Random Variable and

Probability Distribution
Probability and Statistics for Engineers
and Scientists by Walpole et al.

MATH 89-EA
DEXBY P. DE GUZMAN, Ch.E.

TODAY:

Quiz on Probability
Random Variable
Probability Distribution(s)
Discrete
Continuous
Cumulative

RANDOM VARIABLE

DISCRETE AND CONTINUOUS DATA

DISCRETE AND CONTINUOUS DATA

1. Number of red M&Ms in a pouch.
DISCRETE
2. Number of traffic accidents in Cagayan
de Oro in one day. DISCRETE
3. Weight of babies at birth. CONTINUOUS
4. Height of sea grasses in a particular bay.
CONTINUOUS
5. Time needed to travel from Camiguin to
Lagonglong. CONTINUOUS
6. Number of throws required to score 6
with a single dice. DISCRETE

DISCRETE PROBABILITY
DISTRIBUTION (PMF)

EXAMPLE 1
If a car agency sells 50% of its inventory of a
certain foreign car equipped with side airbags,
find a formula for the probability distribution of
the number of cars with side airbags among the
next 4 cars sold by the agency.

EXAMPLE 1: Probability mass function

plot

EXAMPLE 1: Probability histogram

EXAMPLE 1: Discrete cumulative

distribution function

EXAMPLE 1: Discrete cumulative

distribution function

DISCRETE PROBABILITY
DISTRIBUTION
EXAMPLE 2
A shipment of 20 similar laptop computers
to a retail outlet contains 3 that are
defective. If a school makes a random
purchase of 2 of these computers, find the
probability distribution for the number of
defectives.

CONTINUOUS PROBABILITY
DISTRIBUTION (PDF)

CONTINUOUS PROBABILITY
DISTRIBUTION (PDF)

Typical density functions

CONTINUOUS PROBABILITY
DISTRIBUTION (PDF)

P(a < X < b)

EXAMPLE 3

ASSIGNMENT (Short newsprint or bond paper)

1. Find the probability distribution for the number of jazz
CDs when 4 CDs are selected at random from a collection
consisting of 5 jazz CDs, 2 classical CDs, and 3 rock CDs.
Tasks:
a) Identify your random variable.
b) Draw a tree diagram showing all the possibilities.
c) Construct a probability table.
d) Construct a probability histogram.
e) Repeat the tasks a-d if selection is done with
replacement.
Note: random variable on the horizontal axis and
probability on the vertical axis.

ASSIGNMENT
2. The proportion of people who respond to a certain mailorder solicitation is a continuous random variable X that
has the density function

a) Show that P(0 < X < 1) = 1.

b) Find the probability that more than 1/4 but fewer than
1/2 of the people contacted will respond to this type of
solicitation.

REFERENCE
Walpole, Ronald E., et al. Probability and
Statistics for Engineers and Scientists.
Boston: Pearson Education, Inc., 2012.

Thank You!