Expand Your Knowledge: Totals Instead of Averages Let \(x\) be a random variable
that represents checkout time (time spent in the actual checkout process) in
minutes in the express lane of a large grocery. Based on a consumer survey,
the mean of the \(x\) distribution is about \(\mu=2.7\) minutes, with standard
deviation \(\sigma\) \(=0.6\) minute. Assume that the express lane always has
customers waiting to be checked out and that the distribution of \(x\) values is
more or less symmetrical and mound-shaped. What is the probability that the
total checkout time for the next 30 customers is less than 90 minutes? Let us
solve this problem in steps.
(a) Let \(x_{i}\) (for \(\left.i=1,2,3, \ldots, 30\right)\) represent the checkout
time for each customer. For example, \(x_{1}\) is the checkout time for the
first customer, \(x_{2}\) is the checkout time for the second customer, and so
forth. Each \(x_{i}\) has mean \(\mu=2.7\) minutes and standard deviation
\(\sigma=0.6\) minute. Let \(w=x_{1}+x_{2}+\cdots+x_{30 .}\) Explain why the
problem is asking us to compute the probability that \(w\) is less than 90 .
(b) Use a little algebra and explain why \(w<90\) is mathematically equivalent
to \(w / 30<3 .\) Since \(w\) is the total of the \(30 x\) values, then \(w /
30=\bar{x}\). Therefore, the statement \(\bar{x}<3\) is equivalent to the
statement \(w<90\). From this we conclude that the probabilities \(P(\bar{x}<3)\)
and \(P(w<90)\) are equal.
(c) What does the central limit theorem say about the probability distribution
of \(\bar{x}\) ? Is it approximately normal? What are the mean and standard
deviation of the \(\bar{x}\) distribution?
(d) Use the result of part \((c)\) to compute \(P(\bar{x}<3)\). What does this
result tell you about \(P(w<90)\) ?