The marketing department of a nationally known cereal maker plans to conduct a national survey to find out whether or not consumers of flake cereals can distinguish one of their favorite flake cereals. To test the questionnaire and procedure to be used, eight persons were asked to cooperate in an experiment. Five very small bowls of flake cereals were placed in front of a person. The bowls were labeled A, B, C, D and
A) 0.168
B) 0.009
C) 0.788
D) 0.125
E) The person was informed that only one bowl contained his or her favorite flake cereal. Suppose that the eight persons in the experiment were unable to identify their favorite cereal and just guessed which bowl it was in. What is the probability that none of the eight guessed correctly?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The probability that none of the eight guessed correctly is calculated using the formula for the probability of none succeeding in a series of independent trials, which is (1 - p)^n, where p is the probability of success in one trial (1/5 in this case) and n is the number of trials (8). Thus, the probability is (4/5)^8 = 0.168.

The Marketing Department of a Nationally Known Cereal Maker Plans