• The simplest of all discrete probability

distribution is one where the random

variable assumes each value with equal
probability.
• If a random variable X assumes the values
x1, x2, . . . , xk, with equal probabilities,
then the discrete uniform distribution is
given by

f  x; k   P  X  x   , x  x1 , x2 , . . . , xk
1
k
• The mean and variance of a discrete uniform
distribution is given by

k k

   
1 1
 Xi and 2  X i   2

• or k
i 1
k
i 1

   xP  x  and  2   x 2 Px  2
• An experiment often consists of repeated
trials, each with two possible outcomes
that may be labeled success or failure.
• The repeated trials are independent and
the probability of success remains constant
from trial to trial.
• The process is referred to as a Bernoulli
process and each trial is called a Bernoulli
trial.
• Each observed outcome in a binomial
probability experiment is called a Bernoulli
trial.
• We use the Bernoulli distribution when
we have an experiment which can result in
one of two outcomes.
• One outcome is labeled “success,” and the
other outcome is labeled “failure.”
• The the probability of success, denoted by
p, remains constant from trial to trial.
The probability of a failure is then 1 – p.
• The repeated trials are independent.
Sample Bernoulli trial outcomes success p

coin comes up
head or tail heads
½

defective or getting 0.2

non-defective defective
For any Bernoulli trial, we define a random
variable X as follows:
• If the experiment results in a success,
then X = 1. Otherwise, X = 0.
• It follows that X is a discrete random
variable, with probability mass function p(x)
defined by
p(1) = P(X = 1) = p
p(0) = P(X = 0) = 1 – p
p(x) = 0 for any value of x other than 0 or 1
For any Bernoulli trial, we define a random
variable X as follows:
 If X ~ Bernoulli(p), then
 mean
 X  0 1  p   1 p 
 p

 variance
2

  0 1  p   1 p  p 2
2 2

 p1  p 
Ten percent of components manufactured
by a certain process are defective. A
component is chosen at random. Let X = 1
if the component is defective, and X = 0
otherwise.
1. What is the distribution of X?
2. Find the mean and variance of X?
X ~ Bernoulli (0.1) since p  P  X  1  0.1
  0.1 and   0.09
2
A coin has probability 0.5 landing heads
when tossed. Let X=1 if the coin comes up
heads, and X = 0 otherwise.

1. What is the distribution of X?

2. Find the mean and variance of X?

X ~ Bernoulli (0.5) sin ce p  P  X  1  0.5

  0.5 and   0.25
2
A die has a probability 1/6 of coming 6
when rolled. Let X=1 if the coin comes up
6, and X = 0 otherwise.

1. What is the distribution of X?

2. Find the mean and variance of X?

p  P  X  1  1 / 6 X ~ Bernoulli ( 1 / 6 )
  1 / 6 and  2  5 / 36
If a total of n Bernoulli trials are conducted,
and
• the trials are independent.
• each trial has the same success
probability p.
• X is the number of successes in the n
trials.
• then X has the binomial distribution with
parameters n and p, denoted X ~ Bin(n,p)
Determine which of the following probability
experiment qualify as a binomial experiment.
1. An experiment in which a basketball player who
historically makes 80% of his free throws is
asked to shoot three free throws and the number
of made free throws are recorded.
2. The number of people with blood type O negative
based upon a simple random sample size of 10 is
recorded. According to the Information Please
Almanac, 6% of the world population is blood type
O negative.
3. A probability experiment in which three cards are
drawn from a deck without replacement and the
number of aces is recorded.
The probability of exactly X successes in
n trials in a binomial experiment is:

PX   p n X n!
X
q 
n  X ! X !
 If X ~ Bin(n, p),
• the probability mass function of X is
 X n X n!
p q  , x  0 ,1 ,2 ,..., n
p x   P  X  x    n  X ! X !
 0 , otherwise

• Mean  X  np

• Variance  X  np1  p 
2
A coin is tossed 3 times.
a. Determine the distribution of
getting heads.
b. Find the probability of
getting exactly two heads.

X ~ Bin( 3, 0.5)

P(2 heads)=0.375
• Assume that a finite population
contains items of two types,
successes and failures, and that a
simple random sample is drawn from
the population.
• Then if the sample size is no more
than 5% of the population, the
binomial distribution may be used to
model the number of successes.
A lot contains several thousand
components, 10% of which are
defective. Seven components are
sampled from the lot. Let X represent
the number of defective components in
the sample. What is the distribution
of X?

X ~ Bin( 7, 0.1)
A survey found that one out of five
Americans say he or she has visited a
doctor in any given month. If 10 people
are selected at random, find the
probability that exactly 3 will have
visited a doctor last month.

P(3) =0.201