The following information pertains to telephone calls to a motel switchboard on a typical

Tuesday. Use Table 1.

Service
Rate (calls
Incoming per minute
Rate (calls
per
Number of
Period
per minute) operator) Operators
Morning
1.6
1.6
2
Afternoon
2.7
.9
4
Evening
1.5
.6
3
a.
Determine the average time callers wait to have their calls answered for each period and the
probability that a caller will have to wait for each period. (Round intermediate calculations
and final answers to 3 decimal places.)
Period

Pw

Morning
Afternoon
Evening

Solution
For morning, / = 1.6/1.6 = 1
For afternoon, / = 2.7/0.9 = 3
For evening, / = 1.5/0.6 = 2.5
Average time to wait in morning = 0.33 minutes
Average time to wait in afternoon = 1.528 minutes
Average time to wait in evening = 3.511 minutes
Probability of waiting in morning = server utilization = 1- 0.33 =0.67
Probability of waiting in afternoon = server utilization = 1- 0.038 = 0.962
Probability of waiting in evening = server utilization =1- 0.045 = 0.955s

b.
Determine the maximum line length for a probability of 91 percent. (Round your
intermediate calculations to 3 decimal places and round up your final answers to the
next whole number.)
Period

Lmax

Morning
Afternoon
Evening

Solution
Average time to wait in morning = 0.21 minutes
Average time

Trucks are required to pass through a weighing station so that they can be checked for weight
violations. Trucks arrive at the station at the rate of 24 an hour between 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.
Currently two inspectors are on duty during those hours, each of whom can inspect 15 trucks an
hour.
Use Table 1.
a.
How many trucks would you expect to see at the weighing station, including those being
inspected? (Round your answer to 3 decimal places.)

Ls

trucks

b.
If a truck was just arriving at the station, about how many minutes could the driver expect to
be at the station? (Round your answer to 2 decimal places.)

Ws

min.

c.
What is the probability that both inspectors would be busy at the same time?(Round your
answer to 4 decimal places.)

Pw
d.
How many minutes, on average, would a truck that is not immediately inspected have to
wait? (Round your answer to the nearest whole number.)

Wa

min.

f.
What is the maximum line length for a probability of .90? (Round up your answer to the
next whole number.)

L max
Solution
= 24 per hour
= 15 per hour
= /2 = 24/(2*15) = 0.8

a.
b.
c.
d.

Ls = 4.44
Ws = 11.11 minutes
Probability = 1- p0 = 1- 0.429 = 0.571
Wq = 7 minutes

Many of a banks customers use its automatic teller machine to transact business after normal
banking hours. During the early evening hours in the summer months, customers arrive at a
certain location at the rate of one every other minute. This can be modeled using a Poisson
distribution. Each customer spends an average of 90 seconds completing his or her transactions.
Transaction time is exponentially distributed.
a.
Determine the average time customers spend at the machine, including waiting in line and
completing transactions. (Do not round intermediate calculations. Round your answer to
the nearest whole number.)

Average time

minutes

b.
Determine the probability that a customer will not have to wait upon arriving at the automatic
teller machine. (Round your answer to 2 decimal places.)

Probability
c.
Determine the average number waiting to use the machine. (Round your answer to 2
decimal places.)

Average number

customers

Solution
= 30 per hour
= 40 per hour
= / = 30/40 = 0.75

a. Ii = 2 / (1- ) = 0.752 / (1-0.75) = 2.25 customers

Ti = Ii / = 2.25 / 30 = 0.075 hours = 4.5 minutes
T = Ti + 1/ = 4.5 + 1.5 = 6 minutes
b. P0 = 1- / = 1- 30/40 = 0.25

c. Ii = 2.25 customers

A vending machine dispenses hot chocolate or coffee. Service time is 30 seconds per cup and is
constant. Customers arrive at a mean rate of 75 per hour, and this rate is Poisson-distributed.
a.
Determine the average number of customers waiting in line. (Round your answer to 2
decimal places.)

Average number of customer

b.
Determine the average time customers spend in the system. (Do not round intermediate
calculations. Round your answer to 2 decimal places.)

Average time

minutes

c.
Determine the average number in the system. (Do not round intermediate calculations.
Round your answer to 2 decimal places.)

Average number

customers

Solution
= 75 customers per hour
= 120 customers per hour
= / = 7/120 = 0.625

a. Ii = 2 / 2(1- ) = 0.6252 / 2(1-0.625) = 2/3 = 0.52 customers

b. Ti = Ii / = 0.521 / 75 = 0.075 hours = 0.0069 hours
T = Ti + 1/ = 0.0069 + 1/120 = 0.0153 hours = 0.92 minutes

c. I = Ii + = 0.521 + 0.625 = 1.15 customers

Repair calls are handled by one repairman at a photocopy shop. Repair time, including travel
time, is exponentially distributed, with a mean of 2.5 hours per call. Requests for copier repairs
come in at a mean rate of 2.1 per eight-hour day (assume Poisson).
_2013_QC_28691
a.
Determine the average number of customers awaiting repairs. (Round your answer to 2
decimal places.)
Number of customers

b.
Determine system utilization. (Round your answer to the nearest whole percent. Omit the
"%" sign in your response.)
System utilization

c.
Determine the amount of time during an eight-hour day that the repairman is not out on a
call. (Round your answer to 2 decimal places.)
Amount of time

hours

d.
Determine the probability of two or more customers in the system. (Do not round
intermediate calculations. Round your answer to 4 decimal places.)

Probability

Solution
= 2.1 per day
= 8/2.5 = 3.2 per day
= / = 2.1/3.2 = 0.65625

a. Ii = 2 / (1- ) = 0.656252 / (1-0.65625) = 1.25 customers

b. = / = 2.1/3.2 = 0.65625 = 65.63% = 66%
c. Percentage of time idle = 1- = 1- 65.63% = 34.37%
So, idle time = 34.37%*8 = 2.75 hours
d. Prob (N2) = 1- P0 P1 = 1 0.3437 0.3437*0.6563 = 0.4307