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Exercise 11.5 · Q1

Q.Compute P(X=k)P(X=k) for the binomial distribution B(n,p)B(n,p) where

(i) n=6, p=13, k=3n=6,\ p=\dfrac13,\ k=3
(ii) n=10, p=15, k=4n=10,\ p=\dfrac15,\ k=4
(iii) n=9, p=12, k=7n=9,\ p=\dfrac12,\ k=7.
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✓ Free question

Each part is a direct substitution of n,p,kn,p,k into the binomial pmf P(X=k)=(nk)pkqn−kP(X=k)=\binom nk p^kq^{n-k}, with q=1−pq=1-p.

Part (i): n=6, p=13, k=3n=6,\ p=\tfrac13,\ k=3, so q=23q=\tfrac23.

P(X=3)=(63)(13)3(23)3=20×127×827=160729P(X=3)=\dbinom63\left(\dfrac13\right)^3\left(\dfrac23\right)^3=20\times\dfrac1{27}\times\dfrac8{27}=\dfrac{160}{729}.

Part (ii): n=10, p=15, k=4n=10,\ p=\tfrac15,\ k=4, so q=45q=\tfrac45.

P(X=4)=(104)(15)4(45)6=210×1625×409615625=210×40969765625=8601609765625≈0.0881P(X=4)=\dbinom{10}4\left(\dfrac15\right)^4\left(\dfrac45\right)^6=210\times\dfrac1{625}\times\dfrac{4096}{15625}=\dfrac{210\times4096}{9765625}=\dfrac{860160}{9765625}\approx0.0881.

Part (iii): n=9, p=12, k=7n=9,\ p=\tfrac12,\ k=7, so q=12q=\tfrac12.

P(X=7)=(97)(12)7(12)2=36×(12)9=36512=9128P(X=7)=\dbinom97\left(\dfrac12\right)^7\left(\dfrac12\right)^2=36\times\left(\dfrac12\right)^9=\dfrac{36}{512}=\dfrac9{128}.

✓Final answer

(i) P(X=3)=160729P(X=3)=\dfrac{160}{729}. (ii) P(X=4)=8601609765625≈0.0881P(X=4)=\dfrac{860160}{9765625}\approx0.0881. (iii) P(X=7)=9128P(X=7)=\dfrac9{128}.

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