Worked solution
Distinguish finite sampling from independent-person conditioning
(a) Mrs Wang bakes 15 chocolate and 25 blueberry cupcakes, then gives away 8 chosen at random. Find the probability exactly 3 are chocolate. marks
(b) In a seasonal-flu exercise, the probability a person receives a flu vaccine is 0.85. The probability of flu is 0.23 given vaccination and 0.91 given no vaccination. Find the probability that
(i) a person gets flu, marks
(ii) of two randomly chosen people who got flu, exactly one received the vaccine. marks
[2014/NJC/II/9]
CJC · Review problems · Question 14
Answer
(a) 0.314; (b)(i) ; (ii) 0.484 (rounded values 3 s.f.).
(a) Source method 1: unordered selections
Choose three chocolate and five blueberry cupcakes from the finite inventory, without replacement: (3 s.f.).
(a) Source method 2: one order, then its colour arrangements
For the order CCCBBBBB, multiply the changing counts, then multiply by the colour orders:
(b)(i) Total probability on the source tree
Vaccinated/unvaccinated probabilities are 0.85/0.15. The flu/no-flu branches are 0.23/0.77 and 0.91/0.09; the no-flu complements fill the unlabelled source branches. Hence .
(b)(ii) Condition both people on flu
Using the source’s independent-person model, exactly one vaccinated flu case can occur in two orders. Therefore
The denominator restricts both people to the flu population; it is not the unconditional vaccination probability.
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Common mistakes
Exactly one vaccinated among two flu cases is a conditional question;0.85 is not the vaccinated proportion among flu cases.
Solution notes
All source asks, both cupcake methods with every sequential factor, full tree relationships, total-probability fraction/decimal and two-person quotient retained. Unlabelled tree complements 0.77/0.09 are explicitly completed. Source person-independence model is stated.