Same variable, two observations

Questions where two independent observations are taken from the same normal distribution (same mean and standard deviation) and we find the probability their difference exceeds a threshold.

9 questions · Standard +0.6

5.04b Linear combinations: of normal distributions
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CAIE S2 2023 June Q5
11 marks Standard +0.3
5
  1. Two random variables \(X\) and \(Y\) have the independent distributions \(\mathrm { N } ( 7,3 )\) and \(\mathrm { N } ( 6,2 )\) respectively. A random value of each variable is taken. Find the probability that the two values differ by more than 2 .
  2. Each candidate's overall score in a science test is calculated as follows. The mark for theory is denoted by \(T\), the mark for practical is denoted by \(P\), and the overall score is given by \(T + 1.5 P\). The variables \(T\) and \(P\) are assumed to be independent with distributions \(\mathrm { N } ( 62,158 )\) and \(\mathrm { N } ( 42,108 )\) respectively. You should assume that no continuity corrections are needed when using these distributions.
    1. A pass is awarded to candidates whose overall score is at least 90 . Find the proportion of candidates who pass.
    2. Comment on the assumption that the variables \(T\) and \(P\) are independent.
CAIE S2 2022 March Q5
9 marks Standard +0.3
5 The heights of buildings in a large city are normally distributed with mean 18.3 m and standard deviation 2.5 m .
  1. Find the probability that the total height of 5 randomly chosen buildings in the city is more than 95 m .
  2. Find the probability that the difference between the heights of two randomly chosen buildings in the city is less than 1 m .
CAIE S2 2016 June Q5
9 marks Standard +0.8
5 The thickness of books in a large library is normally distributed with mean 2.4 cm and standard deviation 0.3 cm .
  1. Find the probability that the total thickness of 6 randomly chosen books is more than 16 cm .
  2. Find the probability that the thickness of a book chosen at random is less than 1.1 times the thickness of a second book chosen at random.
CAIE S2 2011 June Q5
11 marks Standard +0.3
5 Cans of drink are packed in boxes, each containing 4 cans. The weights of these cans are normally distributed with mean 510 g and standard deviation 14 g . The weights of the boxes, when empty, are independently normally distributed with mean 200 g and standard deviation 8 g .
  1. Find the probability that the total weight of a full box of cans is between 2200 g and 2300 g .
  2. Two cans of drink are chosen at random. Find the probability that they differ in weight by more than 20 g .
CAIE S2 2012 November Q4
7 marks Challenging +1.8
4 The masses of a certain variety of potato are normally distributed with mean 180 g and variance \(1550 \mathrm {~g} ^ { 2 }\). Two potatoes of this variety are chosen at random. Find the probability that the mass of one of these potatoes is at least twice the mass of the other.
Edexcel S3 2021 October Q7
17 marks Standard +0.3
  1. A company produces bricks.
The weight of a brick, \(B \mathrm {~kg}\), is such that \(B \sim \mathrm {~N} \left( 1.96 , \sqrt { 0.003 } ^ { 2 } \right)\) Two bricks are chosen at random.
  1. Find the probability that the difference in weight of the 2 bricks is greater than 0.1 kg A random sample of \(n\) bricks is to be taken.
  2. Find the minimum sample size such that the probability of the sample mean being greater than 2 is less than 1\% The bricks are randomly selected and stacked on pallets.
    The weight of an empty pallet, \(E \mathrm {~kg}\), is such that \(E \sim \mathrm {~N} \left( 21.8 , \sqrt { 0.6 } ^ { 2 } \right)\) The random variable \(M\) represents the total weight of a pallet stacked with 500 bricks. The random variable \(T\) represents the total weight of a container of cement.
    Given that \(T\) is independent of \(M\) and that \(T \sim \mathrm {~N} \left( 774 , \sqrt { 1.8 } ^ { 2 } \right)\)
  3. calculate \(\mathrm { P } ( 4 T > 100 + 3 M )\)
Edexcel S3 2013 June Q8
17 marks Standard +0.8
8. A farmer supplies both duck eggs and chicken eggs. The weights of duck eggs, \(D\) grams, and chicken eggs, \(C\) grams, are such that $$D \sim \mathrm {~N} \left( 54,1.2 ^ { 2 } \right) \text { and } C \sim \mathrm {~N} \left( 44,0.8 ^ { 2 } \right)$$
  1. Find the probability that the weights of 2 randomly selected duck eggs will differ by more than 3 g .
  2. Find the probability that the weight of a randomly selected chicken egg is less than \(\frac { 4 } { 5 }\) of the weight of a randomly selected duck egg. Eggs are packed in boxes which contain either 6 randomly selected duck eggs or 6 randomly selected chicken eggs. The weight of an empty box has distribution \(\mathrm { N } \left( 28 , \sqrt { 5 } ^ { 2 } \right)\).
  3. Find the probability that a full box of duck eggs weighs at least 50 g more than a full box of chicken eggs.
Edexcel S3 2005 June Q7
19 marks Standard +0.3
A manufacturer produces two flavours of soft drink, cola and lemonade. The weights, \(C\) and \(L\), in grams, of randomly selected cola and lemonade cans are such that \(C \sim \text{N}(350, 8)\) and \(L \sim \text{N}(345, 17)\).
  1. Find the probability that the weights of two randomly selected cans of cola will differ by more than 6 g. [6]
One can of each flavour is selected at random.
  1. Find the probability that the can of cola weighs more than the can of lemonade. [6]
Cans are delivered to shops in boxes of 24 cans. The weights of empty boxes are normally distributed with mean 100 g and standard deviation 2 g.
  1. Find the probability that a full box of cola cans weighs between 8.51 kg and 8.52 kg. [6]
  2. State an assumption you made in your calculation in part (c). [1]
(Total 19 marks)
Edexcel S3 2016 June Q4
Standard +0.3
The weights of eggs are normally distributed with mean 60g and standard deviation 5g Sairah chooses 2 eggs at random.
  1. Find the probability that the difference in weight of these 2 eggs is more than 2g (5) Sairah is packing eggs into cartons. The weight of an empty egg carton is normally distributed with mean 40g and standard deviation 1.5g
  2. Find the distribution of the total weight of a carton filled with 12 randomly chosen eggs. (3)
  3. Find the probability that a randomly chosen carton, filled with 12 randomly chosen eggs, weighs more than 800g (2)