Question

A biologist has determined that a particular osprey has a 70% chance of catching a fish on any given day. Carry out a simulation of twenty trials using the random number table below to find the probability that the osprey will actually catch a fish on all of the next three days.

945 025 354 793 236

106 746 981 105 012

832 180 250 871 835

793 726 864 496 947

Answer 1

Using the digits 0–6 to represent a caught fish, the probability of catching a fish on each of the next three days is 35%.

Answer 2

A random variable is used like this:
You close your eyes and point anywhere on the table to choose a number. Since the given random number table is made up of 3 digits, you only get the first two digits. We are also given a 70% of catching a fish, that means that the number you choose should not have a first two digit number greater than 70. If that happens, you go down to the next value. If you reach the bottom, you go up to the next column. This is done 3 times and multiplying the three numbers to get the chance for 1 trials. This is repeated 20 times and the average is obtained.