Statistics, Probability Distribution

In summary, the data set provided shows the probability of purchasing more than four freights for each family, with a total probability of 0.05. The question is asking for the probability that at least 5 out of 6 families purchase more than four freights. This can be calculated using the binomial distribution, where the probability of success is 0.05 and the number of trials is 6. The result is 5.4^-5, or 0.000054, which can be checked by considering all possible combinations of 5 out of 6 families purchasing more than four freights.
  • #1
kuahji
394
2
I have the data set
# of freights - probability
1 - .075
1.5 - .025
2 - .425
2.5 - .150
3 - .125
3.5 - .100
4 - .050
5 - .025
6 - .025

The question is, what is the probability that at least 5 of 6 families purchased more than four freights.

I started with making a graph of the problem & found it was skewed right. With a mean 2.537 & standard deviation 1.002. So I've ruled out using normal distribution because its skewed right. The probability of purchasing more than four freights is .025+.025=.050. But is there a way to calculated the probability that 5 of 6 families purchased more than four?
 
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  • #2
How many ways can you come up with in which 5 out of 6 families (A, B, C, D, E, and F) purchase at least 4? For example, each family makes 1 purchase. Or 5 families make 1 each. Or one family makes 4, 5, or 6... etc.
 
Last edited:
  • #3
There should be 216 different ways the 6 families buy between 4 & 6 freights. Take 6^3 to get that result. Then 5^3 should give 125, for 5 families. Or at least I think...
 
  • #4
Just ended up trying to solve it like I would a binomial experiment. Where I added up the probability of 4 or greater which equaled .1. Then plugged it into the calculator as bnpfd(6,.1,5) to get an answer of 5.4^-5 & dubbed check with the long hand equations. Couldn't think of any other way to solve the problem. But I figured it was either they did or did not purchase 4 or more freights, each person does not effect the other, & probability of success/failure is the same. So hopefully that works, guess I'll see soon enough :).
 

1. What is the difference between descriptive and inferential statistics?

Descriptive statistics is used to summarize and describe a set of data, while inferential statistics is used to make predictions and draw conclusions about a larger population based on a sample of data.

2. How do you calculate the mean, median, and mode?

The mean is calculated by adding all the values in a data set and dividing by the total number of values. The median is the middle value in a data set when arranged in ascending or descending order. The mode is the value that appears most frequently in a data set.

3. What is a normal distribution?

A normal distribution is a probability distribution that is symmetric and bell-shaped, with most of the data clustered around the mean and equal proportions of data falling on either side of the mean. It is commonly used in statistics to model natural phenomena.

4. How do you determine the standard deviation?

The standard deviation is calculated by finding the square root of the variance. The variance is calculated by taking the average of the squared differences between each data point and the mean. It measures how much the data varies from the mean.

5. What is the difference between discrete and continuous probability distributions?

Discrete probability distributions are used for variables that can only take on certain values, such as the number of children in a family. Continuous probability distributions are used for variables that can take on any value within a range, such as height or weight.

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