CHAPTER

16 THEORETICAL DISTRIBUTIONS

PAST YEAR QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

2006 - NOVEMBER

[1] Parameter is a characteristic of :

(a) Population (b) Sample
(c) Probability distribution (d) Both (a) & (b) (1 mark)
Answer:
(a) A parametre is defined as a characteristic of a population based on
all the units of the population.
Therefore, parameter is a characteristic of population.
[2] What is the probability of making 3 correct guesses in 5 True - False
answer type questions ?
(a) 0.4156 (b) 0.32
(c) 0.3125 (d) 0.5235 (1 mark)
Answer:
(c) Here, p = 0.5, q = 0.5
(Since the answer can either be True of false), n = 5, r = 3
P(x = r ) = nCr pr qn-x
P(x = 3) = 5C3 (0.5)3 (0.5)2 = 0.3125
[3] The 1.Q.’s of army volunteers in a given year are normally distributed
with Mean = 110 and Standard Deviation = 10. The army wants to give
advance training to 20% of those recruits with the highest scores. What
is the lowest 1.Q score acceptable for the advanced training? The value
of Z for the area 0.3 = 0.84.
(a) 0.84 (b) 118.4
(c) 138.4 (d) 115.4 (1 mark)
 3.120 O Solved Scanner CA Foundation Paper - 3C (New Syllabus)

Answer:
(b) Let X denote the scores acceptable for advanced training. We
assume that X is normally distributed with mean 110 and standard
deviation 10 respectively.
The value of X for the area (0.5 – 0.2) = 0.3 is 0.84 (As given)
Let the lowest score acceptable be X0
 P (X<X0) = 0.84
P < = (0.3)

P = (0.3)

= (0.3)

X0 = 118.4

2007 - FEBRUARY

[4] The number of calls arriving at an internal switch board of an office is 96

per hour. Find the probability that there will be:
(i) not more than 3 calls on the board, per minute.
(ii) at least three calls in a minute on the board. [Given : e1.6 = 0.2019]
(a) 0.08 and 0.92 respectively (b) 0.19 and 0.92 respectively
(c) 0.92 and 0.13 respectively (d) 0.92 & 0.08 respectively
(1 mark)
 [Chapter  16] Theoretical Distributions O 3.121

Answer:
(d) Let X be the no. of calls on board. Therefore, no. of calls per hour.
i.e. m = = 1.6
(i) P(X < 3) = P(X = 0) + P(X = 1) + P(X = 2) + P(X = 3)
= + + +

= e1.6
= 0.2019 × 4.56
= 0.920
(ii) P(X  3)
= 1 – [P(X = 0) + P(X = 1) + P(X = 2) + P(X = 3)
= 1 – 0.92 (from (i))
= 0.08
[5] For a normal distribution with mean 150 and S.D. 45; find Q1 and Q3 :
(a) 119.35 and 190.65 respectively
(b) 119.65 and 180.35 respectively
(c) 180.35 and 119.65 respectively
(d) 123.45 and 183.65 respectively (1 mark)
Answer:
(b) Quartiles for Normal Distribution are given by;
Q1 = u – 0.6745 σ
Q3 = u + 0.6745 σ
 Q1 = 150 – 0.6745 × 45 = 119.65
Q3 = 150 + 0.6745 × 45 = 180.35
[6] The probability density function of a normal variable x is given by :

(a) f(x) = for

0<x<
 3.122 O Solved Scanner CA Foundation Paper - 3C (New Syllabus)

(b) f (x) = for

–<x<

(c) f (x) = for

–<x<
(d) None of these (1 mark)
Answer:

(c) f(x) .C – for -< x < 

Where m is the mean, σ is the standard deviation, N = or 3.1416

and
e = 2.71828 respectively.

2007 - MAY

[7] The Interval ( μ – 3δ, μ + 3δ) covers:

(a) 95% area of normal distribution
(b) 96% area of normal distribution
(c) 99% area of normal distribution
(d) All but 0.27% area of a normal distribution (1 mark)
Answer:
(d) 99.73 percent of the values of a normal variable lies between (µ –
3σ) and (µ + 3σ). Thus, the probability that a value of x lies outside
that limit is as low as, 0.0027. Hence, the interval (µ – 3σ, μ + 3σ)
covers all but 0.27% area of a normal distribution.
 [Chapter  16] Theoretical Distributions O 3.123

[8] The overall percentage of failure in a certain examination is 0.30. What

is the probability that out of a group of 6 candidates at least 4 passed the
examination ?
(a) 0.74 (b) 0.71
(c) 0.59 (d) 0.67 (1 mark)
Answer:
(a) Let þ = probability of success and q = probability of failure
p = 0.70 , q = 0.30
Probability that atleast 4 candidates passed the examination
i.e. p (x4)
= 6C4 (0.7)4 (0.3)2 + 6C5 (0.7)5(0.3)1 + 6C6(0.7)6 (0.3)0
= 0.74
[9] A manufacturer, who produces medicine bottles, finds that 0.1% of the
bottles are defective. The bottles are packed in boxes containing 500
bottles. A drug manufacturer buys 100 boxes from the producer of
bottles. Using Poisson distribution, find how many boxes will contains
at least two defectives :
[Given: e0.5 = 0.6065]
(a) 7 (b) 13
(c) 9 (d) 11 (1 mark)
Answer:
(c) Given : n = 500 and p = = 0.001
This implies m = np = 500 × 0.001 = 0.5
P (x  2) = 1 – P(x < 2)
= 1 – [P(x = 0) + P( x = 1)]
=1–

= 1 – [0.6065 + 0.5 × 0.6065] ( Given e-0.5 = 0.6065)

= 1 – 0.9097
= 0.0902
 3.124 O Solved Scanner CA Foundation Paper - 3C (New Syllabus)

Hence, the approx. number of boxes containing atleast 2 defective

bottles.
= 100 × P( x  2)
= 100 × 0.0902
= 9, approx.

2007 - AUGUST

[10] The number of methods of fitting the normal curve is :

(a) 4 (b) 3
(c) 2 (d) 1 (1 mark)
Answer:
(c) There are 2 methods of fitting the normal curve.
1. Ordinate method
2. Area method
[11] Suppose that weather records show that on an average 5 out of 31
days in October are rainy days. Assuming a binomial distribution with
each day of October as an independent trial, then the probability that
the next October will have at most three rainy days is :
(a) 0.4403 (b) 0.2403
(c) 0.3403 (d) None (1 mark)
Answer:
(b) þ = Probability of a rainy day in October : P = 5/31
q = Probability of a non- rainy day in October
 q = 1– P
 q = 1–
n = 31 (Number of days in October)
P (x) = 31Cr
 [Chapter  16] Theoretical Distributions O 3.125

Required Probability
= P (0) + P (1) + P (2) + P (3)
31
= C0 + 31C1 × + 31C2 + 31C3

1× - 31 × × + 31C2 + 31C3
= 0.2403
[12] If 5% of the families in Kolkata do not use gas as a fuel, what will be
the probability of selecting 10 families in a random sample of 100
families who do not use gas as fuel?
[Given : e-5 = 0.0067]
(a) 0.038 (b) 0.028
(c) 0.048 (d) 0.018 (1 mark)
Answer:
(d) Given, P = 0.05 (families who do not use gas as fuel)
No. of families in the random sample n = 100
 m = np = 100 × 0.05 = 5
Thus, Probability of selecting 10 families in the random sample.
P (X=10) = (Given e-5 = 0.0067)

= = 0.018
[13] If the 1st quartile and Mean Deviation about median of a normal
distribution are 13.25 and 8 respectively, then the mode of the
distribution is:
(a) 20 (b) 10
(c) 15 (d) 23 (1 mark)
 3.126 O Solved Scanner CA Foundation Paper - 3C (New Syllabus)

Answer:
(a) 1st Quartile and M.D. a normal distribution are given as
Q1 = µ – 0.675 σ
M.D. = 0.8 σ
 µ – 0.675 σ = 13.25
0.8 σ = 8, σ = 10
 µ = 20
Mode = µ = 20

2007 - NOVEMBER

[14] If 15 dates are selected at random, then the probability of getting two
sundays is:
(a) 0.29
(b) 0.99
(c) 0.49
(d) 0.39 (1 mark)
Answer:
(a) Let þ = probability of getting a Sunday in a week
P= and q = 1 – P =
required probability
P(2) = 15C2 = 0.288  0.29
[15] If X is a Poisson variate with P (X = 0) = P (X = 1), then P (X = 2) = :
(a) (b)

(c) (d) (1 mark)

 [Chapter  16] Theoretical Distributions O 3.127

Answer:
(c) We have,
P (X = 0) = P(X = 1)
= m=1

 P(X = 2) = = =
[16] A sample of 100 dry battery cells tested to find the length of life
produced the following results : = 12 hours, σ = 3 hours. What
percentage of battery cells are expected to have life less than 6 hours?
[Area under the normal curve from z = 0 to z = 2 is 0.4772]
(a) 2.28%
(b) 2.56%
(c) 4.56%
(d) 1.93% (1 mark)
Answer:
(a) Let X denote the length of life in hours. We assume that X is
normally distributed with mean of life as 12 hour and standard
deviations as 3 hours respectively
Probability of battery cells expected to have life less than 6 hours.
= P(X< 6)
=P <
= P (Z < – 2 )
=  (– 2 )
= 1 – (2)
= 1 – 0.9772
= 0.0228 [Given z = 0 to z = 2 is 0.4772  (2) = 0.5 + 0.4772 =
0.9772]
Hence the percentage of cells expected to have life than 6 hours
= 0.228 × 100 = 2.28 %