Students Arrive Randomly at the Help Desk of the Computer

question 103

Multiple Choice

Students arrive randomly at the help desk of the computer lab.There is only one service agent,and the time required for inquiry varies from student to student.Arrival rates have been found to follow the Poisson distribution,and the service times follow the negative exponential distribution.The average arrival rate is 12 students per hour,and the average service rate is 20 students per hour.A student has just entered the system.How long is she expected to stay in the system?

• A)0.125 minutes
• B)0.9 minutes
• C)1.5 minutes
• D)7.5 minutes
• E)0.075 hours

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Definitions:

Utility Function

A utility function is a mathematical representation of a consumer’s preferences, ranking different bundles of goods according to levels of satisfaction.

Indifference Curve

A graph showing different bundles of goods between which a consumer is indifferent, meaning they would derive the same level of satisfaction from any combination.

Bliss Point

The optimal quantity of consumption where any further increase or decrease would lead to a lower level of satisfaction for the consumer.

Indifference Curves

Graphical representations in microeconomics to illustrate different combinations of goods between which a consumer is indifferent.