm {~m} ^ { 2 }\) can be modelled by a Poisson distribution. The table below shows the numbers of coins that she finds in randomly chosen areas of \(10 \mathrm {~m} ^ { 2 }\) over a period of months.

1. Software gives the sample mean as 1.98 and the sample standard deviation as 1.4212. Explain how these values suggest that a Poisson distribution may be an appropriate model for the numbers of coins found. Zara decides to carry out a chi-squared test to investigate whether a Poisson distribution is an appropriate model.
   Fig. 4 is a screenshot showing part of the spreadsheet used to analyse the data. Some values in the spreadsheet have been deliberately omitted. \begin{table}[h]

   	A	B	C	D
   1	Number of coins found	Observed frequency	Expected frequency	Chi-squared contribution
   2	0	13	13.8069	0.0472
   3	1	28
   4	2	30	27.0643	0.3184
   5	3	14	17.8625	0.8352
   6	4	10	8.8419	0.1517
   7	\(\geqslant 5\)	5		0.0015

   \captionsetup{labelformat=empty} \caption{Fig. 4}
   \end{table}
2. Showing your calculations, find the missing values in each of the following cells.
   For the rest of this question, you should assume that the number of coins that Zara finds in an area of \(10 \mathrm {~m} ^ { 2 }\) can be modelled by a Poisson distribution with mean 1.98.
   Zara also finds pieces of jewellery independently of the coins she finds. The number of pieces of jewellery that she finds per \(10 \mathrm {~m} ^ { 2 }\) area is modelled by a Poisson distribution with mean 0.42 .
3. Find the probability that Zara finds a total of exactly 3 items (coins and/or jewellery) in an area of \(10 \mathrm {~m} ^ { 2 }\).
4. Find the probability that Zara finds a total of at least 30 items (coins and/or jewellery) in an area of \(100 \mathrm {~m} ^ { 2 }\).

3 Jane wonders whether the number of wasps entering a wasp's nest per 5 second interval can be modelled by a Poisson distribution with mean \(\mu\). She counts the number of wasps entering the nest over 60 randomly selected 5 -second intervals. The results are shown in Fig. 3.1. \begin{table}[h] \end{table}

1. Show that a suitable estimate for the value of \(\mu\) is 5.1. Fig. 3.2 shows part of a screenshot for a \(\chi ^ { 2 }\) test to assess the goodness of fit of a Poisson model. The sample mean has been used as an estimate for the population mean. Some of the values in the spreadsheet have been deliberately omitted. \begin{table}[h]

   	A	B	C	D	E
   \includegraphics[max width=\textwidth, alt={}]{e8624e9b-5143-49d2-9683-cc3a1082694e-4_132_40_1069_273}	Number of wasps	Observed frequency	Poisson probability	Expected frequency	Chi-squared contribution
   2	\(\leqslant 2\)	7	0.1165	6.9887	0.0000
   3	3	5		8.0874	1.1786
   4	4	12			0.2765
   5	5	10			0.0255
   6	6	10	0.1490	8.9400	0.1257
   7	7	11	0.1086	6.5134	3.0904
   8	\(\geqslant 8\)	5	0.1440	8.6414
   9

   \captionsetup{labelformat=empty} \caption{Fig. 3.2}
   \end{table}
2. Determine the missing values in each of the following cells, giving your answers correct to 4 decimal places.
   Carry out the hypothesis test at the 5\% significance level.
3. Jane also carries out a \(\chi ^ { 2 }\) test for the number of wasps leaving another nest. As part of her calculations, she finds that the probability of no wasps leaving the nest in a 5 -second period is 0.0053 . She finds that a Poisson distribution is also an appropriate model in this case. Find a suitable estimate for the value of the mean number of wasps leaving the nest per 5-second period.

4 Eve lives in a narrow lane in the country. She wonders whether the number of vehicles passing her house per minute can be modelled by a Poisson distribution with mean \(\mu\). She counts the number of vehicles passing her house over 100 randomly selected one-minute intervals. The results are shown in Table 4.1. \begin{table}[h] \end{table}

1. Use the results to find an estimate for \(\mu\). The spreadsheet in Fig. 4.2 shows data for a \(\chi ^ { 2 }\) test to assess the goodness of fit of a Poisson model. The sample mean from part (a) has been used as an estimate for the population mean. Some of the values in the spreadsheet have been deliberately omitted. \begin{table}[h]
   \captionsetup{labelformat=empty} \caption{Fig. 4.2}

   \multirow[b]{2}{*}{1}	A	B	C	D	E
   	Number of vehicles	Observed frequency	Poisson probability	Expected frequency	Chi-squared contribution
   2	0	36	0.2725	27.2532	2.8073
   3	1	33	0.3543	35.4291
   4	2	14			3.5400
   5	\(\geqslant 3\)	17			0.5145
   6

   \end{table}
2. Calculate the missing values in each of the following cells, giving your answers correct to 4 decimal places.
   Carry out the \(\chi ^ { 2 }\) test at the 5\% significance level.
3. Eve checks her data and notices that the two largest numbers of vehicles per minute (8 and 10) occurred when some horses were being ridden along the lane, causing delays to the vehicles. She therefore repeats the analysis, missing out these two items of data. She finds that the value of the \(\chi ^ { 2 }\) test statistic is now 4.748. The number of degrees of freedom of the test is unchanged. Make two comments about this revised test.

5 Over a long period of time, it is found that the mean number of mistakes made by a certain player when playing a particular piece of music is 5 . The number of mistakes that the player makes when playing the piece is denoted by the random variable \(Y\).

1. State two assumptions necessary for \(Y\) to be modelled by a Poisson distribution. For the remainder of this question you may assume that \(Y\) can be modelled by a Poisson distribution.
2. 1. Find the probability that the player makes exactly 3 mistakes when playing the piece.
   2. Find the probability that the player makes fewer than 3 mistakes when playing the piece.
   3. Find the probability that the player makes fewer than 6 mistakes in total when playing the piece twice, assuming that the performances are independent. In a recording studio, the player plays the piece once in the morning and once in the afternoon each day for one week (7 days). It can be assumed that all the performances are independent of each other. The performances are recorded onto two CDs, one for each of two critics, A and B, to review. The critics are interested in the total number of mistakes made by the player per day. Unfortunately, there is a recording error in one of the CDs; on this CD, every piece that is supposed to be an afternoon recording is in fact just a repeat of that morning's recording. The random variables \(M _ { 1 }\) and \(M _ { 2 }\) represent the total number of mistakes per day for the correctly recorded CD and for the wrongly recorded CD respectively.
3. By considering the values of \(\mathrm { E } \left( M _ { 1 } \right)\) and \(\mathrm { E } \left( M _ { 2 } \right)\) explain why it is not possible to use the mean number of mistakes per day on the CDs to determine which critic received the wrongly recorded CD. Each critic counts the total number of mistakes made per day, for each of the 7 days of recordings on their CD. Summary data for this is given below. Critic A: \(\quad n = 7 , \quad \sum x _ { A } = 70 , \quad \sum x _ { A } ^ { 2 } = 812\) Critic B: \(\quad \mathrm { n } = 7 , \sum \mathrm { x } _ { \mathrm { B } } = 72 , \sum \mathrm { x } _ { \mathrm { B } } ^ { 2 } = 800\)
4. By considering the values of \(\operatorname { Var } \left( M _ { 1 } \right)\) and \(\operatorname { Var } \left( M _ { 2 } \right)\) determine which critic is likely to have received the wrongly recorded CD.

2 On computer monitor screens there are often one or more tiny dots which are permanently dark and do not display any of the image. Such dots are known as 'dead pixels'. Dead pixels occur on screens randomly and independently of each other. A company manufactures three types of monitor, Types A, B and C. For a monitor of Type A, the screen has a total of 2304000 pixels. For this type of monitor, the probability of a randomly chosen pixel being dead is 1 in 500000 . Let \(X\) represent the number of dead pixels on a monitor screen of this type.

1. Explain why you could use either a binomial distribution or a Poisson distribution to model the distribution of \(X\).
2. Use a Poisson distribution to calculate estimates of each of the following probabilities.
   For a monitor of Type B, the probability of a randomly chosen pixel being dead is also 1 in 500 000. The screen of a monitor of Type B has a total of \(n\) pixels. Use a binomial distribution to find the least value of \(n\) for which the probability of finding at least 1 dead pixel is greater than 0.99 . Give your answer in millions correct to 3 significant figures. For a monitor of Type C, the number of dead pixels on the screen is modelled by a Poisson distribution with mean \(\lambda\).
3. Given that the probability of finding at least one dead pixel is 0.8 , find \(\lambda\).

5 Biological cell membranes have receptor molecules which perform various functions. It is known that the number of receptor molecules of a particular type can be modelled by a Poisson distribution with mean 6 per area of 1 square unit.

1. 1. Determine the probability that there are at least 10 of these receptor molecules in an area of 1 square unit.
   2. Determine the probability that there are fewer than 50 of these receptor molecules in an area of 10 square units.
2. A scientist is looking at areas of 1 square unit of cell membrane in order to find one which has at least 10 receptor molecules. Find the probability that she has to look at more than 20 to find such an area. It is known that the number of receptor molecules of another type in an area of 1 square unit can be modelled by the random variable \(X\) which has a Poisson distribution with mean \(\mu\). It is given that \(\mathrm { E } \left( X ^ { 2 } \right) = 12\).
3. Determine \(\mathrm { P } ( X < 5 )\).

2 A special railway coach detects faults in the railway track before they become dangerous.

1. Write down the conditions required for the numbers of faults in the track to be modelled by a Poisson distribution. You should now assume that these conditions do apply, and that the mean number of faults in a 5 km length of track is 1.6 .
2. Find the probability that there are at least 2 faults in a randomly chosen 5 km length of track.
3. Find the probability that there are at most 10 faults in a randomly chosen 25 km length of track.
4. On a particular day the coach is used to check 10 randomly chosen 1 km lengths of track. Find the probability that exactly 1 fault, in total, is found.

1 A website simulates the outcome of throwing four fair dice. Ten thousand people take part in a challenge using the website in which they have one attempt at getting four sixes in the four throws of the dice. The number of people who succeed in getting four sixes is denoted by the random variable \(X\).

1. Show that, for each person, the probability that the person gets four sixes is equal to \(\frac { 1 } { 1296 }\).
2. Explain why you could use either a binomial distribution or a Poisson distribution to model the distribution of \(X\).
3. Use a Poisson distribution to calculate each of the following probabilities.
   Determine the probability that no more than 2 people succeed in getting four sixes at least once in their 20 attempts.