Tutorial sheet #2: Random Variables and Probability Distributions

Question: #1
Tutorial Day and Time: Thursadys

Question

Sarah-Jo regularly takes a break from work to go to a nearby pharmacy to get lunch. The amount of
time Sarah-Jo waits in line to be served at the pharmacy is evenly distributed between 0 and 15
minutes.

A. What type of random variable is this? Give reasons for your answer.
B. What is the probability that Sarah-Jo does not have to wait more than 5 minutes to be
served?
C. Find the mean and variance for the distribution.

Steps in the Solution Written Explanation

The above question is a uniform random

(A). variable because the waiting time to be served
Uniform Random variable is evenly distributed over an interval.

f ( x )=¿ Our density function for a uniform distribution

where; 1
a= lower limit of interval
b= upper limit of interval
{
is f ( x )= b−a
, a ≤∧x ≤ b
0 ,∧otherwise

Where (a) is the lower limit of the interval

1
∴ f ( x )
{
= 15−0
, 0 ≤∧x ≤ 15
0 , otherwise
and (b) is the upper limit of the interval.

We can recall from the question that the

waiting time in the line to be served is over a 15
minutes period therefore b=15 and a=0. Our
density function would now become f ( x ) equal
P (x ≤ 5) one divided by fifteen minus zero, Zero
otherwise.

Since it’s a uniform random distribution, we

know that x is uniformly distributed as well.
Therefore we want to find the probability that x
is less than or equal to five minutes, so we use
5
1 the probability density function f ( x ), formula to
(B). P (x ≤ 5) = ∫ 15 dx solve part B of the question.
0

Our highest value in the density function is

fifteen and we want to calculate that the
probability of the waiting time is less than 5
minutes, hence we will be integrating from 0 to
5, and we’ll also simplify our density function
 Tutorial sheet #2: Random Variables and Probability Distributions
Question: #1
Tutorial Day and Time: Thursadys

1 above of 1/15-0 to just 1/15, adding our dx.

= 15 . x

x 5 We now will integrate one over fifteen with

= 15 0 | respect to x, which is just one over fifteen times
x to get x /15.

x x 5
= −
15 15 0 | After which we evaluate it at 0 to 5.

5 0 We do so by writing back the function that was

= −
15 15 integrated twice subtracting them from each
other.
5
= 15
We now then substitute for when x=5 and when
x = 0 and then simplify the fraction to get 1/3
1
= 3
OR 0.3333, which represents the probability
Sarah-Jo does not have to wait more than 5
minutes to be served.
 Tutorial sheet #2: Random Variables and Probability Distributions
Question: #1
Tutorial Day and Time: Thursadys

The mean (average) of a data set is found

by adding all numbers in the data set and
then dividing by the number of values in the
set.
b+a The formula for finding the mean ( μ) of a
C. (i) μ=
2 b+a
uniform distribution is E(x) = μ = 2 .
15+0 Where we add both the upper and lower limit
= 2 of the interval and then divide it by 2. We
already know the values for a and b to be (0,15)
7.5 mins based on what was given in the question,
= therefore we can now go ahead and plug in and
simplify to get a mean of 7.5 minutes.

Variance (σ2) in statistics is a measurement

of the spread between numbers in a data set.
That is, it measures how far each number in
the set is from the mean and therefore from
(b−a)2 every other number in the set.
(ii) Var(x) =
12
To calculate the variance (σ 2) of a uniform
distribution we subtract the upper limit of the
(15−0)2 interval from the lower limit then square it, after
= 12 which we divide it by 12. Using the formula;
2 (b−a)2
(15) 2 Var(x) = σ =
= 12
12
Again we just go head and plug in the values in
255 the formula since we already know the values
= 12 for a and b, then simplify to get our answer to be
18.75 squared minutes.
= 18. 75 mins2