Math Problem Statement
In a particular national forest, 9% of the plants belong to a particular species.
A simple random sample (SRS) of 9 plants from that forest is to be collected by a forestry researcher.
Compute the following probabilities about the sample to be collected:
(a) Probability that none of the plants in the sample will be of that particular species:
Probability =
(b) Probability that fewer than 6 of the plants in the sample will be of that particular species:
Probability =
(c) Probability that more than 3 of the plants in the sample will be of that particular species:
Probability =
Solution
This problem can be approached using the binomial distribution. The binomial distribution applies when there are two outcomes (success or failure), and each trial is independent. Here:
- The probability of a plant belonging to the particular species (success) is .
- The number of trials (the sample size) is .
Let represent the number of plants in the sample that belong to the particular species. Then follows a binomial distribution:
The probability mass function of a binomial distribution is:
where is the number of successes, and is the binomial coefficient.
Part (a) - Probability that none of the plants in the sample will be of that particular species:
This corresponds to .
Using this formula, we calculate:
So, the probability that none of the plants in the sample belong to the species is approximately 0.4228.
Part (b) - Probability that fewer than 6 of the plants in the sample will be of that particular species:
This corresponds to , or the cumulative probability for .
Using the binomial probability formula for each value of :
We sum the probabilities for through .
So, the probability that fewer than 6 of the plants in the sample belong to the species is approximately 0.9999.
Part (c) - Probability that more than 3 of the plants in the sample will be of that particular species:
This corresponds to , or .
We calculate :
Summing the individual probabilities for :
Thus, the probability that more than 3 plants belong to the species is:
So, the probability that more than 3 of the plants in the sample belong to the species is approximately 0.0092.
Would you like more details or clarifications?
Here are some related questions:
- How do you compute binomial probabilities for a different sample size?
- What happens to these probabilities if the percentage of the species changes?
- How does the cumulative distribution function (CDF) help in these types of problems?
- Can you derive the mean and variance of a binomial distribution?
- How does the binomial distribution relate to the normal distribution in large samples?
Tip: When dealing with binomial problems involving a small probability and a large number of trials, the Poisson approximation can sometimes simplify the calculations.
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Math Problem Analysis
Mathematical Concepts
Probability
Binomial Distribution
Formulas
Binomial Probability Formula: P(X = k) = (n choose k) * p^k * (1 - p)^(n - k)
Cumulative Probability for Binomial Distribution
Theorems
Binomial Distribution Theorem
Suitable Grade Level
College Level - Probability and Statistics
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