Biology and Environmental Science Opponents of the U.S. Navy SURTASS LFA Sonar System argue that it constitutes a substantial risk to marine life, causing extraordinary numbers of stranded, or beached, whales. Consider the following statements concerning the use of this system near a remote island in the South Pacific.
¦ On any given day, the probability of a mass stranding of whales in this area is 0.01.
¦ The probability of a military exercise on any given day is 0.001.
¦ If there is a military exercise, the probability of a mass stranding is 0.17.
a. Define events and write a probability statement for each fact above.
b. On a randomly selected day, what is the probability of a mass stranding of whales and a military exercise?
c. Are the events mass stranding and military exercise independent? Justify your answer.