Geometric applications

Questions where a uniform variable represents a length, and probabilities about areas, perimeters, or other geometric quantities must be found.

8 questions

Edexcel S2 2022 January Q7
7 The sides of a square are each of length \(L \mathrm {~cm}\) and its area is \(A \mathrm {~cm} ^ { 2 }\) Given that \(A\) is uniformly distributed on the interval [10,30]
  1. find \(\mathrm { P } ( L \geqslant 4.5 )\)
  2. find \(\operatorname { Var } ( L )\)
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Edexcel S2 2017 October Q4
4. In a computer game, a ship appears randomly on a rectangular screen. The continuous random variable \(X \mathrm {~cm}\) is the distance of the centre of the ship from the bottom of the screen. The random variable \(X\) is uniformly distributed over the interval \([ 0 , \alpha ]\) where \(\alpha \mathrm { cm }\) is the height of the screen. Given that \(\mathrm { P } ( X > 6 ) = 0.6\)
  1. find the value of \(\alpha\)
  2. find \(\mathrm { P } ( 4 < X < 10 )\) The continuous random variable \(Y\) cm is the distance of the centre of the ship from the left-hand side of the screen. The random variable \(Y\) is uniformly distributed over the interval [ 0,20 ] where 20 cm is the width of the screen.
  3. Find the mean and the standard deviation of \(Y\).
  4. Find \(\mathrm { P } ( | Y - 4 | < 2 )\)
  5. Given that \(X\) and \(Y\) are independent, find the probability that the centre of the ship appears
    1. in a square of side 4 cm which is at the centre of the screen,
    2. within 5 cm of a side or the top or the bottom of the screen.
Edexcel S2 Specimen Q3
  1. A rectangle has a perimeter of 20 cm . The length, \(X \mathrm {~cm}\), of one side of this rectangle is uniformly distributed between 1 cm and 7 cm .
Find the probability that the length of the longer side of the rectangle is more than 6 cm long.
Edexcel S2 2006 June Q1
  1. Before introducing a new rule the secretary of a golf club decided to find out how members might react to this rule.
    1. Explain why the secretary decided to take a random sample of club members rather than ask all the members.
    2. Suggest a suitable sampling frame.
    3. Identify the sampling units.
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    4. The continuous random variable \(L\) represents the error, in mm , made when a machine cuts rods to a target length. The distribution of \(L\) is continuous uniform over the interval [-4.0, 4.0].
    Find
  2. \(\mathrm { P } ( L < - 2.6 )\),
  3. \(\mathrm { P } ( L < - 3.0\) or \(L > 3.0 )\). A random sample of 20 rods cut by the machine was checked.
  4. Find the probability that more than half of them were within 3.0 mm of the target length.
Edexcel S2 2010 June Q3
3. A rectangle has a perimeter of 20 cm . The length, \(X \mathrm {~cm}\), of one side of this rectangle is uniformly distributed between 1 cm and 7 cm . Find the probability that the length of the longer side of the rectangle is more than 6 cm long.
Edexcel S4 2006 June Q6
6. \begin{figure}[h]
\captionsetup{labelformat=empty} \caption{Figure 1} \includegraphics[alt={},max width=\textwidth]{f7137ba8-5526-4107-bccd-047de235d7d1-5_392_407_281_852}
\end{figure} Figure 1 shows a square of side \(t\) and area \(t ^ { 2 }\) which lies in the first quadrant with one vertex at the origin. A point \(P\) with coordinates ( \(X , Y\) ) is selected at random inside the square and the coordinates are used to estimate \(t ^ { 2 }\). It is assumed that \(X\) and \(Y\) are independent random variables each having a continuous uniform distribution over the interval \([ 0 , t ]\).
[0pt] [You may assume that \(\mathrm { E } \left( X ^ { n } Y ^ { n } \right) = \mathrm { E } \left( X ^ { n } \right) \mathrm { E } \left( Y ^ { n } \right)\), where \(n\) is a positive integer.]
  1. Use integration to show that \(\mathrm { E } \left( X ^ { n } \right) = \frac { t ^ { n } } { n + 1 }\). The random variable \(S = k X Y\), where \(k\) is a constant, is an unbiased estimator for \(t ^ { 2 }\).
  2. Find the value of \(k\).
  3. Show that \(\operatorname { Var } S = \frac { 7 t ^ { 4 } } { 9 }\). The random variable \(U = q \left( X ^ { 2 } + Y ^ { 2 } \right)\), where \(q\) is a constant, is also an unbiased estimator for \(t ^ { 2 }\).
  4. Show that the value of \(q = \frac { 3 } { 2 }\).
  5. Find Var \(U\).
  6. State, giving a reason, which of \(S\) and \(U\) is the better estimator of \(t ^ { 2 }\). The point \(( 2,3 )\) is selected from inside the square.
  7. Use the estimator chosen in part (f) to find an estimate for the area of the square.
WJEC Unit 4 2024 June Q2
2. The smallest angle \(\theta\), in degrees, of a right-angled triangle with hypotenuse 8 cm , is uniformly distributed across all possible values.
\includegraphics[max width=\textwidth, alt={}, center]{8f47b2ff-f954-42ec-8ecc-fc64313a7b89-04_419_696_479_687}
  1. Find the mean and standard deviation of \(\theta\).
  2. The shortest side of the triangle is of length \(X \mathrm {~cm}\). Find the probability that \(X\) is greater than 5 .
Edexcel FS2 2020 June Q8
8 A circle, centre \(O\), has radius \(x \mathrm {~cm}\), where \(x\) is an observation from the random variable \(X\) which has a rectangular distribution on \([ 0 , \pi ]\)
  1. Find the probability that the area of the circle is greater than \(10 \mathrm {~cm} ^ { 2 }\)
  2. State, giving a reason, whether the median area of the circle is greater or less than \(10 \mathrm {~cm} ^ { 2 }\) The triangle \(O A B\) is drawn inside the circle with \(O A\) and \(O B\) as radii of length \(x \mathrm {~cm}\) and angle \(A O B x\) radians.
  3. Use algebraic integration to find the expected value of the area of triangle \(O A B\). Give your answer as an exact value.