Final answer:
The expected value of the number of spots on the special die is approximately 2.833. This is found by multiplying the number of spots by their respective probabilities and summing those products.
Step-by-step explanation:
The problem asks us to find the expected value of the number of spots that will appear on a special six-sided die with a non-standard distribution of spots on its sides. To calculate this, we use the formula for expected value (E(X)) which is the sum of each outcome multiplied by its probability.
In this die, 1 side has 6 spots, 2 sides have 4 spots, and 3 sides have 1 spot. The probabilities are then 1/6 for landing on the side with 6 spots, 2/6 (or 1/3) for landing on a side with 4 spots, and 3/6 (or 1/2) for landing on a side with 1 spot. We multiply each outcome by its probability and sum these products:
- E(X) = (1/6)*6 + (1/3)*4 + (1/2)*1
- E(X) = 1 + (4/3) + (1/2)
- E(X) = 1 + 1.333 + 0.5
- E(X) = 2.833
Therefore, the expected value of the number of spots is approximately 2.833. This is the average number of spots you would expect to see over a large number of rolls of the die.