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Working Cell Numbers. When an opinion poll selects cell phone numbers at random to dial, the cell phone exchange is first selected, and then random digits are added to form a complete telephone number (see Example 8.5). When using this procedure to generate random cell phone numbers, approximately \(55 \%\) of the cell numbers generated correspond to working numbers. You watch a pollster dial cell numbers that have been selected in this manner. \(X\) is the number of calls dialed before the third working cell number is reached.

Short Answer

Expert verified
The probability of needing exactly 6 calls to reach the third working number is 0.151.

Step by step solution

01

Understand the Problem

The problem involves randomly dialing cell phone numbers to reach working numbers. We want to find the probability distribution of the number of calls needed to reach the third working number. This is a negative binomial distribution problem where each call results in a success (working number) with a probability of 0.55.
02

Define the Parameters

Let's define the success probability as \( p = 0.55 \), since 55% of the numbers are working. We are asked for the number of trials (calls) needed to reach the third success (working number), so \( k = 3 \).
03

Use the Negative Binomial Formula

The negative binomial distribution gives the probability of \( x \) trials needed to get \( k \) successes, with a success probability \( p \). The formula is: \[ P(X = x) = \binom{x-1}{k-1} p^k (1-p)^{x-k} \]For this problem, \( k = 3 \) and \( p = 0.55 \).
04

Calculate the Probability for a Specific Example

As an example, let's say we want to find the probability that exactly 6 calls are needed (meaning the third working number is the 6th call). Plug the values into the formula:\[ P(X=6) = \binom{5}{2} (0.55)^3 (0.45)^{3} \]Calculate \( \binom{5}{2} = 10 \), and evaluate the powers of 0.55 and 0.45, then multiply.
05

Solve the Expression

Calculate as follows:- \( (0.55)^3 = 0.166375 \)- \( (0.45)^3 = 0.091125 \)- \( \binom{5}{2} = 10 \)So\[ P(X=6) = 10 \cdot 0.166375 \cdot 0.091125 = 0.1510434375 \]
06

Conclusion

This calculation shows that the probability of needing exactly 6 calls to reach the third working number is approximately 0.151, dependent on the given success rate.

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Key Concepts

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

Probability Distribution
In statistics, a probability distribution is a mathematical function that provides the probabilities of occurrence of different possible outcomes for an experiment. In the case of dialing random cell phone numbers, each call represents an occurrence that can be classified as either reaching a working number, which is a success, or not, which is a failure.
  • Different types of probability distributions can describe random processes, such as the binomial, normal, or negative binomial distributions.
  • The choice of distribution depends on the specific characteristics and constraints of the problem.
  • For the scenario given, the negative binomial distribution is used to model the number of phone calls needed until a set number of working (success) calls are achieved.
The negative binomial distribution specifically accounts for sequences of Bernoulli trials, where there are two possible outcomes for each trial (success or failure). In this sense, it expands on the binomial distribution by focusing on the number of trials needed to achieve a specified number of successes.
Success Probability
The success probability, denoted as \( p \, \), measures the likelihood of a successful outcome in each independent trial. It is crucial in determining how probability weights are assigned across different scenarios.
  • In this exercise, the success probability is 0.55, meaning there is a 55% chance each dialed number will be working.
  • This probability directly influences the calculations of the negative binomial probability.
  • The greater the success probability, the fewer trials may be needed to achieve a set number of successes.
For example, in our scenario, if the probability of reaching a working number were larger, fewer calls would be expected on average before reaching the third working number. On the other hand, if the probability were smaller, more calls would likely be required.
Binomial Coefficient
The binomial coefficient, symbolized as \( \binom{x}{y} \, \), is a central component of the binomial theorem. It represents the number of ways to choose \( y \, \) successes from \( x \, \) trials, regardless of order.
  • This coefficient is crucial when calculating probabilities involving binomial distributions, including negative binomial scenarios.
  • It is computed using the formula: \[ \binom{x}{y} = \frac{x!}{y!(x-y)!} \]
  • For example, in the problem where we calculate the probability for 6 calls to reach the third success, the binomial coefficient is \( \binom{5}{2} = 10 \).
This value represents the number of distinct ways to arrange 3 working numbers within 6 total calls. Understanding how to find and apply binomial coefficients is essential for working with binomial distributions.
Random Sampling
Random sampling is a fundamental statistical process used to select a subset of a population to represent the entire group. It aims to eliminate bias in the selection process so that each sample member has an equal opportunity for selection.
  • In this exercise, random sampling is used to dial cell phone numbers randomly to determine if they are working numbers.
  • This helps ensure that the sample of numbers dialed is representative of the entire population of potential cell phone numbers.
  • Such sampling is key in surveys and polls to obtain valid and reliable outcomes.
Random sampling underlies the reliability of the results derived from probability distributions. Without proper random sampling, the inferences drawn from statistical analyses could be skewed or misleading.

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