Worked solution
Retain the exceptional all-blue score in the conditional game
A box contains 2 red balls,3 green balls and x blue balls, with integer . A contestant chooses 5 balls without replacement. S is the number of green balls plus three times the number of red balls. Blue balls score nothing unless all 5 balls are blue, in which case S=25.
(i) Show that . marks
(ii) Given , calculate x. marks
(iii) Complete the distribution table. marks
| s | Given |
|---|---|
| 1 | to find |
| 2 | |
| 3 | |
| 4 | to find |
| 5 | |
| 6 | |
| 7 | to find |
| 8 | |
| 9 | |
| 25 | to find |
(iv) Evaluate and find . marks
(v) Find the probability that no green balls are drawn, given . marks
[2017/CJC/II/10]
CJC · Review problems · Question 9
Answer
(i)formula shown; (ii)x=5; (iii)table above; (iv), upper-tail probability ; (v).
(i) Retain both score-six compositions and ordering factors
Write R,G,B for ball colours and . Score 6 arises from RRBBB or RGGGB.
This is .
(ii) Retain the source equation and integer restriction
Equate . Thus . Solving under the integer restriction gives x=5.
(iii) Retain every missing-entry calculation
For x=5, there are 10 balls. The source sequential calculations include all distinct colour orderings:
. The factor counts arrangements of one G and four repeated Bs.
, arranging three repeated Bs.
, arranging two repeated Rs and two repeated Bs.
.
(iii) Complete distribution
| s | |
|---|---|
| 1 | |
| 2 | |
| 3 | |
| 4 | |
| 5 | |
| 6 | |
| 7 | |
| 8 | |
| 9 | |
| 25 |
(iv) Mean and upper-tail probability
Using the full table, . Therefore selects scores 5,6,7,8,9,25, and its probability is . The source uses the rounded cutoff 4.60; the exact mean selects the same integer scores.
(v) Retain both no-green upper-tail cases
No green balls with score above the mean means RRBBB or BBBBB. Thus .
Common mistakes
Condition on being above the mean before identifying the no-green cases; only RRBBB and BBBBB qualify.
Solution notes
All five asks/marks, original partially filled table, complete final table, both general score-six products and all algebra stages, integer equation, all missing-entry sequential products/order factors, exact/rounded mean and tail, and every conditional-probability stage retained.