Skip to content

Course home

2.4 Statistical Distributions

2.4 Statistical Distributions

EasyMediumHard
123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536373839404142434445464748495051525354555657585960616263646566676869707172
Question 25

A marine biologist is analyzing the composition of microplastics found in sediment samples from a specific coastal region. She categorizes the particles into four types based on their morphology.

The distribution of these types among the collected particles is shown in the following table:

Particle TypeMicrobeadsFragmentsFibersPellets
Probability0.180.420.300.10

Samples are processed in batches of 150 particles.

a.

Using a suitable approximation, find the probability that in a single batch:

(i) there are exactly 30 microbeads.

(ii) there are at most 55 fibers.

(iii) there are at least 95 particles which are not fragments.

[7]
b.

The biologist investigates a different coastal region where she suspects the proportion, ppp, of fragment-type microplastics has decreased from the usual 0.42.

She tests the hypotheses:

H0:p=0.42 H_0: p = 0.42 H0​:p=0.42 H1:p<0.42 H_1: p < 0.42 H1​:p<0.42

She takes a random sample of 400 particles and finds that x x\,x of them are fragments.

(i) Using a 5% level of significance and a normal approximation, find the critical region for xxx.

(ii) In her sample, she finds 150 fragments. Complete the test, stating your conclusion in context.

[6]
Markscheme

2.4 Statistical Distributions Questions

  1. A Level
  2. /Maths
  3. /2.4 Statistical Distributions

390 exam-style questions on OCR A Level Maths 2.4 Statistical Distributions, covering 2.4.1 Discrete probability distributions, 2.4.2 Binomial distribution as a model, 2.4.3 Calculating binomial probabilities, 2.4.4 Mean and variance of the binomial (A-level only), 2.4.5 Normal distribution as a model (A-level only), 2.4.6 Probabilities using the normal distribution (A-level only), 2.4.7 Links to histograms, mean and standard deviation (A-level only), and 2.4.8 Selecting an appropriate distribution (A-level only). Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.

Question bank