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How long will a light bulb have to last so that 98.3% of lights burn out before it?

A) Until it reaches its specified lifespan
B) Indefinitely, as 98.3% is an unrealistic failure rate
C) Until it has surpassed its average lifespan
D) Until it has burnt out, as 98.3% failure implies that only a small percentage will last beyond that point

1 Answer

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Final answer:

A light bulb must outlast 98.3% of similar bulbs, placing it in the top 1.7% for longevity. This relates to statistical outcomes concerning reliability and does not adhere strictly to average or specified lifespans.

Step-by-step explanation:

If a light bulb is expected to last indefinitely so that 98.3% have burned out before it, this implies that it has to be among the 1.7% that outlasts almost all others. This does not necessarily align with the bulb's specified lifespan, average lifespan, or guarantee that it will burn out at any particular point. Rather, being in the top 1.7% is a statistical outcome related to the light bulb's longevity and reliability based on the lifetime distribution of a given type of bulb.

The question appears to be asking about how life expectancy and failure rates interact for a product like a light bulb, which is modeled by an exponential distribution in reliability engineering.

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