Which of the following experiments can be modeled by the Poisson distribution?
A) The number of calls received by a switchboard during a given period of time.
B) The number of bacteria per small volume of fluid.
C) The number of customer arrivals at a checkout counter during a given minute.
D) The number of customer arrivals at a checkout counter during a given hour.
E) All of these.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

All of these experiments can be modeled by the Poisson distribution, as they involve counting the number of occurrences of a rare event in a given time or space. The Poisson distribution is commonly used to model the number of rare events, such as the number of calls received by a switchboard, the number of bacteria in a sample, or the number of customer arrivals at a checkout counter, as long as the events occur independently of each other and with a fixed mean rate.

Which of the Following Experiments Can Be Modeled by the Poisson