A-level · Statistical distributions

Cumulative binomial probabilitiesExam-style questions

Finding P(X ≤ r), P(X < r), P(X ≥ r), P(X > r) and P(a ≤ X ≤ b) for a binomial distribution by building everything from the cumulative function P(X ≤ r) (binomcdf), with care over the off-by-one when an inequality is strict or "at least". Includes the complement for "≥" and "two-stage" problems where the success of one binomial becomes the trial of another.

11 questions · A-level level · mark scheme and worked solution on each · no sign-up to try

DifficultyAllLevel 3Level 4Level 5
  1. 1
    A theatre has found that, over a long period, 30%30\% of the people who attend a performance buy a programme.

    A random sample of 2525 people who attend a performance is taken.

    The random variable XX represents the number of these people who buy a programme.
    (a) Using a suitable distribution for XX, find

    (i) P(X=9)\mathrm{P}(X = 9)

    (ii) P(X⩽5)\mathrm{P}(X \leqslant 5)

    (3 marks)

    The price of a programme is then increased.

    The manager of the theatre claims that the proportion of people attending a performance who buy a programme has fallen.

    After the increase, a random sample of 5050 people who attend a performance is taken and 99 of them buy a programme.
    (b) Use a suitable test to assess the manager's claim.

    You should
    • state your hypotheses clearly
    • use a 5%5\% level of significance
    (4 marks)
    Level 4 · 7 marksTry it
  2. 2
    In a certain country, 38% of people have blood group A. During one month, 1400 people give blood at a regional donor centre, and these donors may be regarded as a random sample from the population of the country. Let XX be the number of these donors who have blood group A.

    Determine the largest integer kk for which P(X⩽k)<0.01\mathrm{P}(X \leqslant k) < 0.01.

    (5 marks)
    Level 4 · 5 marksTry it