UNIT2

PROBABILITY DISTRIBUTIONS C 5606/2/ 1
UNIT 2
PROBABILITY DISTRIBUTIONS
OBJECTIVES
General Objective
 To understand the concept of probability distributions
Specific Objectives
At the end of the unit you should be able to:

 Construct a probability distribution for a random variable.
 Find the mean, variance, and expected value for a discrete random
variable.
 Find the exact probability for X successes in n trials of a binomial
experiment.
 Find the mean, variance, and standard deviation for the variable of a
binomial distribution.
 Fit a theoretical distribution given a frequency list.
 Identify distributions as symmetrical or skewed.
 Identify the properties of the normal distribution.
 Find the area under the standard normal distribution, given various z
values
 Find probabilities for a normally distributed variable by transforming it into
a standard normal variable.
 Find specific data values for given percentages using the standard normal
distribution.
INPUT
2.0 INTRODUCTION
A variable can be defined as a characteristic or attribute that can assume

different values. Various letters of the alphabet, such as X, Y, or Z, are used to
represent variables. Since the variables in this unit are associated with
probability, they are called random variables.
A random variable is variable

whose values are determined by
chance
If a variable can assume only a specific number of values, such as the outcomes
for the roll of a die or the outcomes for the toss of a coin, then the variable is
called a discrete variable. Discrete variables have values that can be
counted.
Variables that can assume all values in the interval between any given two
values are called continuous variables. For example, if the temperature goes
from 60o to 75o in a 24-hour period, it has passed through all possible number
from 60 to 75. Continuous random variables are obtained from data that can
be measured rather than counted.
2.1 PROBABILITY DISTRIBUTION
The procedure shown here for constructing a probability distribution for a discrete
random variable uses the probability experiment of tossing three coins. Recall
that when three coins are tossed, the sample space is represented as TTT, TTH,
THT, HTT, HHT, HTH, THH, HHH, and if X is the random variable for the number
of heads, then X assumes the value 0, 1,2, or 3.
Probabilities for the value of X can be determined as follows:
No One head Two heads Three

heads heads
TTT TTH THT HTT HHT HTH THH HHH
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8
1 3 3 1
8 8 8 8
1 3
Hence, the probability of getting no heads is , one head is , two heads is
8 8
3 1
, and three heads is . From these values, a probability distribution can be
8 8
constructed by listing the outcomes and assigning the probability of each
outcome , as shown.
Number of heads, X 0 1 2 3
Probability, P(X) 1 3 3 1
8 8 8 8
A discrete probability distribution consists of the values a random variable can

assume and the corresponding probabilities of the values. The probabilities are
determined theoretically or by observation.
Two requirements for a Probability Distribution
The sum of the probabilities of all events in the sample space must equal 1; that is
The probability of each event in the sample space must be between or equal to 0
and 1. That is ≤P(X)≤1
Example 2.1
1. Construct a probability distribution for rolling a single die.
2. Represent graphically the probability distribution for the sample space for
tossing three coins.
3. In the rainy months, a store selling umbrella keeps track of the number of
umbrellas it sells each day during a period of 90 days. The number of
umbrellas sold per day is represented by the variable X. The results are
shown here.
X Number of days
0 45
1 30
2 15
Total 90
Compute the probability P(X) for each X, and construct a probability

distribution and graph for the data.
Solution to Example 2.1
1. Since the sample space is S = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6},, and each outcome has a
1
probability of , the distribution is as follows:
6
Outcome X 1 2 3 4 5 6
Probability, P(X) 1
6
1
6
1
6
1
6
1
6
1
6
2. The values X assumes are located on the x-axis, and the values for P(X)
are located on the y axis.
Number of Heads, 0 1 2 3
X
Probability, P(X) 1/8 3/8 3/8 1/8
3. The probability P(X) can be computed for each X by dividing the number
of days X umbrellas sold by total days.
For 0 umbrellas: 45
90
 0 .5
For 1 umbrella:  0.33
30
90
For 2 umbrellas:  0.17

15
90
The distribution is as follows:
Number of umbrellas sold 0 1 2

Probability, P(X) 0.5 0.33 0.17
Number of umbrellas
ACTIVITY 2A
TEST YOUR UNDERSTANDING BEFORE YOU CONTINUE WITH THE NEXT

INPUT…!
1. Define and give three examples of a random variable.
2. Give three examples of a discrete random variable.
3. What is a probability distribution?
Question 7 – 9: Determine whether the distribution represents a

probability distribution. If it is not, state why.
4..
X 3 6 9 12 15
P(X) 4
9
2
9
1
9
1
9
1
9
5.
X 1 32 3 4 5
P(X) 3
10
1
10
1
10
2
10
3
10
6.
X 5 10 15
P(X) 1.2 0.3 0.5
For question 7 to 9, state whether the variable is discrete or continuous.
7. The number of cups of coffee a fast-food restaurant serves each day.
8. The weight of a rhinoceros.
9. The number of lecturers in your polytechnic
For question 10 to 12, construct a probability distribution for the data and draw a
graph for the distribution.
10. The probabilities that a patient will have 0, 1, 2, or 3 medical tests performed
on entering a hospital are 166 , 155 , 153 and 151 , respectively.
11. The probabilities of a machine manufacturing 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 defective

parts in one day are 0.75, 0.17, 0.04, 0.025, 0.01, and 0.005, respectively.
12.. A die is loaded in such a way that the probabilities of getting 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,

and 6 are 12 , 16 , 121 , 121 , 121 , and 121 , respectively.
FEEDBACK TO ACTIVITY 2A
1. A random variable is a variable whose values are determined by chance.

Examples will vary.
2. The number of commercials a radio station plays during each hour. The
number of times a student uses his or her calculator during a mathematics
exam. The number of leaves on a specific type of tree.
3. A probability distribution is a distribution that consists of the values a
random variable can assume along with the corresponding probability of
these values.
4. Yes
5. Yes
6. No, the probability values cannot be greater than one.
7. Discrete
8. Continuous
9. Discrete
10 to 12. Refer to the examples given in the input.

INPUT
INPUT
2.2 RANDOM VARIABLES OF THE CONTINUOUS TYPE
If X is a continuous variable and f(x) is a function assigned to it, then
b
P(a  X  b)   f ( x)dx with the following requirements satisfied..
a
i) f ( x)  0 For every possible x values


ii)  f ( x ) dx  1

Therefore f(x) is a probability density function for X (pdf)
Example 2.2
Prove Y is a continuous random variable given the following pdf:
1
 (2  y )  0  y  2
f(y) =  2
0  others
i) Find P(Y>1)
ii) P(Y<1)
iii) P(0.5<Y  1)
iv) Draw the graph for f(y) and double check your answer (i)
through (iii) by finding the area under the graph.
  
1 y2 
0 2
1 2
 f ( y)dy   2 (2  y)dy  0dy  0 (2  y)dy  2 ody  0  2 2 y  2 

0
 0 1
It is proven that Y is a continuous random variable.

2
1 y2 
2
1
i) P(Y  1)   (2  y )dy  2 y    1/ 4
1
2 2 2 1
1
1 y2 
1
1
ii) P (Y 1)   (2  y )dy  2 y    3 / 4
0
2 2 2 0
1
1 y2 
1
1
iii) P(0.5  Y  1)   (2  y )dy  2 y    5 / 16
0 .5
2 2 2  0.5
iv) P(Y>1) = the area of triangle = ½ X ½ =1/4
f(y)
1/2
1 2 y
1 1
(ii) P(Y<1) = Area of trapezium = 1  .1  3 4
2 2
f(y)
1/2
2 y
13 11 5
iii) P( 0.5  y  1)  area of trapezium =     16
24 22
f(y)
1
3/4
1/2
1/2 1 2 y
ACTIVITY 2B
TEST YOUR UNDERSTANDING BEFORE PROCEEDING TO THE NEXT

INPUT…!
1. The continuous random variable has the following pdf:
0.2 1  y  0
f(y) = 0.2 + cy 0  y  1
0 others
Find the constant c and

a) P (0  Y  0.5)
b) P( 0.5  Y  0.5
c) P(Y>0.5)
d) P(Y)>0.5 / P(Y)>0.1
2. The continuous random variable x has the following pdf :

f(x) = x 0≤x≤2
c(2x-3) 2≤x≤3
0 others
a) Find the constant c

b) Sketch y = f(x)
c) Find P (X≤1)
d) Find P (X>2.5)
e) Find P (1≤X≤2.3)
3. The continuous random variable x has the following pdf :

1/x2 for 1 <x <∞
f(x) =
0 others
If A = { x : 1<x<2} and B = { x: 4 <x<5 }, find

a) P(A∩B)
b) P(AUB)
4. Find mode for :-
1 2
a) P (X) = x = ( ) x = 1,2,3
2
b) f(x) = 12x2 (1-x) 0<x<1
1 2 x
c) f(x) = ( )x e 0<x<∞
2
FEEDBACK TO ACTIVITY 2B
1. c = 1.2 (a) 0.25, (b) 0.35, (c) 0.55, (d) P(Y>0.5) = 0.55, P(Y)>0.1 = 0.774
P(Y)>0.5 / P(Y)>0.1 = 0.71
2. a) c = ¼
b) The sketch of y = f(x)]
1
y = ¼(2x-3)
3/4
1/2
y = 1/4
1/4
1 2 3
c) P = ¼
d) P = 5/16
e) P = 0.3475
3. a) P(A∩B) = 0
11
b) P(AUB) =
20
4. a) X = 1
2
b) X =
3
c) X = 2
INPUT
INPUT
2.3 THE BINOMIAL DISTRIBUTION
Many types of probability problems have only two outcomes, or they can be
reduced to two outcomes. For example when a coin is tossed, it can land heads
or tails. When a baby is born, it will be either male or female. A multiple-choice,
even though there are four or five answer choices, can be classified as correct or
incorrect. Situation like these are called binomial experiments.
A binomial experiment is a probability experiment that satisfies the following

four requirements:
1. Each trial can have only two outcomes or outcomes that can be reduced to
two outcomes. The outcomes can be considered as either success or failure.
2. There must be a fixed number of trials.
3. The outcomes of each trial must be independent of each other.
4. The probability of a success must remain the same for each trial.
A binomial experiment and its results give rise to a special probability

distribution called the binomial distribution. The outcomes of a binomial
experiment and the corresponding probabilities of these outcomes are called a
binomial distribution.
Notation for the Binomial Distribution
P(S) The symbol for the probability of success

P(F) The symbol for the probability of failure
p The numerical probability of a success
q The numerical probability of a failure
P(S) = p and P(F) =1 – p = q

n The number of trials
X The number of success
Note that 0≤X≥n

The probability of a success in a binomial experiment can be computed with the

following formula.
Binomial Probability Formula
In a binomial experiment, the probability of exactly X successes in n trials is
n!
P( X )  . p x .q n  x
( n  X )! X !
Example 2.3
1. A coin is tossed three times. Find the probability of getting exactly two
heads.
2. If a student randomly guesses at five multiple-choice questions, find the

probability that the student gets exactly three correct. Each question has
five possible choices.
3. Solve the problem in (a) using the binomial distribution table.
4. A fake survey reported that 5% of Malaysians are afraid of being alone at

night. If a random sample of 20 Malaysians is selected, find the
probabilities using the binomial table:
0 There are exactly five people in the sample who are afraid
being alone at night.
1 There are at most three people in the sample who are being
afraid of being alone at night.
2 There are at least three people in the sample who are afraid
of being alone at night.
1. This problem can be solved by looking at the sample space. There are
three ways to get two heads.
S = {HHH, HHT,HTH, THH, TTH, THT, HTT, TTT}
3
The answer is 8 , or 0.375
2. From the standpoint of a binomial experiment, you can show that it meet
the four requirements.
a. There are only two outcomes for each trial, heads or tails.
b. There is a fixed number of trials (three)
c. The outcomes are independent of each other (the outcome of one toss in
no way affects the outcome of another toss).
d. The probability of a success (heads) is 12 in each case.
1 1
In this case, n = 3, X = 2, p = 2 , and q = 2 . Hence substituting in the
3! 1 1 3
formula gives P(2 heads) = ( ) 2 ( )1   0.375
(3  2)!2! 2 2 8
3. In this case n = 5, X = 3, and P = 15 , since there is one chance in five of

guessing a correct answer. Then,
3 2
5! 1  4
P(3) =      0.05
(5  3)!3!  5   5 
4. You need the binomial distribution table. Fit in the proper values and the
answer is 0.375.
i) n = 20, p = 0.05, and X = 5. From the table, one gets 0.02.
ii) n = 20, and p = 0.05. “At most three people” means 0, or 1, or 2, or 3.

Hence the solution is P(1) + P(2) + P(3) = 0.358 + 0.377 + 0.189 +
0.060 = 0.984
iii) n = 20 and p = 0.05. “At least three people” means 3, 4, 5,…, 20. This
problem can best be solved by finding P(0) + p(1) + P(2) and
subtracting from 1.
P(0) + P(1) + P(2) = 0.358 + 0.377 + 0.189 = 0.924
1 – 0.924 = 0.076
ACTIVITY 2C

INPUT…!
1. Which of the following

are binomial experiments or can be reduced to binomial experiments?
i) Surveying 100 people to determine if they like Siti Nurhaliza.
ii) Tossing a coin 100 times to see how many heads occur.
iii) Testing four different brands of aspirin to see which brands are
effective.
iv) Testing one brand of aspirin using 10 people to see which brands
are effective.
2. Compute the probability of X successes, using the binomial formula.

I) n = 6, X = 3, p = 0.03
ii) n = 4, x = 2, p = 0.18
iii) n = 5, x = 3, p = 0.63
iv) n = 9, X = 0, p = 0.42
3. A student takes a 10-question, true-false exam and guesses on each

question. Find the probability of passing if the lowest passing grade is 6
correct out of 10. Based on your answer, would it be a good idea not to study
and depend on guessing?
Feedback to Activity 2C
1. Yes, ii) Yes, iii) No, iv) Yes
2. Refer to the table
3. 0.377; no, your score will be about 40%

INPUT
INPUT
2.4 MEAN, VARIANCE AND STANDARD DEVIATION FOR THE

BINOMIAL DISTRIBUTION
In the use of the binomial distribution, the outcomes must be independent. For
example, in a selection of components from a batch to be tested, each
component must be replaced before the next one is selected. Otherwise, the
outcomes are not independent. However, a dilemma arises because there is a
chance that the same component could be selected again. This situation can be
avoided by not replacing the component and using the hyper geometric
distribution to calculate the probabilities.
Mean, Variance, and Standard Deviation for the binomial

Distribution
mean   n. p
variance  2  n. p.q
standard deviation =   n. p.q
Example 2.4
1. A coin is tossed is tossed four times. Find the mean, variance, and standard
deviation of the number of heads that it will be obtained.
2. A die is rolled 480 times. Find the mean, variance, and standard deviation
of the number of 2 s that will be rolled.

1 1
1. With the formulas for the binomial distribution and n = 4, p = 2 , and q = 2 ,
the
result are
  n. p  4. 12  2
 2  n. p.q  4. 12 . 12  1
  1 1
2. n = 480, p = 16 . This is a binomial situation, where getting a 2 is a success

and
not getting 2 is a failure; hence,
  n. p  480. 16   80
 2  n. p.q  480 16  56   66.7
  n. p.q  66.7  8.2
On average, there will be 80 twos. The standard deviation is 8.
ACTIVITY 2C

INPUT…!
1.A statistical bulletin reported that 2% of all births result in twins. If a random
sample of 8000 births is taken, find the mean, variance, and standard deviation
of the number of births that would result in twins.
2.If 2% of automobile carburetors are defective, find the mean, variance, and
standard deviation of 500 carburetors.
FEEDBACK TO ACTIVITY 2C
1.   160,  2  156.8,  12.5

1
2. 108
INPUT
INPUT
2.5 THE NORMAL DISTRIBUTION
What is Normal?
It is known that the normal range of systolic blood pressure 110 to 140. The
normal interval for a person’s triglycerides is from 30 to 200 mg/dl. By measuring
these variables, a doctor can determine if a patient’s vital statistics are within the
normal interval, or if some type of treatment is needed to correct the condition
and avoid future illness. The question then is ‘How does one determine the so-
called normal interval?’
Recall that a continuous variable can assume all values between any two given
values of the variables. Many continuous variables have distributions that are
bell-shaped and are called approximately normally distributed variables. For
example, if we select a random sample of 100 adult women, measure their
heights, and construct a histogram, we get a graph similar to the one in fig (a).
Now if we increase the sample size and decrease the width of the classes, the
histogram will look like the ones shown in fig. (d) and (c). Finally, if it were
possible to measure exactly the heights of all adult females in Malaysia and plot
them, the histogram would approach what is called the normal distribution,
shown in (d).
When the data values are evenly distributed about the mean, the distribution is
said to be symmetrical. See fig (a) below. When the majority of the data values
fall to the left or right of the mean, the distribution is said to be skewed. See fig
(b) and (c)
Normal and Skewed Distributions
For the sake of simplicity, a theoretical curve, called the normal distribution curve
can be used to study many variables that are not perfectly normally distributed
but are nevertheless approximately normal. The mathematical equation for the
2
) /( 2 2 )
e ( X 
normal distribution curve is y  , where e  2.718,  =3.14,  =
 2
population mean,  = population standard deviation.
Another important aspect in statistics is that the area under the normal
distribution curve is more important than frequencies. Therefore, when the
normal distribution is pictured, the y axis, which indicates the frequencies, is
sometimes omitted.
The shape and position of the normal distribution curve depend on two
parameters, the mean and standard deviation. Each normally distributed variable
has its own normal distribution curve, which depends on the values of the
variable’s mean and standard
deviation.
Fig (a) shows two normal distributions with the same mean values but different
standard deviations. The larger the standard deviation, the more dispersed, or
spread out the distribution is. Fig (b) shows two normal distributions with the
same standard deviation with the same standard deviation but with different
means. These curves have the same shapes but are located at different positions
on the x axis. Fig (c) shows two normal distributions with different means and
different standard deviation.
The normal distribution is a continuous, symmetric, bell-shaped distribution of a

variable.
Summary of the Properties of the Theoretical Normal

Distribution
1. The normal distribution curve is bell-shaped.

2. The mean, median, and mode are equal and
located at the center of the distribution.

3. The normal distribution curve is unimodal (i.e., it has
only one mode).
4. The curve is symmetrical about the mean, which is
equivalent to saying that its shape is the same on
both sides of a vertical line passing through the
center.
5. The curve is continuous – i.e., there are no gaps or
holes. For each value of X, there is a corresponding
value of Y.
6. The curve never touches the x axis. Theoretically,
no matter how far in either direction the curve
extends, it never meets the x axis – but it gets
increasingly closer
7. The total area under the normal distribution curve is
equal to 1.00 or 100%.
8. The area under the normal curve that lies within one
standard deviation of the mean is approximately
0.68, or 68%; within two standard deviations, about
0.95, or 95%; and within three standard deviations,
about 0.997, or 99.7%. See the figure below that
shows the area in each region.
The Standard Normal Distribution
Since each normally distributed variable has its own mean and standard
deviation, the shape and location of these curves will vary. In practical
applications, one would have to have a table of areas under the curve for each
variable. To simplify this situation, statisticians use what is called the standard
normal distribution.
Areas under the Normal Distribution Curve
The standard normal distribution is a normal distribution with a mean 0 and a

standard deviation of 1
Standard Normal Distribution
The values under the curve indicate the proportion of area in each section. For
example, the area between the mean and one standard deviation above or below
the mean is about 0.3143, or 31.43%.
x2
The formula for the standard normal distribution is y  e

2
2
All normally distributed variables can be transformed into the standard normally
distributed variable by using the formula for the standard score
value  mean X 
z= or z
sdeviation 
This is the same formula used in Section 3-4. The use of this formula will be
explained in the next session.
As stated earlier, the area the normal distribution curve is used to solve practical
application problems, such as finding the percentage of adult women whose
height is between 5 feet 4 inches and 5 feet 7 inches, or finding the probability
that a new battery will last longer than four years. Hence, the major emphasis of
this section will be to show the procedure for finding the area under the standard
normal distribution curve for any z value. The application will be shown in the
next section. Once the X values are transformed using the preceding formula,
they are called z value. The z value is actually the number of standard deviations
that a particular X value is away from the mean.
For the solution of problems using the normal distribution, a four-step procedure
is recommended with the use of the Procedure Table shown below.
STEP 1 Draw a picture

STEP 2 Shade the area desired.
STEP 3 Find the correct figure in the following Procedure Table.
STEP 4 Follow the directions given in the appropriate block of the

Procedure Table to get the desired area.
Finding The Area under The Normal Distribution Curve
Example 2.5
Find the probability (i.e. the area under the curve) for each question 1 through
17.
Question 1
a. P( Z  0.5)
b. P(Z  1. 0)
c. P(Z  1.53)
d. P( Z  1.998)
e. P( Z  1.86)
Question 2
a. If X~N(1, 4), find P(3  X  3)
b. If X~N(2, 4), find P (1  X  4)
c. If X~N(2, 9), find P (0  X  12)
d. If X~N(-5, 36), find P(10  X  12)
Question 1
Question 2
ACTIVITY 2D

INPUT…!
1. Find the area to the right of Z = 2.43 and to the left of Z = -3.01.
2. Find the probability for

each.
a) P(0<z<2.32)
b) P(z<1.65)
c) P(z>1.91)
3. Find the z value such that the areas under the normal distribution curve
between 0 and the z value is 0.2123.
FEEDBACK TO ACTIVITY 2D
1. 0.0088, or 0.88%
2. i) 0.4898, or 48.98%
ii) 0.9505, or 95.05%
iii) 0.0281, or 2.81%
3. 0.56
INPUT
INPUT
2.6 APPLICATIONS OF THE NORMAL DISTRIBUTION
To solve problems by using the standard normal distribution, transform the

original variable into a standard normal a standard normal distribution variable
by using the formula
value  min X 
z or z 
s tan darddeviation 
For example, suppose that the scores for a standardized test are normally
distributed, have a mean of 100, and have a standard deviation of 15. When the
scores are transformed into z values, the two distributions coincide, as shown in
the figure below. (Recall that the z distribution has a mean of 0 and a standard
deviation of 1)
Example 2.6
1. If the scores for the test have a mean of 100 and a standard deviation of
15, find the percentage of scores that will fall below 112.
2. Each month, a Malaysian household generates an average 28 kg of

newspaper for garbage recycling. Assume the standard deviation is 2 kg.
If a household is selected at random, find the probability of its generating
i) Between 27 and 31 kg per month.

ii) More than 30.2 kg per month. Assume the variable is approximately
normally distributed.
3. The normal distribution can also be used to answer questions of “

how many?” Automobile Association of Malaysia reports that the average
time it takes to respond to an emergency call is 25 minutes. Assume the
variable is approximately distributed and the standard deviation is 4.5
minutes. If 80 calls are randomly selected, approximately how many will
be responded to in less than 15 minutes.
4. In order to qualify for ‘Askar Wataniah Politeknik’ training program,

candidates must score in the top 10% on a general abilities test. The test
has a mean of 200 and a standard deviation of 20. Find the lowest
possible score to qualify. Assume the test scores are normally distributed.
5. For a medical study, a researcher wishes to select people in the middle

60% of the population based on blood pressure. If the mean systolic blood
pressure is 120 and the standard deviation is 8, find the upper and lower
readings that would qualify people to participate in the study.
1.
Hence, the probability that a randomly selected household generates between

27 and 31 kg of newspaper per month is 62.47%.
3.
STEP 2 Find z values for 15.

X   15  25
z   2.2
 4.5
STEP 3 Find the appropriate area. The area obtained from the table is
0.4868, which corresponds to the area between z = 0 and z = -2.2
STEP 4 Subtract 0.4868 from 0.5000 to get 0.0132.
STEP 5 To find how many calls will be made in less than 15 minutes,
multiply the sample size (80) by the area (0.0132) to get 1.056.
Hence, 1.056, or approximately one, call will be responded to in
under 15 minutes.
4.
STEP 1 Subtract 0.1000 from 0.5000 to get area under the normal
distribution between 200 and X: 0.5000 – 0.1000 = 0.4000
STEP 2 Find the z value that corresponds to an area of 0.4000 by looking

up 0.4000 in the table. If the specific value cannot be found, use the
closest value, for example 0.3997. The corresponding z value is
1.28.
X 
STEP 3 Substitute in the formula z  and solve for X.

X  200
1.28  of which the answer is X = 226.
20
A score of 226 should be used as cutoff. Anybody scoring 226 or
higher qualifies.
5. Assume that blood pressure readings are normally distributed; then cutoff
points are as shown in the figure below.
Note that two values are needed, one above the mean and one below the
mean. Find the value to the right of the value first. The closest z value for an
area of 0.3000 is 0.84. Substituting in the formula X  z   , one gets
X 1  z    (0.84)(8)  120  126.72 , On the other side, z = -0.84; hence
X 2  (0.84)(8)  120  113 .28
Therefore , the middle 60% will have blood pressure readings of

113.28<X<126.72
ACTIVITY 2E

INPUT…!
1. The mean income of daily labors is RM60. Assume the standard deviation
RM10. If a labor is selected at random, what is the probability that his
salary is -
a) more than RM70
b) below RM62
c) more than RM64
d) between RM62 and RM72
e) between RM55 and RM80
2. Absorption tests on 500 bricks gave a mean absorbtion and standard

deviation of 10.3% and 2.1% respectively. Determine the number of bricks
with absorbtion
a) between 8.9% and 11.1%
b) greater than 15%.
3. Chip-board partition units are produced with a mean length of 75mm and
standard deviation 6 mm. Determine the rejection rate if the permissible
length deviations are  15 mm (assume the lengths to be normally
distributed).
FEEDBACK TO ACTIVITY 2E
1. a) P(X>70) = 0.1567
b) P(X<62) = 0.5793
c) P(X>54) = 0.7257
d) P (62  X  72)  0.3056
e) P (55  X  80)  0.6687
2. a) P(8.9<X<11.1) = 0.3966
b) P(X>15) = 2.24
3. P(735>X>765) = 0.0124 that is the rejection rate is 1.24%

SELF-ASSESMENT 2
You are approaching success. Try all the questions in this self-assessment
section and check your answer given on the next page. If you face any problems,
consult your instructor. Good luck.
1. What is a probability distribution? Give an example.

2. Determine whether the distribution represents a probability distribution. If it
is not, state why
X 3 6 9 12 15
P(X) 4/9 2/9 1/9 1/9 1/9
Construct a probability distribution for the data and draw a graph for the
distribution.
State whether The Variable is Discrete or Continuous (3-4)
3. The number of cups of coffee a fast food restaurant serves each day.
4. The weight of a rhinoceros
5. The probability that a patient will have 0, 1,2 or 3 medical tests performed
6 5 3 1
on entering a hospital are , , and ,
15 15 15 15
respectively.
6. The probabilities that a customer will purchase 0,1,2, or 3 books are 0.45,
0.30 ,0.15 and 0.10, respectively.
7. The probabilities that a customer selects 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 items at a

convenience store are 0.32, 0.12, 0.23, 0.18 and 0.15, respectively.
8. Construct a probability distribution for drawing a card from a deck of 40

cards consisting of 10 cards numbered 1, 10 cards numbered 2 and 15
cards numbered 3 and 5 cards numbered 4
FEEDBACK TO SELF-ASSESSMENT 2
Have you tried the questions??? If “YES”, check your answers now.
1. A probability distribution is a distribution that consists of the values a

random variable can assume along with the corresponding probabilities of
these values.
2. Yes
3. Discrete
4. Continuous
5 – 8: Refer to example 2.1

UNIT2

Transféré par

Informations du document

Titre original

Copyright

Formats disponibles

Partager ce document

Partager ou intégrer le document

Options de partage

Avez-vous trouvé ce document utile ?

Ce contenu est-il inapproprié ?

Droits d'auteur :

Formats disponibles

UNIT2

Transféré par

Droits d'auteur :

Formats disponibles

PROBABILITY DISTRIBUTIONS C 5606/2/ 1

 To understand the concept of probability distributions

At the end of the unit you should be able to:

A variable can be defined as a characteristic or attribute that can assume

A random variable is variable

2.1 PROBABILITY DISTRIBUTION

Probabilities for the value of X can be determined as follows:

No One head Two heads Three

A discrete probability distribution consists of the values a random variable can

Two requirements for a Probability Distribution

1. Construct a probability distribution for rolling a single die.

Compute the probability P(X) for each X, and construct a probability

Solution to Example 2.1

For 2 umbrellas:  0.17

The distribution is as follows:

Number of umbrellas sold 0 1 2

TEST YOUR UNDERSTANDING BEFORE YOU CONTINUE WITH THE NEXT

1. Define and give three examples of a random variable.

2. Give three examples of a discrete random variable.

3. What is a probability distribution?

Question 7 – 9: Determine whether the distribution represents a

For question 7 to 9, state whether the variable is discrete or continuous.

7. The number of cups of coffee a fast-food restaurant serves each day.

8. The weight of a rhinoceros.

9. The number of lecturers in your polytechnic

11. The probabilities of a machine manufacturing 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 defective

12.. A die is loaded in such a way that the probabilities of getting 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,

1. A random variable is a variable whose values are determined by chance.

10 to 12. Refer to the examples given in the input.

2.2 RANDOM VARIABLES OF THE CONTINUOUS TYPE

If X is a continuous variable and f(x) is a function assigned to it, then

i) f ( x)  0 For every possible x values

Therefore f(x) is a probability density function for X (pdf)

Prove Y is a continuous random variable given the following pdf:

Solution to Example 2.2

It is proven that Y is a continuous random variable.

iv) P(Y>1) = the area of triangle = ½ X ½ =1/4

TEST YOUR UNDERSTANDING BEFORE PROCEEDING TO THE NEXT

1. The continuous random variable has the following pdf:

Find the constant c and

2. The continuous random variable x has the following pdf :

a) Find the constant c

3. The continuous random variable x has the following pdf :

If A = { x : 1<x<2} and B = { x: 4 <x<5 }, find

4. Find mode for :-

b) The sketch of y = f(x)]

2.3 THE BINOMIAL DISTRIBUTION

A binomial experiment is a probability experiment that satisfies the following

A binomial experiment and its results give rise to a special probability

Notation for the Binomial Distribution

P(S) The symbol for the probability of success

P(S) = p and P(F) =1 – p = q

Note that 0≤X≥n

The probability of a success in a binomial experiment can be computed with the

Binomial Probability Formula

In a binomial experiment, the probability of exactly X successes in n trials is

2. If a student randomly guesses at five multiple-choice questions, find the

3. Solve the problem in (a) using the binomial distribution table.

4. A fake survey reported that 5% of Malaysians are afraid of being alone at

Solution to Example 2.3

3. In this case n = 5, X = 3, and P = 15 , since there is one chance in five of

i) n = 20, p = 0.05, and X = 5. From the table, one gets 0.02.

ii) n = 20, and p = 0.05. “At most three people” means 0, or 1, or 2, or 3.