“FRAPPY”

200 {Free Response AP Problem...Yay!}

Prob 9
lem The following problem is taken from an actual Advanced Placement Statistics
2 Examination. Your task is to generate a complete, concise statistical response in
15 minutes. You will be graded based on the AP rubric and will earn a score of
0-4. After grading, keep this problem in your binder for your AP Exam
preparation.

A tire manufacturer designed a new tread pattern for its all-weather tires. Repeated tests were conducted on
cars of approximately the same weight traveling at 60 miles per hour. The tests showed that the new tread
pattern enables the cars to stop completely in an average distance of 125 feet with a standard deviation of 6.5
feet and that the stopping distances are approximately normally distributed.

Scoring: (a) What is the 70th percentile of the distribution of stopping distances?

E P I

(b) What is the probability that at least 2 cars out of 5 randomly selected cars in
the study will stop in a distance that is greater than the distance calculated in part
(a)?

E P I

(c) What is the probability that a randomly selected sample of 5 cars in the study
will have a mean stopping distance of at least 130 feet?

E P I

Total:__/4
 “FRAPPY”
200 {Free Response AP Problem...Yay!}
Prob 8B
lem The following problem is taken from an actual Advanced Placement Statistics
5 Examination. Your task is to generate a complete, concise statistical response in
15 minutes. You will be graded based on the AP rubric and will earn a score of
0-4. After grading, keep this problem in your binder for your AP Exam
preparation.

Flooding has washed out one of the tracks of the Snake Gulch Railroad. The railroad has two parallel tracks
from Bullsnake to Copperhead, but only one usable track from Copperhead to Diamondback, as shown in the
figure below. Having only one usable track disrupts the usual schedule. Until it is repaired, the washed-out track
will remain unusable. If the train leaving Bullsnake arrives at Copperhead first, it has to wait until the train
leaving Diamondback arrives at Copperhead.

Every day at noon a train leaves Bullsnake heading for Diamondback and another leaves Diamondback heading
for Bullsnake.

Assume that the length of time, X, it takes the train leaving Bullsnake to get to Copperhead is normally
distributed with a mean of 170 minutes and a standard deviation of 20 minutes.

Assume that the length of time, Y, it takes the train leaving Diamondback to get to Copperhead is normally
distributed with a mean of 200 minutes and a standard deviation of 10 minutes.

These two travel times are independent.

Scoring: (a) What is the distribution of Y - X?

E I

E P I (b) Over the long run, what proportion of the days will the train from Bullsnake have to wait
at Copperhead for the train from Diamondback to arrive?

E P I

(c) How long should the Snake Gulch Railroad delay the departure of the train from Bullsnake
so that the probability that it has to wait is only 0.01?

E P I Total:__/4
 “FRAPPY”
200 {Free Response AP Problem...Yay!}
Prob 6B
lem The following problem is taken from an actual Advanced Placement Statistics
3 Examination. Your task is to generate a complete, concise statistical response in
15 minutes. You will be graded based on the AP rubric and will earn a score of
0-4. After grading, keep this problem in your binder for your AP Exam
preparation.

Golf balls must meet a set of five standards in order to be used in professional tournaments. One of these
standards is distance traveled. When a ball is hit by a mechanical device, Iron Byron, with a 10-degree angle of
launch, a backspin of 42 revolutions per second, and a ball velocity of 235 feet per second, the distance the ball
travels may not exceed 291.2 yards. Manufacturers want to develop balls that will travel as close to the 291.2
yards as possible without exceeding that distance. A particular manufacturer has determined that the distances
traveled for the balls it produces are normally distributed with a standard deviation of 2.8 yards. This
manufacturer has a new process that allows it to set the mean distance the ball will travel.

Scoring: (a) If the manufacturer sets the mean distance traveled to be equal to 288 yards,
what is the probability that a ball that is randomly selected for testing will travel too
far?

E P I

(b) Assume the mean distance traveled is 288 yards and that five balls are
independently tested. What is the probability that at least one of the five balls will
exceed the maximum distance of 291.2 yards?

E P I

(c) If the manufacturer wants to be 99 percent certain that a randomly selected ball
will not exceed the maximum distance of 291.2 yards, what is the largest mean that
can be used in the manufacturing process?

E P I
Total:__/4
 “FRAPPY”
200 {Free Response AP Problem...Yay!}
Prob 5B
lem The following problem is taken from an actual Advanced Placement Statistics
6 Examination. Your task is to generate a complete, concise statistical response in
25 minutes. You will be graded based on the AP rubric and will earn a score of
0-4. After grading, keep this problem in your binder for your AP Exam
preparation.

Regulations require that product labels on containers of food that are available for sale to the public accurately
state the amount of food in those containers. Specifically, if milk containers are labeled to have 128 fluid ounces
and the mean number of fluid ounces of milk in the containers is at least 128, the milk processor is considered
to be in compliance with the regulations. The filling machines can be set to the labeled amount. Variability in the
filling process causes the actual contents of milk containers to be normally distributed. A random sample of 12
containers of milk was drawn from the milk processing line in a plant, and the amount of milk in each container
was recorded.

Scoring: (a) The sample mean and standard deviation of this sample of 12 containers of milk
were 127.2 ounces and 2.1 ounces, respectively. Is there sufficient evidence to
conclude that the packaging plant is not in compliance with the regulations?
Provide statistical justification for your answer.

E P I

Inspectors decide to study a particular filling machine within this plant further. For
this machine, the amount of milk in the containers has a mean of 128.0 fluid ounces
and a standard deviation of 2.0 fluid ounces.

(b) What is the probability that a randomly selected container filled by this machine
contains at least 125 fluid ounces?

E P I
 (c) An inspector will randomly select 12 containers filled by this machine and
record the amount of milk in each. What is the probability that the minimum
(smallest amount of milk) recorded in the 12 containers will be at least 125 fluid
ounces? (Note: In order for the minimum to be at least 125 fluid ounces, each of
the 12 containers must contain at least 125 fluid ounces.)

E P I

An analyst wants to use simulation to investigate the sampling distribution of the

minimum. The analyst randomly generates 150 samples, each consisting of 12
observations, from a normal distribution with mean 128 and standard deviation 2
and finds the minimum for each sample. The 150 minimum (sorted from smallest to
largest) are shown on the next page.

(d) Use the simulation results to estimate the probability that was requested in part
(c) and compare this estimate with the theoretical value you calculated.

E P I

Total:__/4
 “FRAPPY”
200 {Free Response AP Problem...Yay!}
Prob 4B
lem The following problem is taken from an actual Advanced Placement Statistics
3 Examination. Your task is to generate a complete, concise statistical response in
15 minutes. You will be graded based on the AP rubric and will earn a score of
0-4. After grading, keep this problem in your binder for your AP Exam
preparation.

Trains carry bauxite ore from a mine in Canada to an aluminum processing plant in northern New York state in
hopper cars. Filling equipment is used to load ore into the hopper cars. When functioning properly, the actual
weights of ore loaded into each car by the filling equipment at the mine are approximately normally distributed
with a mean of 70 tons and a standard deviation of 0.9 ton. If the mean is greater than 70 tons, the loading
mechanism is overfilling.

Scoring: (a) If the filling equipment is functioning properly, what is the probability that the
weight of the ore in a randomly selected car will be 70.7 tons or more? Show
your work.

(b) Suppose that the weight of ore in a randomly selected car is 70.7 tons. Would
E P I that fact make you suspect that the loading mechanism is overfilling the cars?
Justify your answer.

(c) If the filling equipment is functioning properly, what is the probability that a
random sample of 10 cars have a mean ore weight of 70.7 tons or more? Show
your work.

(d) Based on your answer in part (c), if a random sample of 10 cars had a mean
E P I ore weight of 70.7 tons, would you suspect that the loading mechanism was
overfilling the cars? Justify your answer.

Total:__/4
 “FRAPPY”
200 {Free Response AP Problem...Yay!}
Prob 3
lem The following problem is taken from an actual Advanced Placement Statistics
3 Examination. Your task is to generate a complete, concise statistical response in
15 minutes. You will be graded based on the AP rubric and will earn a score of
0-4. After grading, keep this problem in your binder for your AP Exam
preparation.

Men’s shirt sizes are determined by their neck sizes. Suppose that men’s neck sizes are approximately normally
distributed with mean 15.7 inches and standard deviation 0.7 inch. A retailer sells men’s shirts in sizes S, M, L, and
XL, where the shirt sizes are defined in the table below.

Scoring: (a) Because the retailer only stocks the sizes listed above, what proportion of
customers will find that the retailer does not carry any shirts in their sizes? Show
your work.

E P I

(b) Using a sketch of a normal curve, illustrate the proportion of men whose shirt size
is M. Calculate this proportion.

E P I

(c) Of 12 randomly selected customers, what is the probability that exactly 4 will
request size M? Show your work.

E P I

Total:__/4
 “FRAPPY”
200 {Free Response AP Problem...Yay!}
Prob 3
lem The following problem is taken from an actual Advanced Placement Statistics
3 Examination. Your task is to generate a complete, concise statistical response in
15 minutes. You will be graded based on the AP rubric and will earn a score of
0-4. After grading, keep this problem in your binder for your AP Exam
preparation.

Men’s shirt sizes are determined by their neck sizes. Suppose that men’s neck sizes are approximately normally
distributed with mean 15.7 inches and standard deviation 0.7 inch. A retailer sells men’s shirts in sizes S, M, L, and
XL, where the shirt sizes are defined in the table below.

Scoring: (a) Because the retailer only stocks the sizes listed above, what proportion of
customers will find that the retailer does not carry any shirts in their sizes? Show
your work.

E P I

(b) Using a sketch of a normal curve, illustrate the proportion of men whose shirt size
is M. Calculate this proportion.

E P I

(c) Of 12 randomly selected customers, what is the probability that exactly 4 will
request size M? Show your work.

E P I

Total:__/4
 “FRAPPY”
200 {Free Response AP Problem...Yay!}
Prob 2
lem The following problem is taken from an actual Advanced Placement Statistics
3 Examination. Your task is to generate a complete, concise statistical response in
15 minutes. You will be graded based on the AP rubric and will earn a score of
0-4. After grading, keep this problem in your binder for your AP Exam
preparation.

There are 4 runners on the New High School team. The team is planning to participate in a race in which each
runner runs a mile. The team time is the sum of the individual times for the 4 runners. Assume that the
individual times of the 4 runners are all independent of each other. The individual times, in minutes, of the
runners in similar races are approximately normally distributed with the following means and standard
deviations.

Scoring: (a) Runner 3 thinks that he can run a mile in less than 4.2 minutes in the next race. Is
this likely to happen? Explain.

E P I

(b) The distribution of possible team times is approximately normal. What are the
mean and standard deviation of this distribution?

E P I

(c) Suppose the team’s best time to date is 18.4 minutes. What is the probability that
the team will beat its own best time in the next race?

E P I

Total:__/4
 “FRAPPY”
20 {Free Response AP Problem...Yay!}
Prob 00
lem The following problem is taken from an actual Advanced Placement Statistics
6 Examination. Your task is to generate a complete, concise statistical response in
25 minutes. You will be graded based on the AP rubric and will earn a score of
0-4. After grading, keep this problem in your binder for your AP Exam
preparation.

A random sample of 400 married couples was selected from a large population of married couples.

• Heights of married men are approximately normally distributed with mean 70 inches and standard deviation 3
inches.
• Heights of married women are approximately normally distributed with mean 65 inches and standard deviation
2.5 inches.
• There were 20 couples in which the wife was taller than her husband, and there were 380 couples in which the
wife was shorter that her husband.

Scoring: (a) Find a 95 percent confidence interval for the proportion of married couples
in the population for which the wife is taller than her husband. Interpret your
interval in the context of this question.

E P I

(b) Suppose that a married man is selected at random and a married woman is
selected at random. Find the approximate probability that the woman will be
taller than the man.

E P I

(c) Based on your answers to (a) and (b), are the heights of wives and their
husbands independent? Explain your reasoning.

E P I
(d) A scatterplot (not shown) of husband’s height versus wife’s height for the 400 couples in the sample
shows an approximately linear relationship with correlation 0.4. On the graph below, sketch an ellipse that
could enclose the points on the scatterplot. Be sure to

• label your axes, and

• locate and orient your ellipse correctly with respect to the two axes and the line y = x.

Include any information that you think will be helpful in clarifying your sketch.

E P I

Total:__/4
 “FRAPPY”
19 {Free Response AP Problem...Yay!}
Prob 99
lem The following problem is taken from an actual Advanced Placement Statistics
4 Examination. Your task is to generate a complete, concise statistical response in
15 minutes. You will be graded based on the AP rubric and will earn a score of
0-4. After grading, keep this problem in your binder for your AP Exam
preparation.

A company is considering implementing one of two quality control plans for monitoring the weights of
automobile batteries that it manufactures. If the manufacturing process is working properly, the battery weights
are approximately normally distributed with a specified mean and standard deviation.

Quality control plan A calls for rejecting a battery as defective if its weight falls more than 2 standard deviations
below the specified mean.

Quality control plan B calls for rejecting a battery as defective if its weight falls more than 1.5 interquartile ranges
below the lower quartile of the specified population.

Assume the manufacturing process is under control.

Scoring: (a) What proportion of batteries will be rejected by plan A?

E I

(b) What is the probability that at least 1 of 2 randomly selected batteries will be
rejected by plan A?

E I

(c) What proportion of batteries will be rejected by plan B?

E P I

Total:__/4
 “FRAPPY”
199 {Free Response AP Problem...Yay!}
Prob 8
lem The following problem is taken from an actual Advanced Placement Statistics
6 Examination. Your task is to generate a complete, concise statistical response in
25 minutes. You will be graded based on the AP rubric and will earn a score of
0-4. After grading, keep this problem in your binder for your AP Exam
preparation.

The manager of a cultured pearl farm has received a special order for two pearls between 7 millimeters and
9 millimeters in diameter. From past experience, the manager knows that the pearls found in his oyster bed
have diameters that are normally distributed with a mean of 8 millimeters and a standard deviation of 2
millimeters. Assume that every oyster contains one pearl.

The manager wants to know how many oysters he should expect to open to find two pearls of the
appropriate size for this special order. Complete the following parts to design a simulation to answer the
manager’s question.

(a) Determine the probability of finding a pearl of the appropriate size in an oyster selected at random.
(Express this probability as a number between 0 and 1. Round this probability to the nearest tenth.)

(b) Describe how you would use a table of random digits to carry out a simulation to determine the
number of oysters needed to find two pearls of the appropriate size. Include a description of what each
of the digits 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 will represent in your simulation.
(c) Perform your simulation 3 times. (That is, run 3 trials of your simulation.) Start at the upper left most
digit in the first row of the table and move across. Make your procedure clear so that someone can
follow what you did. You must do this by marking directly on or above the table.

(d) The results of two 100-trial simulations, one searching for two pearls between 7 millimeters and 9
millimeters and the other searching for two pearls between 4 millimeters and 6.5 millimeters are shown
below.

Identify which distribution, A or B, represents the search for two 7 millimeter to 9 millimeter pearls.
Explain your reasoning.

(e) Use the appropriate distribution in part (d) to compute an estimate of the expected number of
oysters opened to find two pearls between 7 millimeters and 9 millimeters in diameter.

Total:__/4