Question

For each of the following, describe the sample space, S.

a) A mother has a child; it is either a boy or a girl.

b) A cancer patient is treated with a new type of treatment; the response variable is the length of time the patient lives after the treatment.

c) An A.P. Statistics student receives a grade at the end of the semester.

d) A basketball player shoots four free throws. The number of makes is recorded.

e) A basketball player shoots four free throws. The sequence of makes and misses is recorded.

f) Toss a coin 4 times and record the results.

Answer 1

The sample space is the set of all possible entities that can exist in a particular situation.

a){boy, girl}
b) {length of time the patient lives after the treatment.}
c) {grades}
d) {shot, missed, shot, missed}
e) S: shot; M missed {SSSS, SSSM, SSMM, SMMM, MMMM, MMMS, MMSS, MSSS, SMSS, SSMS, SMMS, MSSM, MSMS, SSMM, SMSM..}
f) H head, T tail {the sequence is like in e except that it is H instead of S and T instead of M}