Question

It has been observed that the average number of traffic accidents requiring medical assistance on the Hollywood Freeway between 7 and 8 a.m. on Wednesdays is 1. An ambulance can only service one accident requiring medical assistance at a time. The hospital dispatcher needs to know the chance there will be a need for exactly 2 ambulances on the Hollywood Freeway between 7 and 8 a.m. on Wednesdays. What will you, the statistics consultant hired by the hospital, tell the dispatcher

Answer 1

0.184

Explanation:

As the statistician consultant, I would have to calculate the chance of having 2 ambulances on the freeway at this hours and relay the message to the dispatcher.

Probability of having the need for 2 ambulances.

We will have a poisson distribution:

Lambda = 1

P(x=2) = e^-2*1/2!

= 2.71828^-1/2

= 0.368/2

= 0.184

I would tell the dispatch rider that the possibility that 2 ambulances would be required is 0.184.

Thank you