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Lesson 1

Stat and prob

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52 views5 pages

Lesson 1

Stat and prob

Uploaded by

Vielle Boulstridge
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Statistics and Probability: Random Variables and Probability Distributions

CHAPTER 1
Random Variables and Probability Distributions

Lesson 1: EXPLORING RANDOM VARIABLES

SAMPLE SPACE

-the set of all possible outcomes of an experiment

Experiment Sample Space

1. Tossing two coins HH, HT, TH, TT

2. Rolling a die and tossing a coin 1H, 2H, 3H, 4H, 5H, 6H,
simultaneously 1T, 2T, 3T, 4T, 5T, 6T

DEFECTIVE CELL PHONES

Suppose 3 cell phones are tested at a random. We want to find out the number of
defective cell phones that occur. Thus, to each outcome in the sample space we shall assign a
value. These are 0, 1, 2, or 3. If there is no defective cell phone, we assign the number 0; if
there is one defective cell phone, we assign the number 1; if there are two defective cell
phones we assign the number 2; and 3, if there are three defective cell phones. The number of
defective cell phones is a random variable. The possible values of this random variable are
0, 1, 2, and 3.

1
Statistics and Probability: Random Variables and Probability Distributions

A. DEFECTIVE CELL PHONES


Let D represent the defective cell phone and N represent the non-defective cell
phone. If we let X be the random variable representing the number of defective cell
phones, can you show the values of the random variable X? Complete the table below to
show the values of the random variable.

Value of the Random Variable X


Possible Outcomes
(number of defective cell phones)

NNN 0

RANDOM VARIABLE
- is a function that associates a real number to each element in the sample space. It
is a variable whose values are determined by chance.

2
Statistics and Probability: Random Variables and Probability Distributions

B. TOSSING THREE COINS


Suppose three coins are tossed. Let Y be the random variable representing the
number of tails that occur. Find the values of the random variable Y. Complete the table
below.

Value of the Random Variable Y


Possible Outcomes
(number of tails)

TTT 3

So, the possible values of the random variable Y are ________________.

3
Statistics and Probability: Random Variables and Probability Distributions

C. DRAWING BALLS FROM AN URN


Two balls are drawn in succession without replacement from an urn containing 5
red balls and 6 blue balls. Let Z be the random variable representing the number of blue
balls. Find the values of the random variable Z. Complete the table below.

Value of the Random Variable Z


Possible Outcomes
(number of blue balls)

So, the possible values of the random variable Z are __________.

DISCRETE RANDOM VARIABLE


A random variable is a discrete random variable if its set of possible outcomes is
countable. Mostly, discrete random variables represent count data, such as the number
of defective chairs produced in a factory.

CONTINUOUS RANDOM VARIABLE


A random variable is a continuous random variable if it takes on values on a
continuous scale. Often, continuous random variables represent measured data, such
as heights, weights, and temperatures.

4
Statistics and Probability: Random Variables and Probability Distributions

Classify the following variables as discrete (D) or continuous (C).


_____ 1. the number of defective computers produced by a manufacturer
_____ 2. the weight of newborns each year in a hospital
_____ 3. the number of siblings in a family of a region
_____ 4. the amount of paint utilized in a building project
_____ 5. the number of dropout in a school district for a period of 10 years
_____ 6. the number of female athletes
_____ 7. the speed of a car
_____ 8. the amount of sugar in a cup of coffee
_____ 9. the number of people who are playing LOTTO each day
_____ 10. the number of accidents per year at an intersection
_____ 11. the number of voters favoring a candidate
_____ 12. the number of bushels of apples per hectare this year
_____ 13. the number of patient arrivals per hour at a medical clinic
_____ 14. the average amount of electricity consumed per household per month
_____ 15. the number of deaths per year attributed to lung cancer

LOOK BACK AND REFLECT!


* How do you find the values of a random variable?
* What is the difference between continuous and discrete
random variables?

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