In a history class, the probability of earning an A is .7 times the probability of earning a B, and the probability of earning a C is 1.4 times the probability of earning a B. Assuming that all grades are A, B, or C, how many B's will there be in a history class of 31 students?
To solve this problem, I need to find the probability of earning a B, since the probabilities of earning an A and a C are expressed in terms of it. I also need to use the fact that the sum of the probabilities of all possible outcomes is 1. Let p be the probability of earning a B. Then the probability of earning an A is 0.7p and the probability of earning a C is 1.4p. The sum of these three probabilities must be 1, so I can write an equation: 0.7p + p + 1.4p = 1. Simplifying, I get 3.1p = 1, so p = 1/3.1. This means that the probability of earning a B is 1/3.1, and the probability of earning an A is 0.7/3.1, and the probability of earning a C is 1.4/3.1. To find the expected number of B's in a class of 31 students, I need to multiply the probability of earning a B by the number of students: 1/3.1 * 31. This gives me 10, so I expect there to be 10 B's in the class. 