SOLUTION: The distance between Cape Town and Hermanus is 120km. You are travelling towards Hermanus (from Cape Town) and you have been dropped off at some point along the highway between

Algebra ->  Probability-and-statistics -> SOLUTION: The distance between Cape Town and Hermanus is 120km. You are travelling towards Hermanus (from Cape Town) and you have been dropped off at some point along the highway between      Log On


   

Question 1192424: The distance between Cape Town and Hermanus is 120km. You are travelling towards
Hermanus (from Cape Town) and you have been dropped off at some point along the
highway between Cape Town and Hermanus. The only information known to you is
that you have passed the half-way mark to Hermanus. What is the probability that you still have more than 30km to travel?
Answer by ikleyn(52752) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
.

Formally, this problem is about uniformly distributed probability.


The answer to the problem's question is OBVIOUS based on common sense.


Look at this plot below.


       <----------------------- 120 km ------------------------>
       
       <--------- 60 km ---------><---30 km --- ><--- 30 km --->

       |-------------------------|--------------|--------------|
       A                         B              C              D

     Cape                                                    Hermanus
     Town


The problem asks you to find the probability that you are at the segment BC
given that you are somewhere at the segment BD.


It is the ratio of the length of  BC  (30 km)  to the half-way distance  BD  (which is 60 km). 


So the answer is  30%2F60 = 1%2F2.

Solved and explained.