Which Bulb Lasts Longer: Brand A or Brand B?

  • Thread starter rclakmal
  • Start date
  • Tags
    Probability
In summary, the conversation discusses the probability that a Brand A bulb will have a longer life than a Brand B bulb, given their respective mean and standard deviation values. The solution involves converting the distributions to standard normal distributions and using the expected value and standard deviation formulas to calculate the difference between the two distributions. The final probability is obtained by finding the probability that the difference is greater than 0. The calculated probability is 0.18555.
  • #1
rclakmal
76
0

Homework Statement




The life time of electric lights brand A and B independent and normally distributed .For brand A bulbs the mean and standard deviation of the life time are 1010 hours and 5 hours respectively .For brand B those values are 1020 and 10 hours calculate the probability that a Brand A bulb will have a longer life than brand B


Homework Equations






The Attempt at a Solution



If this question was asking about a probability of brand A to have a life time of a particular value (as an example 1000 hours ) then i know how to calculate the probability by converting this distribution to a Standard Normal Distribution by using Z score .then You can easily obtain the value by given tables or by a calculator .That can be also done to brand B.

But the problem is i don't how to connect these two distribution >please someone help on this question .
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
When you have two normally distributed variables X and Y you can also form
- a negative -X, with expectation value E(-X) = -E(X) and standarddeviation S(-X) = S(X)
- the sum X + Y, with expectation value E(X + Y) = E(X) + E(Y) and standard deviation S(X + Y) = sqrt( S(X)^2 + S(Y)^2 )

You can use these to see that the difference of the life times is also normally distributed.
 
  • #3
then i should write E(A-B) and S(A-B) as you have mentioned i can obtain values for them.
Then i should consider it as an individual probability .Lets name it as C( C=A-B).
then by tables or by calculator i should obtain a probability value where C>0.

Then i obtain an answer as 0.18555 .Could you please check it and tell me .that would be a great help
 

What is probability?

Probability is a measure of the likelihood or chance that a certain event will occur. It is usually expressed as a number between 0 and 1, where 0 indicates impossibility and 1 indicates certainty.

How is probability calculated?

The probability of an event is calculated by dividing the number of favorable outcomes by the total number of possible outcomes. This can also be expressed as a fraction, decimal, or percentage.

What is the difference between theoretical and experimental probability?

Theoretical probability is based on the assumption that all outcomes are equally likely, while experimental probability is based on actual observations or data from experiments. Theoretical probability is used for predicting outcomes, while experimental probability is used for analyzing past events.

What is the difference between independent and dependent events?

Independent events are events that do not affect each other, meaning the outcome of one event does not influence the outcome of another. Dependent events are events that do affect each other, meaning the outcome of one event is influenced by the outcome of another.

How is probability used in real life?

Probability is used in many real-life situations, such as predicting weather patterns, calculating odds in gambling, and assessing risk in insurance and finance industries. It is also used in scientific research to analyze data and make predictions.

Similar threads

  • Precalculus Mathematics Homework Help
Replies
1
Views
583
  • Precalculus Mathematics Homework Help
Replies
7
Views
2K
  • Set Theory, Logic, Probability, Statistics
Replies
7
Views
349
  • Set Theory, Logic, Probability, Statistics
Replies
3
Views
1K
  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
4
Views
863
  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
4
Views
4K
  • Precalculus Mathematics Homework Help
Replies
1
Views
2K
  • Precalculus Mathematics Homework Help
Replies
2
Views
1K
  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
6
Views
6K
  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
4
Views
1K
Back
Top