Random Variables and

Probability Distributions
 Random Variables
A random variable x represents a numerical value
associated with each outcome of a probability
distribution.
A random variable is discrete if it has a finite or
countable number of possible outcomes that can be
listed.
x
0 2 4 6 8 10

A random variable is continuous if it has an

uncountable number or possible outcomes,
represented by the intervals on a number line.
x
0 2 4 6 8 10

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 Random Variables
Example:
Decide if the random variable x is discrete or
continuous.
a.) The distance your car travels on a tank of
gas
The distance your car travels is a continuous
random variable because it is a measurement
that cannot be counted. (All measurements
are continuous random variables.)

b.) The number of students in a statistics class

The number of students is a discrete
random variable because it can be counted.
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 Random Variable

• Number of new subscribers to a

magazine
• Number of bad checks received
by a restaurant
• Number of absent employees on
a given day

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 Random Variable

• Current Ratio of a motorcycle

distributorship
• Elapsed time between arrivals of
bank customers
• Percent of the labor force that is
unemployed

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 Discrete Probability
Distributions
A discrete probability distribution lists each
possible value the random variable can assume,
together with its probability. A probability distribution
must satisfy the following conditions.

In Words In Symbols
1. The probability of each 0  P (x)  1
value of the discrete random
variable is between 0 and 1,
inclusive.
2. The sum of all the ΣP (x) = 1
probabilities is 1.

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 Constructing a Discrete Probability
Distribution

Guidelines
Let x be a discrete random variable with possible
outcomes x1, x2, … , xn.
1. Make a frequency distribution for the possible
outcomes.
2. Find the sum of the frequencies.
3. Find the probability of each possible outcome by
dividing its frequency by the sum of the
frequencies.
4. Check that each probability is between 0 and 1
and that the sum is 1.
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 Constructing a Discrete Probability
Distribution
Example:
The spinner below is divided into two sections. The
probability of landing on the 1 is 0.25. The probability
of landing on the 2 is 0.75. Let x be the number the
spinner lands on. Construct a probability distribution
for the random variable x.

x P (x)
1
1 0.25 Each probability is
2 between 0 and 1.
2 0.75

The sum of the probabilities is

1.
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 Constructing a Discrete Probability
Distribution
Example:
The spinner below is spun two times. The probability
of landing on the 1 is 0.25. The probability of landing
on the 2 is 0.75. Let x be the sum of the two spins.
Construct a probability distribution for the random
variable x.
The possible sums are 2, 3,
and 4.
1 P (sum of 2) = 0.25  0.25 =
0.0625
Spin a 1 on “and” Spin a 1 on the
2
the first second spin.
spin.
Continued.
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 Constructing a Discrete Probability
Distribution
Example continued:

P (sum of 3) = 0.25  0.75 =

1 0.1875
Spin a 1 on “and” Spin a 2 on the
2 the first second spin.
spin. “or
”
Sum of
P (sum of 3) = 0.75  0.25 =
spins, P (x) 0.1875
x Spin a 2 on “and” Spin a 1 on the
2 0.062
0.375 the first second spin.
5 spin.
3 0.1875 + 0.1875 Continued.
4 Larson & Farber, Elementary Statistics: Picturing the World, 3e 10
 Constructing a Discrete Probability
Distribution
Example continued:

1 P (sum of 4) = 0.75  0.75 =

0.5625
2 Spin a 2 on “and” Spin a 2 on the
the first second spin.
spin.
Sum of
spins, P (x)
x Each probability is
2 0.0625 between 0 and 1, and the
3 0.375
0.5625 sum of the probabilities is
4 1.
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 Graphing a Discrete Probability
Distribution
Example:
Graph the following probability distribution using a histogram.
Sum of P(x)
Sum of Two
spins, P (x) 0.6
x Spins
0.5
2 0.0625
Probability
3 0.375 0.
4
4 0.5625 0.
3
0.
2
0.
1
0 x
2 3 4
Sum
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 Mean
The mean of a discrete random variable is given by
μ = ΣxP(x).
Each value of x is multiplied by its corresponding
probability and the products are added.

Example:
Find the mean of the probability distribution for the
sum of the two spins.
x P (x) xP (x)
2 0.062 2(0.0625) = ΣxP(x) = 3.5
5 0.125
The mean for
3 0.375 3(0.375) =
the two spins is
4 0.562 1.125
3.5.
4(0.5625) = 2.25
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 Variance
The variance of a discrete random variable is given
by
2 = Σ(x – μ)2P (x).
Example:
Find the variance of the probability distribution for the
sum of the two spins. The mean is 3.5.

x P (x) x–μ (x – P (x)(x – ΣP(x)(x – 2)2

2 0.062 – μ)2 μ)2  0.376
5 1.5 2.25  0.141
3 0.375 – 0.25  0.094 The variance for
0.5 the two spins is
4 0.562 0.25  0.141
approximately
5 0.5
0.376
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 Standard Deviation
The standard deviation of a discrete random
variable is given by
σ = σ 2.

Example:
Find the standard deviation of the probability
distribution for the sum of the two spins. The variance
is 0.376. 2
σ σ
x P (x) x–μ (x – P (x)(x –
μ)2 μ)2  0.376 0.613
2 0.062 –
5 1.5 2.25 0.141 Most of the sums
differ from the
3 0.375 – 0.25 0.094
mean by no more
4 0.562 0.5 0.25 0.141 than 0.6 points.
5 0.5
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 Expected Value
The expected value of a discrete random variable is
equal to the mean of the random variable.
Expected Value = E(x) = μ = ΣxP(x).

Example:
At a raffle, 500 tickets are sold for $1 each for two
prizes of $100 and $50. What is the expected value of
your gain?
Your gain for the $100 prize is $100 – $1 = $99.
Your gain for the $50 prize is $50 – $1 = $49.
Write a probability distribution for the possible
gains (or outcomes).
Continued.
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 Expected Value
Example continued:
At a raffle, 500 tickets are sold for $1 each for two
prizes of $100 and $50. What is the expected value of
your gain?
Gain,
P (x) E(x) = ΣxP(x).
x 1
$99 500 1 1 498
$99   $49   ( $1) 
1 500 500 500
$49 500
 $0.70
–$1 498
500
Because the expected value
Winning is negative, you can expect to
no prize
lose $0.70 for each ticket you
buy.
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 Examples
1. Tossing a coin three 2. Tossing a die, if we
times and denote the denote the number
number of heads: that occurs by x:

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 Examples
1. Tossing a coin three times and
denote the number of heads:

P(x=0) = 1/8
P(x=1) = 3/8
P(x=2) = 3/8
P(x=3) = 1/8

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 Examples
2. Tossing a die, if we denote the
number that occurs by x:
X = 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
P(x=1) = 1/6
P(x=2) = 1/6
P(x=3) = 1/6
P(x=4) = 1/6
P(x=5) = 1/6
P(x=6) = 1/6

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 Examples

3.Consider an experiment where a

ball is drawn at random from a box
containing 6 red, 4 blue, 3 green,
and 2 white balls. Let a random
variable Y take on the value 0 if the
ball drawn is red, 1 if it is blue, and
2 if it is either green or white.
Construct a probability table for this
situation.

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 Examples
Outcome Probability
Probability
of Outcome of the
value

Red
Blue
Green
White

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 Examples

Outcome Probability
Probability
of Outcome of the
value

Red 6/15 P(y=0)= 6/15

Blue 4/15 P(y=1)= 4/15
Green 3/15 P(y=2)= 3/15
White 2/15 P(y=2)= 2/15

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 Examples
Values Outcomes
4. Find the Probability
probability
distribution of
the sum of the
numbers that
occur if a pair
of dice is
tossed.

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 Examples
Values Outcomes Probability
2 (1, 1) 1/36
3 (1, 2) (2, 1) 2/36
4 (1, 3) (2, 2) ( 3, 1) 3/36
5 (1, 4) (2, 3) (3, 2) (4, 1) 4/36
6 (1,5) (2,4) (3,3) (4,2) (5,1) 5/36
7 (1,6) (2,5) (3,4) (4,3) (5,2) (6,1) 6/36
8 (2,6) (3, 5) (4,4) (5,3) (6,2) 5/36
9 (3, 6) (4,5) (5,4) (6,3) 4/36
10 (4,6) (5,5) (6,4) 3/36
11 (5,6) (6,5) 2/36
12 (6,6) 1/36

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