COMMON DISCRETE PROBABILITY DISTRIBUTIONS

Binomial Distribution
The binomial distribution is one of the most frequently used discrete probability distributions
and is very useful for practical situations. It is a distribution with only two possible outcomes,
for example, success/failure, female/male, pass/fail, alive/dead, true/false, yes/no.
Properties of Binomial Distribution
• There are two possible outcomes. The outcomes are mutually exclusive for each trial
of an experiment.
• Constant Probability: The probability of success or failure remains the same for each
trial. The probability of a success is 𝐩 and the probability of a failure is 𝐪 (𝟏 − 𝐩).
• There is a fixed or known number of trials (n) in an experiment e.g. flipping a coin 10
times (n=10), rolling a die 5 times (n=5), conducting 20 surveys (n=20) and testing 15
products for defects (n=15).
• The trials are independent: The outcome of one trial does not affect the outcome of
another trial.
The binomial distribution gives the probability of getting x events out of n trials. Thus, the
formula for binomial distribution is given as;
n!
P(x) = px q(n−x)
x! (n − x)!
where:
P(x) = represents the probability of exactly x successes in n independent
trial.
n = The number of trials in an experiment
p = The probability of success
q = The probability of failure and 𝐪 = 𝟏 − 𝐩
Note: 0! = 1

Mean, Variance and standard deviation for a binomial distribution

For a binomial distribution, the mean, variance and standard deviation for the given number of
successes are represented as np, npq and √npq respectively.
Example One: A coin is tossed 15 times. Find the probability of getting;
i) no heads
ii) At most 2 heads

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 iii) At least 1 head
Example Two: If a drug is effective 40% of the time, what is the probability that in a random
sample of 4 patients, it will be effective on exactly 2 of them?
Class task: A bank accepts 30% of loan applications. Find the probability that out of 10
applications;
i) Only 4 loan applications are accepted
ii) 2 or 3 loan applications will be accepted
iii) At most 4 loan applications are accepted
iv) Not more than 6 loan applications are accepted
v) At least 1 loan application is accepted
vi) Find the expectation and standard deviation of the distribution.

Poisson distribution
A discrete probability distribution modeling the number of events (x) occurring in a fixed
interval of time or space. The Poisson distribution has only one parameter λ, which is the mean
number of events per interval of time or space.
Examples of events that follow a Poisson distribution
The number of;
• Network failure per day at a mean rate of 5 per day.
• Car arrivals at the washing bay in an hour at an average rate of 4 per hour.
• Car accidents on the street in a day at a mean rate of 1 per day, etc.
Properties of Poisson distribution
• Events occur independently. The events are independent of each other.
• Events occur at a constant average rate (λ). The average rate is constant per interval of
time or space. The average rate of the distribution is denoted as λ
• Events cannot occur simultaneously
• There is a fixed interval of time or length or space throughout the experiment. The
formula for Poisson distribution is as follows;

𝛌x e−𝛌
P(X) = ; x can be 0, 1,2,3 …
x!

Where x is the specific value of a random variable, 𝛌 is the expected value of distribution and
e = 2.7182
Mean, Variance and standard deviation for a Poisson distribution
1. Mean: E(X) = λ

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 2. Variance: Var(X) = λ
3. Standard Deviation: σ = √λ
Note: The mean and variance of the distribution are equal

Example one: If a typist makes errors at random at a mean rate of 2 per page, find the
probability of making (a) no errors, (b) 3 errors on a page, and not more than 2 errors on a
page.

Example two: The average number of messages received per day is 25. What is the
probability that;
i) no messages will be received in a day?
ii) Ony 4 messages will be received in a day?
iii) 2 or 3 messages will be received in a day?

COMMON CONTINUOUS PROBABILITY DISTRIBUTIONS

Normal distribution
Normal Distribution is one of the most basic continuous distribution types. In practice most
experimental results of large number of outcomes seem to follow a normal distribution.
Graphical illustration of a normal distribution

Characteristics of the normal distribution/ normal curve are:

1. The normal curve is symmetrical about the mean.
2. The distribution is bell shaped.
3. The total area under curve is 1
4. The height of the curve is at its maximum at the mean.
5. The mean, median and mode of the distribution are equal.
6. The curve is asymptotic. The height of the curve declines as we go in either direction from
the mean, but never touches the base.
7. The distribution is described by two parameters that is the mean and the standard deviation.
1 X–μ 2
1
The probability density function, 𝑓(𝑥) = σ√2π 𝑒 −2( )
σ . However, at this level we shall

not make use of this formula in determining the probability of a continuous random variable
defined over an interval of values. Otherwise, we use standard normal distribution tables to

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 establish the area under the curve and therefore, it calls for standardization as discussed
below.

Standardization of a random variable

The process of converting observed value of a random variable (x) into a standard score (z-
score) is called standardization. If a random variable follows a normal distribution with mean,
X–μ
μ and standard deviation, σ then its z-score is defined as Z = where;
σ

x = the value of the random variable/observed value

μ = mean of the distribution
σ = standard deviation of the distribution.
Note:
• The standard score shows the number of standard deviations by which an observed
value is above or below the mean value. Raw scores above the mean have positive
standard scores, while those below the mean have negative standard scores.
Example one: The IQ of students is normally distributed with mean of 120 and standard
deviation of 20.
a) What proportion of students have an IQ between 100 and 130.
b) What proportion of students have an IQ above 140?
c) What proportion of students is below 150?
d) What proportion of students have an IQ between 140 and 150?

Class task: A brand of a car tyre has a mean life of 60,000 km and SD of 7,000 assumed to be
normally distributed. What is the probability that a random selection of cars has?
• Life time of less than 75,000
• Life time of more than 55,000
• Has life time between 60,000 and 70,000
• What is the life time of longest lasting 10% of the tyres.

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 Normal Probability that a statistic is between 0 (mean) and Z.

Z 0.00 0.01 0.02 0.03 0.04 0.05 0.06 0.07 0.08 0.09
0.0 0.00000 0.00399 0.00798 0.01197 0.01595 0.01994 0.02392 0.02790 0.03188 0.03586
0.1 0.03983 0.04380 0.04776 0.05172 0.05567 0.05966 0.0636 0.06749 0.07142 0.07535
0.2 0.07926 0.08317 0.08706 0.09095 0.09483 0.09871 0.10257 0.10642 0.11026 0.11409
0.3 0.11791 0.12172 0.12552 0.12930 0.13307 0.13683 0.14058 0.14431 0.14803 0.15173
0.4 0.15542 0.15910 0.16276 0.16640 0.17003 0.17364 0.17724 0.18082 0.18439 0.18793
0.5 0.19146 0.19497 0.19847 0.20194 0.20540 0.20884 0.21226 0.21566 0.21904 0.22240
0.6 0.22575 0.22907 0.23237 0.23565 0.23891 0.24215 0.24537 0.24857 0.25175 0.25490
0.7 0.25804 0.26115 0.26424 0.26730 0.27035 0.27337 0.27637 0.27935 0.28230 0.28524
0.8 0.28814 0.29103 0.29389 0.29673 0.29955 0.30234 0.30511 0.30785 0.31057 0.31327
0.9 0.31594 0.31859 0.32121 0.32381 0.32639 0.32894 0.33147 0.33398 0.33646 0.33891
1.0 0.34134 0.34375 0.34614 0.34849 0.35083 0.35314 0.35543 0.35769 0.35993 0.36214
1.1 0.36433 0.36650 0.36864 0.37076 0.37286 0.37493 0.37698 0.37900 0.38100 0.38298
1.2 0.38493 0.38686 0.38877 0.39065 0.39251 0.39435 0.39617 0.39796 0.39973 0.40147
1.3 0.40320 0.40490 0.40658 0.40824 0.40988 0.41149 0.41308 0.41466 0.41621 0.41774
1.4 0.41924 0.42073 0.42220 0.42364 0.42507 0.42647 0.42785 0.42922 0.43056 0.43189
1.5 0.43319 0.43448 0.43574 0.43699 0.43822 0.43943 0.44062 0.44179 0.44295 0.44408
1.6 0.44520 0.44630 0.44738 0.44845 0.44950 0.45053 0.45154 0.45254 0.45352 0.45449
1.7 0.45543 0.45637 0.45728 0.45818 0.45907 0.45994 0.46080 0.46164 0.46246 0.46327
1.8 0.46407 0.46485 0.46562 0.46638 0.46712 0.46784 0.46856 0.46926 0.46995 0.47062
1.9 0.47128 0.47193 0.47257 0.47320 0.47381 0.47441 0.47500 0.47558 0.47615 0.47670
2.0 0.47725 0.47778 0.47831 0.47882 0.47932 0.47982 0.48030 0.48077 0.48124 0.48169
2.1 0.48214 0.48257 0.48300 0.48341 0.48382 0.48422 0.48461 0.48500 0.48537 0.48574
2.2 0.48610 0.48645 0.48679 0.48713 0.48745 0.48778 0.48809 0.48840 0.48870 0.48899
2.3 0.48928 0.48956 0.48983 0.49010 0.49036 0.49061 0.49086 0.49111 0.49134 0.49158
2.4 0.49180 0.49202 0.49224 0.49245 0.49266 0.49286 0.49305 0.49324 0.49343 0.49361
2.5 0.49379 0.49396 0.49413 0.49430 0.49446 0.49461 0.49477 0.49492 0.49506 0.49520
2.6 0.49534 0.49547 0.49560 0.49573 0.49585 0.49598 0.49609 0.49621 0.49632 0.49643
2.7 0.49653 0.49664 0.49674 0.49683 0.49693 0.49702 0.49711 0.49720 0.49728 0.49736
2.8 0.49744 0.49752 0.49760 0.49767 0.49774 0.49781 0.49788 0.49795 0.49801 0.49807
2.9 0.49813 0.49819 0.49825 0.49831 0.49836 0.49841 0.49846 0.49851 0.49856 0.49861
3.0 0.49865 0.49869 0.49874 0.49878 0.49882 0.49886 0.49889 0.49893 0.49896 0.49900

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