Chapter 6: Problem 9
In a binomial situation, \(n=4\) and \(\pi=.25 .\) Determine the probabilities of the following events using the binomial formula. a. \(x=2\) b. \(x=3\)
Short Answer
Expert verified
a. \( P(x=2) = 0.2109375 \), b. \( P(x=3) = 0.046875 \).
Step by step solution
01
Understand the binomial formula
The binomial probability formula is used to calculate the probability of obtaining a fixed number of successes in a certain number of trials. It is given as: \( P(x) = \binom{n}{x} \pi^x (1-\pi)^{n-x} \) where \( n \) is the number of trials, \( x \) is the number of successes, and \( \pi \) is the probability of success on a single trial.
02
Calculate probability for x=2
Substitute \( n=4 \), \( \pi=0.25 \), and \( x=2 \) into the binomial probability formula: \[ P(2) = \binom{4}{2} (0.25)^2 (0.75)^2 \]. First, calculate \( \binom{4}{2} = \frac{4!}{2!(4-2)!} = 6 \). Then, calculate \( (0.25)^2 = 0.0625 \) and \( (0.75)^2 = 0.5625 \). Multiply these results together: \( P(2) = 6 \times 0.0625 \times 0.5625 = 0.2109375 \).
03
Calculate probability for x=3
Using the same approach, substitute \( n=4 \), \( \pi=0.25 \), and \( x=3 \) into the binomial formula: \[ P(3) = \binom{4}{3} (0.25)^3 (0.75)^1 \]. Calculate \( \binom{4}{3} = \frac{4!}{3!(4-3)!} = 4 \). Then, calculate \( (0.25)^3 = 0.015625 \) and \( (0.75)^1 = 0.75 \). Multiply these results together: \( P(3) = 4 \times 0.015625 \times 0.75 = 0.046875 \).
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Probability Formula
In statistics, the binomial probability formula helps us find the likelihood of a particular outcome, like flipping a coin and getting heads a certain number of times. This formula is crucial when you're looking at situations where there are fixed probabilities for success or failure in repeated trials. It looks like this: \[ P(x) = \binom{n}{x} \pi^x (1-\pi)^{n-x} \]Here's a quick guide:
Just remember, the formula gives you the chance of **exactly** \( x \) successes in \( n \) trials, not at least or at most \( x \). It's a specific, targeted calculation.
- \( n \) is the number of trials you perform. Think of it as the number of times you're trying something.
- \( x \) refers to the desired number of successful outcomes you want to achieve in your trials.
- \( \pi \) is the probability of achieving a success in any single trial.
- \( (1-\pi) \) is the probability of failure in any single trial.
Just remember, the formula gives you the chance of **exactly** \( x \) successes in \( n \) trials, not at least or at most \( x \). It's a specific, targeted calculation.
Binomial Coefficient
The binomial coefficient, represented by \( \binom{n}{x} \), is an important part of the binomial probability formula. It calculates how many ways you can achieve \( x \) successes out of \( n \) trials. In simple terms, it's all about combinations.The formula for the binomial coefficient is:\[\binom{n}{x} = \frac{n!}{x!(n-x)!}\]Here's what each symbol means:
- \( n! \) ("n factorial") is the product of all positive integers up to \( n \). For example, \( 4! = 4 \times 3 \times 2 \times 1 = 24 \).
- \( x! \) is the factorial of \( x \) and follows the same pattern.
- \( (n-x)! \) is the factorial of the difference between \( n \) and \( x \).
- \( \binom{4}{2}=6 \) means there are 6 unique ways to choose 2 successes from 4 trials.
- \( \binom{4}{3}=4 \) gives us 4 ways to choose 3 successes from 4 trials.
Number of Trials
The "number of trials" is a foundational concept in any binomial probability scenario. It represents the total attempts you have in the experiment (or the number of times you perform a given action). In the given exercise, this is represented as \( n = 4 \).To visualize this, imagine you are rolling a die 4 times. In this situation:
- Each roll of the die is a single trial.
- The collection of all 4 rolls forms your total number of trials.