Discrete Probability

Pr obability Distributions
Distributions

Chapter 6

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prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
Learning Objectives
LO6-1 Identify the charac
distribution characteristics
teristics of a probability
LO6-2 Distinguish between discr
discrete and continuous
random variables
LO6-3 Comput
Compute e the mean,
mean, variance
variance,, and stan
standard
dard
deviation of a discrete
discrete probability distribution
LO6-4 Exp
Explain
lain the as
assumptions
sumptions of the b binomial
inomial
distribution and
and apply
app ly it to calc
calculate
ulate
probabilities
LO6-5 Explain
Exp lain the assumptions of the hypergeometric
hypergeometric
distribution and apply it to calculate
calculate p
prrobabilities
LO6-6 Exp
Explain
lain the as
assumptions
sumptions of the Poisson distribution
and apply
app ly it to calc
calculate
ulate probabilities

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 the prior
p rior written consent
consen t of McGraw Hill Education.
Edu cation.

What is a Probability Distribution?

PROBABILITY DIS
DISTRIBUTION
TRIBUTION A listing of all the outcomes
ou tcomes of an
experiment and the probability associated with each outcome.
ou tcome.

CHARACTERISTICS OF A PROBABILITY DISTRIBUTION

DISTRI BUTION
1. The probabil
probabilit
ityy o
off a particular
particular outcom
outcome e is
is betwe
between
en 0 and 1
inclusive.
2. The outcom
outcomes es are
are mutua
mutuallllyy exclu
exclusive.
ive.
3. The list of outcomes
outcomes is exhaustive.
exhaustive. So the sum of the pr probabilities
obabilities of
the outcom
ou tcomeses is equal to 1.

 Example: A drug manufacturer may claim a treatment will wil l

cause weight lossl oss ffor
or 80% of the popul
population.
ation. This claim coul
couldd
be tested by a consumer
co nsumer protection agency us using
ing a sample and
statistical
statis tical inference.
inference.

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the prior
p rior written consent
consen t of McGraw-Hill
McGraw-Hill Education.
Edu cation.
Probability Distribution Example
 Suppose we are
are interested in the number of heads
showing face up with 3 toss
tosses
es of a coin
 The possible
poss ible outcomes are 0 heads,
head s, 1 head,
head , 2 h
heads,
eads, and 3
heads

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the prior
p rior written consent
consen t of McGraw-Hill
McGraw-Hill Education.
Edu cation.
Probability Distribution Table
 Probability distribution table and
Probability an d char
chartt for the
th e ev
events
ents of
zero
ze ro,, one,
one , two, and th
three
ree head
h eadss

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the prior
p rior written consent
consen t of McGraw Hill Education.
Edu cation.