Random Variables

Chapter 7 Section 1

Random Variables
A variable whose value is a numerical outcome of a random phenomenon.
Its outcome is determined by chance.

TWO TYPES:
1. Discrete
Values are countable EX: # of students in class

2. Continuous

Values cover an interval generally a measurement EX: weight of a student in class

Probability Distribution
Identifies the set of all possible outcomes with a way of determining the probabilities of those outcomes.
DISCRETE PROBABILITY DISTRIBUTION:
Table

CONTINUOUS PROBABILITY DISTRIBUTION:

Density Curve

Discrete Probability Distributions

The probability distribution of a discrete random variable X lists the values and their probabilities:
Value of X: Probability: X1 P1 X2 P2 X3 P3 Xk Pk

The probabilities pi must satisfy two requirements:

1. Every probability pi is a number between 0 and 1 2. The sum of the probabilities is 1

What is the probability distribution for the number of heads obtained when flipping a coin four times?
What is the probability of obtaining 2 or more heads? What is the probability of obtaining more than 2 heads? Probability Histogram:
A histogram that plots the value of x on the x-axis and the probability of x on the y-axis.

Continuous Probability Distributions

The probability distribution of X is described by a density curve. The probability of any event is the area under the curve and above the values of X that make up the event. Chapter 2 dealt with density curves, some things to remember
Total area under the curve is 1 Median is the equal areas point, mean is the balance point Normal distribution is a density curve

Working with Density Curves

What is the probability that x is between 0.3 and 0.7? What is the probability that x is greater than 0.5? What is the probability that x is greater than or equal to 0.5?

NOTE: In a continuous probability distribution, each individual outcome has a probability of 0.

Normal Distributions as Probability Distributions

Remember from Chapter 2:
Shorthand notation N(m, s) means a Normal Distribution with a mean of m and a standard deviation of s. z = (X - m)/s

A SRS of 400 undergraduates answered this question, You witness two students cheating on a quiz. Do you go to the professor? Assume the proportion of those who respond Yes follows a Normal distribution with a mean of 12% and a standard deviation of 1.6%. What is the probability that in a SRS of 400 students, that at least 16% of them would respond Yes?

pg. 469 pg. 477

7.1-7.5 odd 7.7-7.9 odd

Homework Assignment