Name: ______________________________

Section: _____________
Grade 11

Statistics and Probability

Quarter 3, Week 1 – 2:
Module 1: RANDOM VARIABLES AND
PROBABILITY DISTRIBUTION

Western Mindanao Adventist Academy Delivery Module

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HOW TO LEARN FROM THIS MODULE
1. Use the module with care. Do not put an unnecessary mark/s on any part of the module. Write
your answer for each task on a separate sheet.
2. Read the instructions carefully before doing each task. (failure to follow instruction is minus 5
points from your final score)
3. You can ask or inquire from individuals who have knowledge on the topics of this module but
answer the activities by yourself. Remember, honesty is the best policy.
4. Return this module to your teacher/facilitator once you are through with it. If you encounter any
difficulty in answering the tasks in this module, do not hesitate to consult your teacher or
facilitator.
5. Make sure to have a scientific calculator in order to solve the given problems.

Proverbs 18:15 says, "An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks
knowledge." Hence, never forget to seek Him first so that you can comprehend the lesson and do all the
task given.

IFL/
CORE
WHAT I NEED TO MEDITATE
VALUES

I want you to read the story below and meditate its essence.
The Story: An Elephant Rope
When walking through an elephant camp, a man noticed that the elephants were only secured with a
small rope that was tied around one ankle. He wondered why the elephants didn’t break free from the
rope, as the elephants were certainly strong enough to do so. He asked a trainer why the elephants didn’t
try to break free, and the trainer responded by saying that they use the same size rope for baby elephants
all the way up to adulthood. Because they’re too small when they’re babies to break free from the
rope, they grow up being conditioned that the rope is stronger than they are. As adults, they think the
rope can still hold them, so they don’t try to fight it.
The Moral:
The elephants in this case are experiencing learned helplessness. This phenomenon occurs when
someone has been conditioned to anticipate discomfort in some way without having a way to avoid it or
make it stop. After enough conditioning, the person will stop any attempts to avoid the pain, even if they
see an opportunity to escape. If you go through life thinking that you can’t do something just because you
have failed at doing it in the past, you’re living with a fixed mindset. You have to let go of your limiting
beliefs in order to make the breakthroughs that are required for your ultimate success. Don’t let other
people tell you that you can’t do something, and don’t hold onto an assumption that you can’t grow and
learn from past failures.

Find a bible verse that would relate and support to the moral we get from the
story. Write it on your answer sheet.

Now, you are ready to start doing this module. God bless!

Lesson 1: RANDOM VARIABLE (Discrete and Continuous)

Introduction

In the study of basic probability, you have learned that an experiment is any activity which can be done repeatedly
under similar condition. The set of all possible outcomes of an experiment is called the sample space. You have also

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learned how to mathematically list the possible outcome of a given experiment. In tossing a coin, for instance, the possible
outcomes are turning up a head or a tail.
This module will help you understand the process of illustrating random variables as well as distinguishing
between discrete and continuous random variables. God bless and enjoy learning.

Objective

At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:

1. illustrate random variable; and
2. classify random variables as discrete or continuous.
3. find the possible values of a random variable.

Starting Point

The set of all possible outcomes of an experiment is called the sample space.

ACTIVITY 1: ENTRY CARD

List the sample space of the following experiments. The first one is done for you.
Experiment Sample Space
1. Tossing three coins HHH HTT TTH
HHT THH TTT
HTH THT
2. Rolling a die and tossing a coin simultaneously

3. Drawing a spade from a deck of cards

4. Drawing a card greater than 7 from the deck of cards

(note: only the numbered cards)

What’s In

A Random Variable is a numerical quantity that is derived from the outcomes of random experiments.

There are two types of random variables, the discrete and continuous random variables

Types of Random Variables

Discrete Continuous

A Discrete variable A Continuous variable

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Is a numerical value associated with Has infinite numerical values
the desired outcomes. It is also either associated with any interval
a finite or infinite number of values on the number line system
but countable such as whole numbers without any gaps or breaks.
0,1,2,3.

For example: For example:

- The number of daily - Height
admissions in a hospital - Weight
- The number of male athletes - Skull Circumference

Recall that a variable is a characteristic or attribute that can assume different values. We use capital letters to
denote or represent a variable. In this lesson, we shall discuss variables that are associated with probabilities called
random variables.

Examples

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

The table should look like this.

Possible Outcomes Value of the Random Variable X

(number of defective cell phones)
NNN 0
NND 1
NDN 1
DNN 1
NDD 2
DND 2
DDN 2
DDD 3

A Random Variable is a numerical quantity that is derived from the outcomes of random experiments.
The random variable in the activity above is a discrete random variable because the set of possible
outcomes is countable. The possible values of random variable X are 0, 1, 2, and 3.

2. Suppose three coins are tossed. Let Y be the random variable representing the number of tails that turn up. Find
the values of the random variable Y.

Solution:
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 Steps Solution
1. Determine the sample space. Let H represent The sample space for this experiment is
head and T represent tail.
S= { TTT ,TTH , THT , HTT , HHT , HTH , THH , HHH }
2. Count the number of tails in each outcome in Possible Outcomes Value of the Random Variable Y
the sample space and assign this number to the (number of tails)
outcome. TTT 3
TTH 2
THT 2
HTT 2
HHT 1
HTH 1
THH 1
HHH 0

So, the possible values of the random variable Y are 0, 1,

2, and 3.

3. Two balls are drawn in succession without replacement from a box 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.

Steps Solution
1. Determine the The sample space for this experiment
sample space. Let is:
B represent the blue S = {RR, RB, BR, BB}
ball and R represent
the red ball.
2. Count the number of Possible Value of the
blue balls in each Outcomes Random variable
outcome in the sample Z (Number of
space and assign this blue balls)
number to this RR 0
outcome. RB 1
BR 1
BB 2
So, the possible values of the random
variable Z are 0, 1 and 2.

The random variables in the preceding activities are called discrete random variables because the set of
possible outcomes is countable.
Suppose an experiment is conducted to determine the distance that a certain type of car will travel using 10 liters
of gasoline over a prescribed test course. If distance is a random variable, then we have an infinite number of distances
that cannot be equated to the number of whole numbers. This is an example of a continuous random variable.

ACTIVITY 2:

1. Four coins are tossed. Let Z be the random variable representing the number of heads that turn up. Find the
values of the random variable Z.
Possible Outcomes Value of the Random Variable Z

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 2. A shipment of five computers contains two that are slightly defective. If a retailer receives three of these
computers at random, list the elements of the sample space S using the letters D and D for defective and non-
defective computers, respectively. To each sample point, assign a value x of the random variable X representing
the number of computers purchase by the retailer which are slightly defective.
Possible Outcomes Value of the Random Variable X

Lesson 2: Constructing Probability Distribution

Introduction

You have learned that the likelihood of winning in a lotto draw, number of winnings in a gamble, number of heads
that comes out in a toss of a coin and other game of chance can be estimated using probability. But do you know that it is
not only for game of chance? We also use this in business, economics, and engineering and other real-life situations.
In this self -learning module, the concept of probability distribution for a discrete random variable will be
introduced. Some decisions are made by assigning probabilities to all possible outcomes pertaining to the situation. When
we draw conclusion from data, we usually state them in terms of probabilities.

Objective

At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:

1. Illustrates a probability distribution for a discrete random variable and its properties
2. Computes probabilities corresponding to a given random variable.

What’s In

A random variable is a set whose elements are the numbers assigned to the outcomes of an experiment. It is usually
denoted by uppercase letters such as X, whose elements are denoted by lower case letters x1, x2, x3 and so on.

Probability distribution of a discrete random variable specifies the probability of each possible value of the random
variable. The distribution functions of discrete random variables are concentrated as a mass for a particular value, and
generally known as Probability Mass Function.

Properties of discrete probability distribution

1. The probability of each value of the random variable must be between or equal to 0 and 1.
In symbol 0 < P(X) < 1.
2. The sum of all the probabilities of all values of the random variable must be equal to 1. 6
In symbol, we write it as Σ P(X) = 1
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