Questions and Answers of Statistical Reasoning For Everyday Life

No one can succeed in selling a product that will kill thousands of people per year.Does It Make Sense? For Exercise, determine whether the statement makes sense (or is clearly true) or does not make
Considering all factors presented in this section and other facts that you can find, do you think lotteries are fair to poor or uneducated people? Should they remain legal? Should they be restricted
Results from a study of heart disease have statistical significance because heart disease is such an important health risk for adults. Does It Make Sense? For Exercises, determine whether the
If one of the examinees is randomly selected, find the probability of getting someone who passed the exam.In Exercise, use the following results. The legal case United States v. City of Chicago
When I toss four coins, there are four different possible outcomes that represent the event of one head and three tails.Does It Make Sense? For Exercises, determine whether the statement makes sense
For a $1 “straight” bet in the California Daily 3 lottery, the expected return is 64¢, so betting a dollar for fun is okay, but it is unwise to bet much money on this lottery.Does It Make Sense?
The death rate for motorcycle accidents is much higher than the death rate for automobile accidents, so more people must die in motorcycle accidents than in car accidents.Does It Make Sense? For
Briefly explain the meaning of the Dilbert cartoon below. Do the same for this widely circulated (anonymous) quotation: “Lotteries are a tax on people who are bad at math.”Do you think the
In an experiment testing a method of gender selection intended to increase the likelihood that a baby is a girl, 1000 couples give birth to 501 girls and 499 boys. An analyst argues that this fails
The probability of flipping a coin and getting heads is 1/2. The probability of rolling a die and getting a 2 is 1/6. When flipping a coin and rolling a die at the same time, the probability of
When randomly selecting a month, the probability of selecting a month with 32 or more days is 0.Does It Make Sense? For Exercises, determine whether the statement makes sense (or is clearly true) or
For the California Daily 3 lottery, in which you pick three numbers, it is better to select the numbers 5-3-9 than the numbers 1-2-3, because 5-3-9 is more random.Does It Make Sense? For Exercises,
Find the probability of randomly selecting one of the examinees and getting someone who is in Group B or passed or both.In Exercise, use the following results. The legal case United States v. City of
Your life expectancy is the major factor in determining how long you live.Does It Make Sense? For Exercise, determine whether the statement makes sense (or is clearly true) or does not make sense (or
Based on your answers above and any additional data you can find, discuss the moral implications of lotteries. For example: Is it morally responsible for governments to sponsor a form of gambling?
The probability of rolling a die and getting an even number is 1/2, and the probability of getting an odd number is 1/2, so the probability of getting a number that is even or odd is 1/2 + 1/2 =
I estimate that there is a probability of 0.5 that the batteries in my calculator will need to be replaced sometime during the next 3 years.Does It Make Sense? For Exercises, determine whether the
Find the probability of randomly selecting one of the examinees and getting someone who is in Group B or passed or both.In Exercise, use the following results. The legal case United States v. City of
I haven’t won in my last 25 pulls on the slot machine, so I’m due to win on the next couple of pulls.Does It Make Sense? For Exercises, determine whether the statement makes sense (or is clearly
A 60-year-old has a shorter life expectancy than a 20-year-old.Does It Make Sense? For Exercise, determine whether the statement makes sense (or is clearly true) or does not make sense (or is clearly
The complexity of DNA analysis can make it difficult for prosecutors to explain DNA evidence to jurors. If you were a prosecutor, how would you deal with this problem?Explain.
Find the probability of randomly selecting one of the test subjects and getting someone who is in Group A and passed the exam.In Exercise, use the following results. The legal case United States v.
Because either there is life on Mars or there is not, the probability of life on Mars is 0.5.Does It Make Sense? For Exercises, determine whether the statement makes sense (or is clearly true) or
In analyzing the genders of newborns, assume that boys and girls are equally likely. Among 500 births, should we expect exactly 250 boys and 250 girls? As the number of births increases, what does
Evidence from blood tests can identify a suspect with a probability of about 1 in 200. Evidence from DNA tests often provides probabilities claimed to be less than 1 in 10 million. If you were a
A student claims that he was not prepared for any of the ten true/false questions on a quiz, and he claims that all of his answers to those questions were random guesses. He finds that all ten of his
Assume that boys and girls are equally likely and that the gender of a child is independent of the gender of any brothers or sisters. If a couple already has three girls, find the probability of
How many different three-child families are possible if birth order is taken into account? What is the probability of a three-child family with three girls?
Find the probability of getting someone who failed the exam or was in Group A.In Exercise, use the following results. The legal case United States v. The city of Chicago concerned a claim of
A person who has a habit of driving fast has never had a traffic citation. What does it mean to say that “the law of averages will catch up with him”? Is it true? ExplainDoes It Make Sense? For
Look up and read about the Amanda Knox case, in which Italian courts first used DNA to convict her of a murder charge and later concluded that she was innocent. What happened that led to the change
In preparation for a gubernatorial election in Florida, a pollster conducts a survey by randomly selecting 25 voters. He claims that the voters are randomly selected, but he finds that all of them
How many different four-child families are possible if birth order is taken into account? What is the probability of a four-child family that has two girls and two boys?
Suppose you are offered this opportunity: You can place a bet of $10 and someone else tosses a coin. You win an additional $15 if heads occur, and you lose your $10 if tails occur What is the
The Innocence Project uses DNA to try to clear suspects wrongfully convicted of crimes. Is innocence easier to establish than guilt through DNA testing? Explain.
In 10 rolls of a six-sided die, the outcome of 6 occurs every time.Subjective Significance. For each event in Exercises, state whether the difference between what occurred and what you would have
A programmer is instructed to create a password consisting of two different digits. What is the probability that the password is 12?
Tossing two coins and getting either one head or two headsTheoretical Probabilities. For Exercises, use the theoretical method to determine the probability of the given outcome or event. State any
If you bet $1 in Kentucky’s Pick 4 lottery, you either lose $1 or gain $4999. (The winning prize is $5000, but your $1 bet is not returned, so the net gain is $4999.) The game is played by
For the year 2014, find the fatality rate in deaths per passenger mile (instead of per billion passenger miles). Why don’t we report the fatality rate in units of deaths per passenger mile?
Discuss a few other ways DNA tests can be useful, such as in settling issues of paternity. Overall, how much do you think DNA analysis affects our society?
In 10 rolls of a six-sided die, the outcome of 6 never occurs.Subjective Significance. For each event in Exercises, state whether the difference between what occurred and what you would have expected
Rolling a single six-sided die and getting an odd number (1, 3, or 5)Theoretical Probabilities. For Exercises, use the theoretical method to determine the probability of the given outcome or event.
Find the birth rate per 1000 people for the United States.Births/Deaths. For Exercise, use the data in the following table, which shows some vital statistics for two states and the entire United
There is a 0.9986 probability that a randomly selected 30-year-old male will live through the year. A life insurance company charges $161 for insuring that the male will live through the year. If he
Randomly selecting one of the 365 days of the year and getting a day in SeptemberTheoretical Probabilities. For Exercises, use the theoretical method to determine the probability of the given outcome
Upon entering an aircraft that is nearly full, with 120 passengers, a traveler observes that nearly all of the passengers are adult females.Subjective Significance. For each event in Exercises, state
The 50 songs on a smartphone consist of 15 that are rock, 20 that are jazz, and 15 that are country. Selections are played randomly and can be repeated. What is the probability of each of the
Find the birth rate per 1000 people for California.Births/Deaths. For Exercise, use the data in the following table, which shows some vital statistics for two states and the entire United States.
There is a 0.9968 probability that a randomly selected 50-year-old female will live through the year. A life insurance company charges $226 for insuring that the female will live through the year. If
Making a correct random guess as an answer to a particular multiple-choice question on an SAT test with possible answers of a, b, c, d, e, one of which is correctTheoretical Probabilities. For
Drawing an ace from a standard deck of 52 playing cards (see Figure 6.6)Theoretical Probabilities. For Exercises, use the theoretical method to determine the probability of the given outcome or
A pollster plans to call adults. She has a list of names and numbers of 100 adults, consisting of 60 males and 40 females. She will make random selections and will not call the same person more than
You arrive at a bus stop randomly, and all arrival times are equally likely. The bus arrives regularly every 24 minutes without delay. What is the expected value for your waiting time?
Compare the death rates per 1000 people for California and Florida. Identify a reason for the difference.Births/Deaths. For Exercise, use the data in the following table, which shows some vital
What is the probability that a randomly selected defendant either pled guilty or was sent to prison?Probability and Court Decisions. In the Exercise, use the data in the following table that
For a jury pool for one trial, 870 people were selected from a city population in which 79.1% are Americans of Mexican ancestry. Among the 870 selected people, 39% were Americans of Mexican ancestry.
As shown in Figure 6.11, a roulette wheel has 38 numbers, with 18 odd numbers (black) and 18 even numbers (red), as well as 0 and 00 (which are green). If you bet $5 that the outcome is an odd
Finding that the next President of the United States was born on a SaturdayTheoretical Probabilities. For Exercises, use the theoretical method to determine the probability of the given outcome or
Based on current life expectancy data, how many years is a randomly selected 20-year-old expected to live beyond his or her 20th birthday?Vital Statistics. For Exercise, use the data in the following
When you give a casino $20 for a bet on the “pass line” in a dice game, there is a 251/495 probability that you will lose $20 and there is a 244/495 probability that you will make a net gain of
Finding that the next person you meet has the same birthday as yours (ignoring leap years)Theoretical Probabilities. For Exercises, use the theoretical method to determine the probability of the
Thirty identical cars are selected for a fuel test. Half of the cars are filled with regular gasoline, and the other half are filled with a new experimental fuel. The cars in the first group averaged
Based on current life expectancy data, how many years is a randomly selected 18-year-old expected to live beyond his or her 18th birthday?Vital Statistics. For Exercise, use the data in the following
In New Jersey’s Pick 4 lottery, you pay 50¢ to select a sequence of four digits, such as 2273, from the 10,000 different possible four-digit sequences. If you select the same sequence of four
Finding that when tossing a coin, it turns up heads, given that it has turned up heads in the previous five tossesTheoretical Probabilities. For Exercises, use the theoretical method to determine the
An experiment was conducted to determine whether there is a difference in the success rates when carpal tunnel syndrome is treated with surgery or with splinting. The success rate for 73 patients
The Genetics and IVF Institute conducted a clinical trial of its method for gender selection. The result showed that among 945 babies born to couples using the XSORT method of gender selection, 879
Reader’s Digest ran a sweepstakes in which prizes were listed along with the chances of winning: $1,000,000 (1 chance in 90,000,000), $100,000 (1 chance in 110,000,000), $25,000 1 chance in
What is the death rate due to Alzheimer’s disease in deaths per 100,000 of the population?Causes of Death. For Exercises, use Table 6.7, and assume a U.S. population of 325 million.Table 6.7 TABLE
Rolling a single six-sided die and getting a result that is less than 10Theoretical Probabilities. For Exercises, use the theoretical method to determine the probability of the given outcome or
Find the death rate of 20-year-olds per 100,000 people during the year. How many 20-year-olds would be expected to die out of 10,000 people?
What is the probability of randomly selecting a day of the week whose name doesn’t include the letter “y”?
What is the death rate due to heart disease in deaths per 100,000 of the population?Causes of Death. For Exercises, use Table 6.7, and assume a U.S. population of 325 million.Table 6.7 TABLE 6.7
What is the probability of randomly selecting a day of the week whose name includes the letter “d”?
Not drawing a queen from a standard deck of 52 playing cards (see Figure 6.6)Complementary Events. Exercises involve complementary events. In each exercise, find the probability of the given event.
If you lived in a typical city of 500,000, how many people would you expect to die due to a stroke in a year?Causes of Death. For Exercises, use Table 6.7, and assume a U.S. population of 325
Go to a website for all U.S. lotteries and study the summary of state and multistate lottery odds and prizes. Pick five lotteries and determine the expected value for winnings in each case. Discuss
Not drawing a heart from a standard deck of 52 playing cards (see Figure 6.6)Complementary Events. Exercises involve complementary events. In each exercise, find the probability of the given event.
New Jersey county clerks are supposed to use random selection to determine the order in which Democrat and Republican candidates are listed on an election ballot. Among the 41 selections listed on
Use a coin to simulate 100 births: Flip the coin 100 times, recording the results after every10 toss, and then convert the outcomes to genders of babies(tail = boy and head = girl). Use the results
If you lived in a typical city of 500,000, how many people would you expect to die due to chronic respiratory diseases in a year?Mortality Rates. For Exercises, use the graphs in Figure 6.13 to
A study was conducted to test the hypothesis that people can temporarily postpone death to survive a major holiday or important event such as a birthday. It was found that there were 6062 deaths in
Describe a situation in which you personally have made use of the law of large numbers, either correctly or incorrectly. Why did you use the law of large numbers in this situation? Was it helpful?
Not getting a correct answer when making a random guess of an answer to a particular multiple-choice question on an SAT test with possible answers of a, b, c, d, e, one of which is
If a house is valued at $400,000 in Denver, find the price of a comparable house in Miami.Housing Price Index. Realtors use an index to compare housing prices in major cities. The index numbers for
The movie ratings by a critic, which are expressed as 0 stars, 12 star, 1 star, and so on.Discrete or Continuous. In Exercises, state whether the data described are discrete or continuous, and
A new Corvette weighs 3440 pounds. A manufacturer’s scale that is accurate to the nearest 10 pounds gives the weight as 3450 pounds, while the U.S. Department of Transportation uses a scale that is
If a house is valued at $650,000 in Boston, find the price of a comparable house in PhoenixHousing Price Index. Realtors use an index to compare housing prices in major cities. The index numbers for
If a typical adult male is 8% taller than a typical adult female, then the typical adult male’s height is ____% of the typical adult female’s height.Of versus More Than. Fill in the blanks in
Number of stars in each galaxy in the universe.The movie ratings by a critic, which are expressed as 0 stars, 12
If a house is valued at $375,000 in Las Vegas, find the price of a comparable house in San Francisco.Housing Price Index. Realtors use an index to compare housing prices in major cities. The index
If the area of Norway is 24% more than the area of Colorado, then Norway’s area is ____ % of Colorado’s area.Of versus More Than. Fill in the blanks in Exercises. Briefly explain your reasoning
The Vice President’s salary is currently 42% less than the President’s salary, so the Vice President’s salary is ____% of the President’s salary.Of versus More Than. Fill in the blanks in
Eight years ago, we learned that the age of the earth is 4.543 billion years, so the age of the earth is now 4,543,000,008 years.Believable Facts? Exercises give statements of “fact” coming from
A recent Super Bowl football game had a “77 share,” meaning that among the television sets in use at the time of the game, 77% were tuned to the game.a. If the percentage of 77% is in error by up
Find a recent news report that includes a reference to the CPI. Briefly describe how the CPI is important in the storyHousing Price Index. Realtors use an index to compare housing prices in major
Social Security numbersLevels of Measurement. For the data described in Exercises, identify the level of measurement (nominal, ordinal, interval, or ratio).
Find a recent news report that includes an index number other than the CPI. Describe the index number and its meaning, and discuss how the index is important in the story.Housing Price Index.
If a killer whale weighing 4000 kg swallows a fish that weighs 2 kg, the whale will weigh 4002 kg.

Showing 600 - 700 of 1156