Particles in an hour

Topic: Random variables and distributions · more questions on this topic
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A source emits a particle in a given second with probability 1/100, independently across seconds. Let X be the number of particles emitted in one hour of 3600 seconds. Give the Poisson parameter that approximates the distribution of X.

Worked answer (click to show)

The exact count is \operatorname{Bin}(3600,1/100). The Poisson approximation has mean 3600/100=36.