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The Binomial Distribution

The document provides examples and explanations for using the binomial distribution to calculate probabilities of success outcomes from random sampling experiments where there are a fixed number of trials and a constant probability of success each trial. It discusses key conditions for the binomial distribution, such as independent and identical trials, examples of calculating probabilities and expected values, and situations where the binomial distribution is and is not appropriate.

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Siti Aishah Taib
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389 views16 pages

The Binomial Distribution

The document provides examples and explanations for using the binomial distribution to calculate probabilities of success outcomes from random sampling experiments where there are a fixed number of trials and a constant probability of success each trial. It discusses key conditions for the binomial distribution, such as independent and identical trials, examples of calculating probabilities and expected values, and situations where the binomial distribution is and is not appropriate.

Uploaded by

Siti Aishah Taib
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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To understand the

conditions for a discrete


random variable to follow a
binomial distribution

To find binomial
probabilities

To find the expectation and


variance of a binomial
variable
EXAMPLE 1:

At the Sell-it-all supermarket 60% of customers pay by credit card. Find the
probability that in a randomly selected sample of 12 customers

(i) Exactly 7 pay by credit card


(ii) At least 3 but fewer than 5 pay by credit card.

EXAMPLE 2:

On a certain road 20% of the vehicles are trucks, 16% are buses and the
remainder are cars. A random sample of 11 vehicles is taken. Find the
probability that fewer than 3 are buses.
Two-stage questions

We need to use the binomial distribution to find a probability which


then becomes the probability of success in a second binomial
situation.

Example 5:

The Fair Choc Company makes small chocolate eggs, 48% of which are milk
chocolate and the remainder of which are plain chocolate. The eggs are
mixed before being put into identical foil wrappings and placed at random
into boxes, each containing 12 eggs.

(i) A box is chosen at random. Show that the probability that this box
contains exactly 6 milk chocolate eggs is 0.223 correct to 3 significant
figures.
(ii) The manager takes a random sample of 10 boxes of eggs from the
production line. Find the probability that at least two of these boxes
contain exactly 6 milk chocolate eggs.
Deciding whether a binomial distribution is appropriate:

1. In a bag there are 8 green counters and 7 red counters. Emma and Jack
take part in an experiment in which 6 counters are to be selected at random
from the bag. Emma is told to put the counter back into the bag after each
trial and Jack is told to put the counter into his pocket after each trial.

The random variable X is the number of green counters selected. Explain


why X follows a binomial distribution in Emma’s experiment but not in Jack’s
experiment.

In both experiments the process is carried out 6 times, so the number of trials
is fixed.
Deciding whether a binomial distribution is appropriate:

2. Smith is playing a board game. He has to throw a six on the die in order to
start. The random variable X is the number of times Smith throws the die until
he throws a six. Explain why X does not follow a binomial distribution.
0 1 2 3 4
0.0016 0.1536 0.4096
EXAMPLE 9

Lilia travels to work by bus or by car. The probability that she


travels by bus on any day is 0.7. If she travels by bus, there is a
probability of 0.1 that she is late for work. If she travels by car
there is a probability of 0.2 that she is late for work.
(i) Find the probability that she is late for work on a particular
day.
(ii) Find the expected number of days she is late for work in 20
working days.
(iii) Find the variance of the number of days she travels by car
in 10 working days.

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