STA301 Statistics and Probability is the course where you learn to organize data and summarize it with the right average. Assignment 1 for Fall 2026 covers lectures 1 to 9 and carries 15 marks, and it asks for three things: a stem-and-leaf display, a harmonic mean, and midpoints with relative frequencies from a frequency table. Each question tests a different basic skill, so getting the method right matters more than memorizing any single answer.
The solution file linked below walks through all three questions with complete steps. It shows the stem-and-leaf display for the patients ages, the full harmonic mean calculation for the delivery rider, and the completed frequency table with midpoints and relative frequencies. Use it to check your own work, to understand why each step is done the way it is, and to prepare for similar questions in quizzes and exams. It is written as a study reference, so read it with understanding rather than treating it as something to submit without reading.
What Does the Solution File Cover?
The file covers all three questions of Assignment 1. Question 1 organizes the ages of 10 patients into a stem-and-leaf display. Question 2 finds the average speed of a delivery rider using the harmonic mean. Question 3 completes a frequency table for the marks of 24 students by finding the midpoint and the relative frequency of every class. Every calculation is shown step by step so you can follow the method, not just copy the final number.
How Is the Stem-and-Leaf Display Built?
The ages are first arranged in ascending order: 18, 26, 27, 30, 31, 33, 35, 38, 49, 52. Then the tens digit becomes the stem and the ones digit becomes the leaf. Stem 1 has leaf 8, stem 2 has leaves 6 and 7, stem 3 has leaves 0, 1, 3, 5 and 8, stem 4 has leaf 9, and stem 5 has leaf 2. The key reads 1 | 8 = 18 years, so anyone reading the display can recover every original age from it.
Why Is the Harmonic Mean Used for Average Speed?
The rider travels equal distances on five routes at 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 km/h. When distances are equal, the simple average of the speeds gives the wrong answer because more time is spent on the slower routes. The harmonic mean fixes this by averaging the reciprocals: H.M. = 5 / (1/20 + 1/30 + 1/40 + 1/50 + 1/60) = 5 / 0.145 = 34.48 km/h. That is the correct average speed across the five routes.
How Are Midpoints and Relative Frequencies Found?
Each midpoint is the average of its class limits, so 10-14 gives 12, 15-19 gives 17, 20-24 gives 22, 25-29 gives 27, 30-34 gives 32, and 35-39 gives 37. Each relative frequency is its frequency divided by the total of 24 students: 2/24 = 0.0833, 4/24 = 0.1667, 6/24 = 0.25, 8/24 = 0.3333, 3/24 = 0.125, and 1/24 = 0.0417. The relative frequencies add up to 1.0000, which confirms the table is complete and correct.
How Do You Download the Solution File?
You can download the complete solution file from Google Drive using the link below. The file is a Word document because VU accepts assignments only as .doc or .docx files, so the solution is provided in the same format you will submit. It contains the stem-and-leaf display, the harmonic mean calculation with all steps, and the completed frequency table.
How Should You Use This Solution?
A solution file helps most when you use it to learn, not just to submit. Work through each calculation yourself first, then compare your steps with the file. If your answer differs, find the step where it differs before you finalize anything. Fill in your own name and student ID on your submission, and save your file with your VU ID, since that is how VU expects assignment files to be named. Also check your answers against the exact assignment file on VULMS, since question wording can vary.
- Download the file and read all three solutions before you start your own work.
- Check each calculation step against your own working.
- Fill in your own name and student ID on your submission and save the file with your VU ID.
- Rewrite the steps in your own words where your instructor expects original work.
- Keep the file for revision, because these topics return in midterm and final term exams.
For more study material, you can download course handouts from the VU handouts page and compact revision notes from the VU short notes page. Past papers are also useful for practice, and you can find them on the VU midterm past papers page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this the complete solution for STA301 Assignment 1 Fall 2026?
Yes. The file covers all three questions of Assignment 1: the stem-and-leaf display, the harmonic mean, and the midpoints with relative frequencies. The assignment covers lectures 1 to 9 and carries 15 marks.
Can I submit this solution file as it is?
You should treat it as a study reference. Add your own name and student ID, save the file with your VU ID, check it against your own assignment file on VULMS, and understand every step before submitting. Submitting work you do not understand is risky if your instructor asks about it later.
Why is the average speed 34.48 km/h and not the simple average?
Because the distances are equal, not the times. The rider spends more time on the slower routes, so a simple average of 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 would overstate the speed. The harmonic mean accounts for the unequal times and gives the correct average speed of 34.48 km/h.
What format does VU accept for this assignment?
VU accepts assignments only as .doc or .docx files for this assignment. Scanned images, PDF files, and zip files are not accepted. That is why the solution file is provided as a Word document, ready for you to adapt with your own details and submit on VULMS.
Last updated: October 2026.
