RANDOM VARIABLE is a numerical description of an outcome of a statistical experiment.

It is a variable
whose values are determined by chance.

Example: Suppose an experiment is to measure the arrivals of cars at a toll booth during a minute
period. The possible outcomes are 0 cars, 1 car, 2 cars, . . .n cars.

Two categories of random variables:

1.) discrete random variable - the set of all possible values is at most a finite or countable infinite.

Countable infinite means that all possible values of the random variable can be listed in some order.

Examples of experiments that yield discrete random variables are :

       a) randomly selecting 30 people who consumed soft drinks and determining how many people
prefer diet soft drinks.

              b) determining the number of defective items in a batch of 100 items.

              c) counting the number of people who arrives at a store in a ten-minute Interval.

2.) continuous random variable - the variable takes on any value in a given interval. Continuous random
variable have no gaps and are usually generated in which they are " measured " and " counted
".Continuous random variable may assume any value in an interval on the real number line or in a
collection of intervals.

Examples of experiment that yield continuous random variables :

    1) sampling the volume of liquid nitrogen in a storage tank

      2) measuring the time between customer arrivals at a store

      3) measuring the length of the cars produced in factory

The outcomes for random variables and their associated probabilities can be organized into
distributions.

The probability distribution for a random variable describes how the probabilities are distributed over
the value of the random variable.

Two Types of Probability Distributions:

1) Discrete probability distribution - describes discrete random variables. It is defined by a probability

mass function denoted by f (x). This function provides the probability for each value of the random
variable. In the development of the probability function for a discrete random variable, two conditions
must be satisfied:

          a) f (x) must be non-negative for each value of the random variable

          b) the sum of the probabilities for each value of random variable must equal to one.

Discrete probability distribution includes the following:

  Binomial Distribution

 Poisson  Distribution

 Hyper-geometric Distribution
2. Continuous probability distribution

 describes continuous random variables. In is defined by a probability density function also

denoted as f (x). The probability density function provides the height or value of the function at
any particular value of  X; it does not directly  give the probability of the random variable taking
on a specific value.

However, the area  under the graph of f (x) , corresponding to some interval, obtained by computing the
integral of f (x) over that interval, provides the probability that the variable will take on a value within
the interval

  Probability density function must satisfy

two requirements;

a) f (x) must be non-negative for each value of the random variable

b) the integral over all values of the random variable must equal to one.

Continuous probability distribution includes:

                         a) Normal distribution

                                                  b) Uniform distribution

                                                c) Exponential distribution

                                              d)  t - distribution

                                              e) chi - square distribution

                                                f)  F distribution

DETERMINE THE FORCE ACTING ON THE NEGATIVE CHARGE

Next meeting word problem – discerete random variable/continuous variable

Probability disctribution function for discrete