EASY
AS and A Level
IMPORTANT
Earn 100

A picnic basket contains five jars: one of marmalade, two of peanut butter and two of jam. A boy removes one jar at random from the basket and then his sister takes two jars, both selected at random.

Draw up the probability distribution table for J, the number of jars of jam selected by the sister, and show that EJ=0.8.

Important Questions on Probability Distributions

EASY
AS and A Level
IMPORTANT

Two ordinary fair dice are rolled. The product and the sum of the two numbers obtained are calculated. The score awarded, S, is equal to the absolute (i.e. non-negative) difference between the product and the sum.
For example, if 5 and 3 are rolled, then S=5×3-5+3=7.

State the value of S when 1 and 4 are rolled.

EASY
AS and A Level
IMPORTANT

Two ordinary fair dice are rolled. The product and the sum of the two numbers obtained are calculated. The score awarded, S, is equal to the absolute (i.e. non-negative) difference between the product and the sum.
For example, if 5 and 3 are rolled, then S=5×3-5+3=7.

Draw up a table showing the probability distribution for the 14 possible values of S, and use it to calculate E(S).

EASY
AS and A Level
IMPORTANT

A fair triangular spinner has sides labelled 0,1 and 2, and another fair triangular spinner has sides labelled -1,0 and 1. The score, X, is equal to the sum of the squares of the two numbers on which the spinners come to rest.

List the five possible values of X.

EASY
AS and A Level
IMPORTANT

A fair triangular spinner has sides labelled 0,1 and 2, and another fair triangular spinner has sides labelled -1,0 and 1. The score, X, is equal to the sum of the squares of the two numbers on which the spinners come to rest.

Draw up the probability distribution table for X.

EASY
AS and A Level
IMPORTANT

A fair triangular spinner has sides labelled 0,1 and 2, and another fair triangular spinner has sides labelled -1,0 and 1. The score, X, is equal to the sum of the squares of the two numbers on which the spinners come to rest.

Given that X<4, find the probability that a score of 1 is obtained with at least one of the spinners.

EASY
AS and A Level
IMPORTANT

A fair triangular spinner has sides labelled 0,1 and 2, and another fair triangular spinner has sides labelled -1,0 and 1. The score, X, is equal to the sum of the squares of the two numbers on which the spinners come to rest.

Find the exact value of a, such that the standard deviation of X is 1a×EX.

EASY
AS and A Level
IMPORTANT

A discrete random variable X,  where X2, 3, 4, 5, is such that PX=x=b-x230. Calculate the two possible values of b.

EASY
AS and A Level
IMPORTANT

A discrete random variable X,  where X2, 3, 4, 5, is such that PX=x=b-x230. Hence, find P(2<X<5).