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Suppose that a satellite defense system is established in which four satellites acting independently have a 0.9 probability of detecting an incoming ballistic missile. What is the probability that at least one of the four satellites detects an incoming ballistic missile? Would you feel safe with such a system?

Short Answer

Expert verified
The probability that at least one satellite detects the missile is 0.9999. Yes, the system is highly reliable.

Step by step solution

01

- Understand the Probability of Detection Failure

Each satellite has a 0.9 probability of detecting the missile. Therefore, the probability that a single satellite fails to detect the missile is: \( P(\text{failure}) = 1 - 0.9 = 0.1 \)
02

- Calculate the Probability of All Satellites Failing

We need to find the probability that all four satellites fail to detect the missile. Since their actions are independent, multiply the failure probabilities of each satellite: \( P(\text{all fail}) = (0.1) \times (0.1) \times (0.1) \times (0.1) = 0.1^4 = 0.0001 \)
03

- Calculate the Probability of At Least One Satellite Detecting

The probability that at least one satellite detects the missile is the complement of all satellites failing to detect it. Thus, we use: \( P(\text{at least one detects}) = 1 - P(\text{all fail}) = 1 - 0.0001 = 0.9999 \)
04

- Conclusion on the Safety

Since the probability of at least one satellite detecting the missile is 0.9999, or 99.99%, the system is highly reliable. Yes, one would feel safe with such a system.

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Key Concepts

These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.

Independent Events
In probability theory, events are considered independent if the outcome of one event does not affect the outcome of another. In the context of the satellite defense system, when we say that the satellites are acting independently, we mean that the detection capability of one satellite has no bearing on the detection capability of another.
This independence is crucial for our probability calculations. Because the satellites act independently, the probability that all four satellites fail to detect the missile can be calculated by multiplying the probability of each satellite failing. Remember, for independent events:
  • P(A and B) = P(A) × P(B)
  • P(A and B and C and D) = P(A) × P(B) × P(C) × P(D)
Understanding this, we calculated the probability of all four satellites failing by raising the failure probability of one satellite (0.1) to the fourth power.
Complement Rule
The complement rule is a fundamental concept in probability. It states that the probability of an event occurring is equal to 1 minus the probability that it does not occur. This helps us find the probability of 'at least one' event happening.
In our exercise, we needed to find the probability that at least one satellite detects the missile. Calculating the probability for 'at least one' directly can be complicated, but using the complement rule simplifies this.
  • P(at least one detects) = 1 - P(none detect)
After calculating the probability that none of the satellites detect the missile (0.0001), we subtracted this value from 1 to find the probability that at least one detects the missile, resulting in 0.9999.
Probability Calculation
Probability calculation is the process of determining the likelihood of an event. It involves basic arithmetic and sometimes more advanced concepts like the complement rule and understanding independent events.
Let's take another look at our situation with the satellites:
  • Probability of one satellite failing: P(failure) = 1 - 0.9 = 0.1
  • Probability of all four satellites failing: P(all fail) = 0.1^4 = 0.0001
  • Probability of at least one satellite detecting the missile: P(at least one detects) = 1 - 0.0001 = 0.9999
This series of calculations shows the steps you need to follow when calculating probabilities in scenarios like this one. Regular practice with different exercises will help solidify your understanding of these concepts.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

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