SOLUTION: A teacher travels to work by either a bicycle or tricycle. There is probality of 2/7 that he travels by a tricycle on Monday. If he travels by a tricycle on any one day, there's a

Algebra ->  Probability-and-statistics -> SOLUTION: A teacher travels to work by either a bicycle or tricycle. There is probality of 2/7 that he travels by a tricycle on Monday. If he travels by a tricycle on any one day, there's a       Log On


   



Question 1209120: A teacher travels to work by either a bicycle or tricycle. There is probality of 2/7 that he travels by a tricycle on Monday. If he travels by a tricycle on any one day, there's a probability of 2/5 that he will travel by a bicycle the next day.If he by bicycle on every one day ,there is a probability of 5/9 that he will travel by tricycle the next day.Use a tree diagram to find the probability that he travels by a tricycle on Wednesday.
Answer by ikleyn(52852) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
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A teacher travels to work by either a bicycle or tricycle.
There is probability of 2/7 that he travels by a tricycle on Monday.
If he travels by a tricycle on any one day, there is a probability of 2/5 that he will travel by a bicycle the next day.
If he travels by a bicycle on every one day, there is a probability of 5/9 that he will travel by a tricycle the next day.
Use a tree diagram to find the probability that he travels by a tricycle on Wednesday.
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Among different logical chains, we are interested with the chains that start on Monday
and finish by Wednesday/tricycle.


These chains, with their step-by-step probabilities, according to the problem, are


    Monday/tricycle --> Tuesday/tricycle --> Wednesday/tricycle
           2/7                  3/5                    3/5

    Monday/tricycle --> Tuesday/bicycle  --> Wednesday/tricycle
           2/7                  2/5                    5/9

    Monday/bicycle  --> Tuesday/bicycle  --> Wednesday/tricycle
           5/7                  4/9                    5/9

    Monday/bicycle  --> Tuesday/tricycle --> Wednesday/tricycle
           5/7                  5/9                    3/5


Now we can write for the desired probability


   P(Wed/tri) = .


At this point, the substantive part of the solution ends - the rest is arithmetic.
Therefore, I will stop here, will put the formula into my calculator (which is MS Excel)  
and give the  ANSWER  in the decimal form  P = 0.5808  (rounded).   

Solved.

Making a tree is an excessive and unnecessary job for me.
For me, this logical presentation in wording form is PREFERABLE.