EME 485 - Homework 3

Prof. Yerkin G. Abdildin

Due: Tuesday, September 8, 2015
Instructions: This assignment must be turned in during the first ten minutes of lecture (3:00 - 3:10 PM in 6.510) on
the due date. 20 points will be deducted for late submissions. If your HW is written on more than one sheet, then
they must be firmly attached to each other; ten points will be deducted, otherwise. Show all of your work. Round off
the answer to 3 significant digits.

3-22. (30 pts) The space shuttle flight control system called PASS (Primary Avionics Software Set) uses four
independent computers working in parallel. At each critical step, the computers vote to determine the appropriate
step. The probability that a computer will ask for a roll to the left when a roll to the right is appropriate is 0.0001.
Let X denote the number of computers that vote for a left roll when a right roll is appropriate. What is the
probability mass function (PMF) of X?
Please do not round your answers in this problem, i.e. do not apply 3 decimal places rule in this problem.

3-26. (20 pts) An assembly consists of two mechanical components. Suppose that the probabilities that the first and
second components meet specifications are 0.95 and 0.98. Assume that the components are independent. Determine
the probability mass function of the number of components in the assembly that meet specifications.

3-40. (25 pts) Errors in an experimental transmission channel are found when the transmission is checked by a
certifier that detects missing pulses. The number of errors found in an eight-bit byte is a random variable with the
following distribution:
x 1
0
0.7
1

x4

F ( x)
4 x7
0.9
1
7x
Determine each of the following probabilities:
(a) (5pts) P X 4
(b) (5pts) P X 7
(c) (5pts) P X 5
(d) (5pts) P X 4
(e) (5pts) P X 2

3-58. (25 pts) Trees are subjected to different levels of carbon dioxide atmosphere with 6% of the trees in a minimal
growth condition at 350 parts per million (ppm), 10% at 450 ppm (slow growth), 47% at 550 ppm (moderate
growth), and 37% at 650 ppm (rapid growth). What are the mean and standard deviation of the carbon dioxide
atmosphere (in ppm) for these trees in ppm?