S1 Supporting Material 4

IAL UPDATES
Chapter 6 (Discrete Random Variable)
➢ Solving Equations
1. A discrete random variable 𝑋 has the probability distribution given in the table below. [Jan 14]
where 𝑎 and 𝑏 are constants.
𝑋 −1 0 1 2 3
9
Given 𝐸(𝑋) = 1 1 3
5
𝑃 (𝑋 = 𝑥) 𝑎 𝑏
10 5 10
(a) (i) find two simultaneous equations for 𝑎 and b,
1
(ii) show that 𝑎 = 20 and find the value of b.

(b) Specify the cumulative distribution function 𝐹(𝑋)for 𝑥 = −1, 0, 1, 2 and 3

(c) Find 𝑃(𝑋 < 2.5).
(d) Find Var(3 − 2𝑋)
➢ Replacing variables
2. The discrete random variable 𝑋 has the following probability distribution [May 14]
𝑥 −2 0 2 4
𝑃(𝑋 = 𝑥) 𝑎 𝑏 𝑎 𝑐
where 𝑎, 𝑏 and 𝑐 are probabilities.
Given that 𝐸(𝑋) = 0.8
(a) find the value of 𝑐.
Given also that 𝐸(𝑋 2 ) = 5 find
(b) the value of 𝑎 and the value of 𝑏,
(c) Var(𝑋)
The random variable 𝑌 = 5 − 3𝑋
Find
(d) 𝐸(𝑌) 𝑒) Var (𝑌) 𝑓) (𝑌 ≥ 0)
3. The random variable 𝑋 has a discrete uniform distribution and takes the values 1, 2, 3, 4 . Find
(a) 𝐹(3), where 𝐹(𝑥) is the cumulative distribution function of 𝑋.
5
(b) 𝐸(𝑋) and Show that 𝑉a𝑟(𝑋) = 4

The random variable 𝑌 has a discrete uniform distribution and takes the values
3, 3 + 𝑘, 3 + 2𝑘, 3 + 3𝑘
where 𝑘 is a constant.
(c) Write down 𝑃(𝑌 = 𝑦) for 𝑦 = 3, 3 + 𝑘, 3 + 2𝑘, 3 + 3𝑘
The relationship between 𝑋 and 𝑌 may be written in the form 𝑌 = 𝑘𝑋 + 𝑐 where 𝑐 is a constant.
(d) Find 𝑉𝑎𝑟(𝑌) in terms of 𝑘.
(e) Express 𝑐 terms of 𝑘.
➢ Introducing events and finding probability
4. A biased tetrahedral die has faces numbered 0, 1, 2 and 3. The die is rolled and the number face down on the die,
𝑋, is recorded. The probability distribution of 𝑋 𝑖𝑠
𝑥 0 1 2 3
1 1 1 1
𝑃(𝑋 = 𝑥)
6 6 6 2
If 𝑋 = 3 then the final score is 3
If 𝑋 ≠ 3 then the die is rolled again and the final score is the sum of the two numbers.
The random variable 𝑇 is the final score.
(a) Find 𝑃(𝑇 = 2)
(b) Find 𝑃(𝑇 = 3)
(c) Given that the die is rolled twice, find the probability that the final score is 3
5. In a quiz, a team gains 10 points for every question it answers correctly and loses 5 points for every question it
answers wrong. The probability of answering a question correctly is 0.6 for each question. One round of quiz
consists of 3 questions.

The discrete random variable 𝑋 represents the total number of points scored in one round. The table shows the
incomplete probability distribution of 𝑋

𝑥 30 15 0 −15

𝑃(𝑋 = 𝑥) 0.216 0.064

a) Show that the probability of scoring 15 points is 0.432

b) Find the probability of scoring 0 points in a round
c) Find the probability of scoring a total of 30 points in two rounds
d) Find 𝐸(𝑋) and 𝑉𝑎𝑟(𝑋)
In a bonus round of 3 questions, a team gains 20 points for every question it answers correctly and loses 5 points if
it does not answer correctly
e) Find the expected number of points scored in the bonus round
6. The discrete random variable 𝑋 has the following probability distribution, where 𝑝 and 𝑞 are constants
[May 16 GCE]
1 3
𝑥 −2 −1 2
2 2

𝑃(𝑋 = 𝑥) 𝑝 𝑞 0.2 0.3 𝑝

a) Write down an equation in 𝑝 and 𝑞

Given that 𝐸(𝑋) = 0.4
b) Find the value of 𝑝 and 𝑞
Given also that 𝐸(𝑋 2 ) = 2.275
c) Find 𝑉𝑎𝑟(𝑋)
Sarah and Rebecca play a game. A computer selects a single value of 𝑋 using the probability distribution above
1
Sarah’s score is given by the random variable 𝑆 = 𝑋 and Rebecca’s score is given by the random variable 𝑅 = 𝑋

d) Find the probability that i) Sarah is the winner ii) Rebecca is the winner
➢ Comparing Two Probability distribution Tables or two observations

7. In a game the number of points scored by a player in the first round is given by the random variable 𝑋 with
probability distribution
𝑥 5 6 7 8

𝑃(𝑋 = 𝑥) 0.13 0.21 0.29 0.37

Find a) 𝐸(𝑋) b) 𝑉𝑎𝑟(𝑋) c) 𝑉𝑎𝑟(3 − 2𝑋)

The number of points scored by the a player in the second round is given by the random variable 𝑌 and is
independent of the number of points scored in the first round
The random variable 𝑌 has probability function
1
𝑃(𝑌 = 𝑦) = 4 for 𝑦 = 5, 6, 7, 8

d) Write down the value of 𝐸(𝑌)

e) Find 𝑃(𝑋 = 𝑌)
f) Find the probability that the number of points scored by a player in the first round is greater than the number
of points scored by the player in the second round{The question could also be asked as Find 𝑷(𝑿 > 𝑌) }
8. The discrete random variable 𝑋 has probability function 𝑝(𝑥) and cumulative distributions functions 𝐹(𝑥) given
in the table below. [Jan 15]
𝑥 1 2 3 4 5
𝑝(𝑥) 0.10 𝑎 0.28 𝑐 0.24
𝐹(𝑥) 0.10 0.26 𝑏 0.76 𝑑

(a) Write down the value of 𝑑

(b) Find the value of 𝑎, 𝑏 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑐
(c) Write down the value of 𝑃(𝑋 > 4)
Two independent observations, 𝑋1 and 𝑋2 , are taken from the distribution of 𝑋,
(d) Find the probability that 𝑋1 and 𝑋2 are both odd.
Given that 𝑋1 and 𝑋2 are both odd.
(e) find the probability that the sum of 𝑋1 and 𝑋2 is 6
Give your answer to 3 significant figures.
9. A fair blue die has faces numbered 1, 1, 3, 3, 5 and 5. The random variable 𝐵 represents the score when the blue
die is rolled.
(a) Write down the probability distribution for 𝐵.
(b) State the name of this probability distribution
(c) Write down the value of 𝐸(𝐵).
 A second die is red and the random variable 𝑅 represents the score when the red die is rolled.
The probability distribution of 𝑅 is
𝑟 2 4 6
𝑃(𝑅 = 𝑟) 2 1 1
3 6 6
(d) Find 𝐸(𝑅)
(e) Find 𝑉𝑎𝑟(𝑅).
Tom invites Avisha to play a game with these dice.
Tom spins a fair coin with one side labeled 2 and the other side labeled 5. When Avisha sees the number showing
on the coin she then choose one of the dice and rolls it. If the number showing on the die is greater than the
number showing on the coin, Avisha wins, otherwise Tom wins.
Avisha choose the die which gives her the best chance of winning each time Tom spins the coin.

(f) Find the probability that Avisha wins the game, stating clearly which die she should use in each case.
➢ Understanding new Notations
10. The score S when a spinner is spun has the following probability distribution. [May 13 R]
𝑠 0 1 2 4 5

𝑃(𝑆 = 𝑠) 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.3 0.2

a) Find 𝐸(𝑆)
b) Show that 𝐸(𝑆 2 ) = 10.4
c) Hence find 𝑉𝑎𝑟(𝑆)
d) Find i) 𝐸(5𝑆 − 3) ii) 𝑉𝑎𝑟(5𝑆 − 3)
e) Find 𝑃(5𝑆 − 3 > 𝑆 + 3)
The spinner is spun twice. The score from the first spin is S1 and the score from the second spin is S2. The
random variable 𝑆1 and 𝑆2 are independent and the random variable 𝑋 = 𝑆1 × 𝑆2
f) Show that 𝑃({𝑆1 = 1} ∩ 𝑋 < 5) = 0.16
g) Find P(𝑋 < 5)

11. A biased coin has probability 0.4 of showing a head. In an experiment, the coin is spun until a head appears. If
a head has not appeared after 4 spins, the coin is not spun again. The random variable 𝑋 represents the number
of times a coin is spun [Jan 17]

a) Construct a probability distribution table for 𝑋

b) Find 𝐸(𝑋) and 𝑉𝑎𝑟(𝑋)

The random variable 𝐻 represents the number of heads obtained when the coin is spun in the experiment

c) Explain why 𝐻 can only take the values 0 and 1 and find the probability distribution of 𝐻
d) Write down the value of
i) 𝑃({𝑋 = 3} ∩ {𝐻 = 0})
ii)𝑃({𝑋 = 4} ∩ {𝐻 = 0})

The random variable 𝑆 = 𝑋 + 𝐻

e) Find the probability distribution of 𝑆