The time between arrivals of oil tankers at a loading dock at Prudhoe Bay is given by the following probability distribution:
Time Between Ship Arrivals (days) . Probability
1 ......... .05
2 ......... .10
3 ......... .20
4 .......... .30
5 .......... .20
6 .......... .10
7 .......... .05
1.00
The time required to fill a tanker with oil and prepare it for sea is given by the following probability distribution:
Time to Fill and Prepare (days) . Probability
3 ............... .10
4 ............... .20
5 ............... .40
6 ............... .30
1.00
a. Simulate the movement of tankers to and from the single loading dock for the first 20 arrivals. Compute the average time between arrivals, average waiting time to load, and average number of tankers waiting to be loaded.
b. Discuss any hesitation you might have about using your results for decision making.