Question
Juan is playing a game in which he spins a spinner with 6 equal-sized slices numbered 1 through 6 . The spinner stops on a numbered slice at random.
This game is this: Juan spins the spinner once. He wins
if the spinner stops on the number
if the spinner stops on the number 2 ,
if the spinne
stops on the number 3 , and
if the spinner stops on the number 4 . He loses
if the spinner stops on 5 or 6 .
(a) Find the expected value of playing the game.
(b) What can Juan expect in the long run, after playing the game many times?
Juan can expect to gain money.
He can expect to win
dollars per spin.
He can expect to lose
dollars per spin.
O Juan can expect to break even (neither gain nor lose money).
This game is this: Juan spins the spinner once. He wins
stops on the number 3 , and
(a) Find the expected value of playing the game.
(b) What can Juan expect in the long run, after playing the game many times?
Juan can expect to gain money.
He can expect to win
He can expect to lose
O Juan can expect to break even (neither gain nor lose money).
Ask by Sherman Jimenez. in the United States
Jan 06,2025
Upstudy AI Solution
Tutor-Verified Answer
Answer
Juan can expect to break even (neither gain nor lose money) per spin.
Solution
Let’s analyze Juan’s game step by step.
Part (a): Finding the Expected Value
The expected value (E) of a game is the average amount Juan can expect to win or lose per spin if he plays the game many times. It is calculated by multiplying each possible outcome by its probability and then summing all these values.
Here are the possible outcomes and their corresponding payouts:
- Spin stops on 1: Win $1
- Spin stops on 2: Win $4
- Spin stops on 3: Win $7
- Spin stops on 4: Win $10
- Spin stops on 5 or 6: Lose $11 each
Since the spinner has 6 equal-sized slices, the probability of landing on any particular number is
.
Now, calculate the expected value:
So, the expected value is $0.
Part (b): Long-Run Expectation
Since the expected value is $0, this means that on average, Juan neither gains nor loses money per spin in the long run. Over many spins, the gains and losses balance each other out.
Summary:
- Expected Value: $0
- Long-Run Expectation: Juan can expect to break even (neither gain nor lose money) per spin.
Answer:
Problem (b) Answer:
Juan can expect to break even (neither gain nor lose money).
Answered by UpStudy AI and reviewed by a Professional Tutor
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Mind Expander
To find the expected value of playing the game, we can calculate it using the outcomes and their respective probabilities.
The outcomes and their associated wins/losses are as follows:
- Winning $1 with probability
(stopping on 1) - Winning $4 with probability
(stopping on 2) - Winning $7 with probability
(stopping on 3) - Winning $10 with probability
(stopping on 4) - Losing $11 with probability
(stopping on 5) - Losing $11 with probability
(stopping on 6)
Now, let’s calculate the expected value
:
(a) The expected value of playing the game is
.
(b) In the long run, after playing the game many times, Juan can expect to break even since the expected value is
per spin. Thus, he will neither gain nor lose money overall.