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Assume the two races are independent of one another. What is the the expected value?

Assume the two races are independent of one another. What is the the expected value-example-1
User Eric Milas
by
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1 Answer

4 votes

Answer:

D) $41,562.50

Explanation:

You can narrow your choics to A or D based on your knowledge that expected value is a weighted average of the possible outcomes. The expected value cannot be higher than the highest possible outcome, nor can it be lower than the lowest.

The probability of two wins is ...

0.25·0.35 = 0.0875

so the expected value of that outcome is

$100,000·0.0875 = $8,750

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The probability of one win is the sum of the probabilities of a win in the first race followed by a loss, and a loss in the first race followed by a win. The expected value of that outcome is ...

(0.25·0.65 +0.75·0.35)·$60,000 = $25,500

__

The probability of two losses is ...

0.75·0.65 = 0.4875

Though this is the most probable outcome, it is nearly the same as the probability of one win. The expected value of two losses is ...

$15,000·0.4875 = $7,312.50

The expected value of all the outcomes is the sum of these, ...

$8750 +25500 +7312.50 = $41,562.50 . . . . . . matches selection D

User Bryce Johnson
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6.2k points