The probability of a plane crashing on a single trip in 2010 was 0.00000276. Find the approximate probability that in 10 million flights, there will be fewer than 17 crashes.

Question

You may need to use the appropriate appendix table or technology to answer this question.

The probability of a plane crashing on a single trip in 2010 was 0.00000276. Find the approximate probability that in 10 million flights, there will be fewer than 17 crashes. (Round your answer to four decimal places.)

Answer 1

You will need to use the normal (Gaussian) approximation to the binomial with

n=10⁶, p=.00000276 and q=1-p.

Remember the mean is np and the standard deviation is sqrt(npq).