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Binomial Distribution
Binomial Distribution
2. Each trial results in an outcome that may be classified as a success or a failure (hence the name, binomial);
3. The probability of a success, denoted by p, remains constant from trial to trial and repeated trials are independent.
The number of successes X in n trials of a binomial experiment is called a binomial random variable.
The probability distribution of the random variable X is called a binomial distribution, and is given by the formula:
n x n−x
P (X) = C p q
x
where
x = 0, 1, 2, ... n
(i.e. q = 1 − p)
n
C
x
is a combination
If p is the probability of success and q is the probability of failure in a binomial trial, then the expected number of
successes in n trials (i.e. the mean value of the binomial distribution) is
E(X) = μ = np
2
V(X) = σ = npq
Note: In a binomial distribution, only 2 parameters, namely n and p , are needed to determine the probability.
Example 1
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(b) 1 five?
(c) 3 fives?
Answer
Image source
This is a binomial distribution because there are only 2 possible outcomes (we get a 5 or we don't).
(a) Here, x = 0.
0 3
1 5 125
n x n−x 3
P (X = 0) = C p q = C ( ) ( ) = = 0.5787
x 0
6 6 216
(b) Here, x = 1.
1 2
1 5 75
n x n−x 3
P (X = 1) = C p q = C ( ) ( ) = = 0.34722
x 1
6 6 216
(c) Here, x = 3.
3 0
1 5 1
n x n−x 3 −3
P (X = 3) = C p q = C ( ) ( ) = = 4.6296 × 10
x 3
6 6 216
Example 2
Hospital records show that of patients suffering from a certain disease, 75% die of it. What is the probability that of 6
randomly selected patients, 4 will recover?
Answer
This is a binomial distribution because there are only 2 outcomes (the patient dies, or does not).
4 2
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n x n−x 6 4 2 −3
P (X) = C p q = C (0.25) (0.75) = 15 × 2.1973 × 10 = 0.0329595
x 4
X Probability
0 0.17798
1 0.35596
2 0.29663
3 0.13184
−2
4 3.2959 × 10
−3
5 4.3945 × 10
−4
6 2.4414 × 10
It means that out of the 6 patients chosen, the probability that none of them will recover is 0.17798 , the probability
that one will recover is 0.35596 , and the probability that all 6 will recover is extremely small.
SNB "Histogram"
Alternatively, we can use Scientific Notebook's "Plot Approximate Integral" to give us something approaching the
histogram of this experiment. Of course, the x-values are not quite right in the SNB answer (because it was not
designed to do this), so I have made an adjustment to the x-axis.
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Example 3
In the old days, there was a probability of 0.8 of success in any attempt to make a telephone
call. (This often depended on the imortance of the person making the call, or the operator's
curiosity!)
Answer
Image source
Probability
= P (X = 7)
10 7 10−7
= C (0.8) (0.2)
7
= 0.20133
Histogram
we have:
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Example 4
A (blindfolded) marksman finds that on the average he hits the target 4 times out of 5 . If he fires 4 shots, what is the
probability of
Answer
(a)
P (X) = P (x 3 ) + P ( x 4 )
4 3 1 4 4 0
= C (0.8) (0.2) + C (0.8) (0.2)
3 4
3 4
= 4 (0.8) (0.2) + (0.8)
= 0.8192
P (X) = P (x 1 ) + P ( x 0 )
4 1 3 4 0 4
= C (0.8) (0.2) + C (0.8) (0.2)
1 0
1 3 4
= 4 (0.8) (0.2) + (0.2)
= 0.0272
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Example 5
What proportion of Singapore families with exactly 6 children will have at least 3 boys? (Ignore
the probability of multiple births.)
[Interesting and disturbing trivia: In most countries the ratio of boys to girls is about
1.04 : 1 , but in China it is 1.15 : 1 .]
Answer
Image source
1.09
The probability of getting a boy is = 0.5215
1.09 + 1.00
Here,
n = 6 ,
p = 0.5215 ,
q = 1 − 0.52153 = 0.4785
When x = 3 :
n x n−x 6 3 3
P (X) = C p q = C (0.5215) (0.4785) = 0.31077
x 3
When x = 4 :
6 4 2
P (X) = C (0.5215) (0.4785) = 0.25402
4
When x = 5 :
6 5 1
P (X) = C (0.5215) (0.4785) = 0.11074
5
When x = 6 :
6 6 0 −2
P (X) = C (0.5215) (0.4785) = 2.0115 × 10
6
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Probability = P (X ≥ 3)
−2
= 0.31077 + 0.25402 + 0.11074 + 2.0115 × 10
= 0.69565
P (X ≥ 3) = 1 − (P ( x 0 ) + P ( x 1 ) + P ( x 2 ))
Example 6
A manufacturer of metal pistons finds that on the average, 12% of his pistons are rejected because they are either
oversize or undersize. What is the probability that a batch of 10 pistons will contain
Answer
(a)
n x n−x 10 0 10
P (X) = C p q = C (0.12) (0.88) = 0.2785
x 0
10 1 9
P (X) = C (0.12) (0.88) = 0.37977
1
10 2 8
P (X) = C (0.12) (0.88) = 0.23304
2
Probability
= P (X ≤ 2)
= 0.89131
(b) We could work out all the cases for X = 2, 3, 4, ..., 10 , but it is much easier to proceed as follows:
= 1 − P (X ≤ 1)
= 1 − P (X ≤ 1)
= 1 − (P ( x 0 ) + P (x 1 ))
= 1 − (0.2785 + 0.37977)
= 0.34173
Histogram
x 10−x
Using Scientic Notebook , we can define the function g(x) = C(10, x)(0.12) (0.88) and then
find the values at 0, 1, 2, ... , which gives us the histogram: