1. In Sibling.xls
you will find the probability distribution for X = number of siblings of
a
WCU student
from the data collected from my stat classes this semester. We will
assume
that these data form a random sample of all WCU students, so that this
information
is representative of the population. (The idea for this random variable
originated
with Rhonda C. Magel in Increasing Student Participation in Large
Introductory
Statistics Classes,
The American Statistician,
Feb., 1996, Vol. 50,
No. 1,
p. 52.)
2. What is the probability
a randomly selected WCU student has only one
sibling?
3. What is the probability
a randomly selected WCU student has at most one
sibling?
4. Use Excel to compute the
expected value of X. Interpret the result. What types
of businesses
might be interested in your computed value?
5. Use Excel to compute the
standard deviation of X. Interpret this value. How
would
this piece of information enhance the use of the businesses you named in
Question
4?
6. Suppose the WCU Bookstore
wants to order greeting cards for a special
occasion,
such as Sibling Day. It wants to avoid unsold cards. Assume there are
6500
WCU students currently. Use the information in the probability distribution
and your
answers to the above questions to recommend a number of sibling
cards
to order. Write a memo to include your recommendation and an
explanation.
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