SCRAMBLE WORDS
1. TSIITASCS
2. YLTOABPIBRI
3. DMOARN
4. EBIALBRVA
5. STEEDCRI
6. USUOTCOINN
7. OSPISLBE UEVLA
Exploring
Random
Variable
Objectives:
At the end of the session, the
learners should be able to;
❑ Illustrates a random variable
(discrete and continuous)
❑ Distinguishes between a discrete
and a continuous random
❑ Apply a random variable in real -
life problem.
Random Variable
A Random Variable may be viewed as a
way to map outcomes of statistical
experiment determine by chance into a
number. It is a set whose elements are
the numbers assigned to the outcomes
of an experiment. It is denoted by a
capital letter, usually X.
In some experiments such as:
❑ Tossing a coin three times
❑ Rolling a dice twices
❑ Drawing two balls in a box
Example 1. Suppose two coins are tossed. Let X be the
random variable representing the number of heads that
occur. Find the values of the random variable X.
Head Possible Value of the
Outcomes random variable X
Head (Number of
Tail heads)
HH 2
Head
Tail HT 1
TH 1
Tail TT 1
X = {0,1,2}
Sample Space = {HH, HT, TH, TT}
So, the possible values of the
random variable X are 0,1 and 2.
Example 2. Suppose tree coins are tossed. Let Y be the
random variable representing the number of tails that occur.
Find the values of the random variable Y.
Possible Value of the
Outcomes random variable
Y
(Number of tails)
HHH 0
HHT 1
HTH 1
HTT 2
Sample Space = THH 1
{HHH,HHT,HTH,HTT,THH,THT,TTH,TTT}
THT 2
TTH 2
So, the possible values of the TTT 3
Y= {0,1,2,3}
random variable X are 0,1 ,2and 3.
Example 3. Two balls are drawn in succession without replacement from a box
containing 5 red balls and 6 blue balls. Let Z be the random variable representing the
number of blue balls. Find the values of the random variable Z.
Let B represent the blue ball and R represent the red ball.
Possible Value of the random variable
Outcomes Z
(Number of blue balls)
RR 0
RB 1
BR 1
BB 2
Z= {0,1,2}
Sample Spacee = {RR, RB, BR, BB}
So, the possible values of the
random variable X are 0,1 and 2.
Example 4. Write all the possible values of each random variable.
1. X: Number of even number outcomes in a roll of a die.
Answer: X = {2,4,6}
1.1 Z: Scores of a student in a 10 - item test
Answer: Z = {0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10}
1.2 Y: Weight (in mg) of a powder that does not exceed
80 mg.
1.3 A: Product of two numbers taken from two boxes
containing numbers 0 to 5.
0 1 2 3 4 5
0 0 0 0 0 0 0
1 0 1 2 3 4 5
2 0 2 4 6 8 10
3 0 3 6 9 12 15
4 0 4 8 12 16 20
5 0 5 10 15 20 25
Discrete Random Variable:
A random variable that can take on a finite
(or countable infinite) number of distinct values.
Examples:
❑ Number of siblings
❑ Number of heads
obtained when tossing a
coin thrice
❑ The number of students
present in a classroom
at a given time
Continuous Random Variable
A random variable that take an infinitely uncountable
number of possible values, typically measurable
quantities.
Examples:
❑ Time of person can hold
his/her breathe
❑ The height or weight of a
person
❑ Body Temperature
ACTIVITY!!!
Determine whether the following are DISCRETE or
CONTINUOUS random variables.
1. The time it takes a student selected at random to register for
the fall semester
2. The number or bad checks drawn on Upright Bank on a day
selected at random
3. The amount of gasoline needed to drive your car 200 miles
4. The number of traffic fatalities per year in the state of Florida
5. The distance a golf ball travels after being hit with a driver
6. The number of ships in Pearl Harbor on any given day
7. Your weight before breakfast each morning
