COMPUTING PROBABILITIES CORRESPONDING TO A

GIVEN RANDOM VARIABLE

Lesson Objectives

At the end of this lesson, you are expected to:

• Illustrate the different inequality symbols that

will be use in computing probability
corresponding to a given random variable;
• Construct probabilities corresponding to a
given random variable and apply it in real-life
situations
Recap: INEQUALITY SYMBOLS
SYMBOL MEANING WORD PHRASE

fewer than,
< less than
below
more than,
> greater than
above
less than or at most, no more
equal to than
greater than or at least, no less
equal to than

not equal to not equal to


Example 1
The following data show the
probabilities for the number
of cars sold in a given day at
a car dealer store.
a) Find P(X
P(X = P(0) + P(1) + P(2)
= 0.100 + 0.150 +
0.250
= 0.500
Number of Probability,
Cars (X) P(X)
0 0.100
1 0.150
2 0.250
3 0.140
4 0.090
5 0.080
6 0.060
7 0.050
8 0.040
9 0.025
10 0.015
 Number
b) Find P(X of Cars Probabil
(X) ity, P(X)
0 0.100
P(X = P(7) + P(8) + P(9) + P(10)
1 0.150
= 0.050 + 0.040 + 0.025 +
2 0.250
0.015 3 0.140
= 0.130 4 0.090
c) Find P(X 5 5 0.080
6 0.060
P(X 5 = P(1) + P(2) + P(3) + P(4) + P(5) 7 0.050
= 0.150 + 0.250 + 0.140 + 0.090 + 0.080 8 0.040
= 0.710 9 0.025
10 0.015
Example 2. In a convenient store, the number of
tellers (X) busy with costumers at 12:00 noon
varies from day to day. Past records indicate that
the probability distribution of X is as follows.
Number of Probability
teller, X P(X)
0 0.029
1. What is the probability
1 0.049
that exactly four tellers
2 0.078 are busy at 12:00 noon?
3 0.155 P(X=4)
4 0.212 = P(4)
5 0.262 =0.212
6 0.215
Number Probabilit 2. What is the probability that
of teller, y at least two tellers are busy at
X P(X) 12:00 noon?
0 0.029
1 0.049
P(X
2 0.078
3 0.155
4 0.212 =0.078 + 0.155 + 0.212 +
5 0.262 0.262 + 0.215
6 0.215
=0.922
Number Probabilit 3. What is the probability that
of teller, y
X P(X) fewer that five tellers are
0 0.029 busy at 12:00 noon?
1 0.049 P(X
2 0.078
3 0.155 =0.029 + 0.049 + 0.078 +
4 0.212 0.155 + 0.212
5 0.262
6 0.215
=0.523
Number Probabilit 4. What is the probability that
of teller, y
X P(X) at least two, but fewer than
0 0.029 five are busy at 12:00 noon?
1 0.049
2 0.078 P(X
3 0.155
4 0.212 =0.078 + 0.155 + 0.212
5 0.262
6 0.215
=0.445
 Probabilit 5. What is the probability that
Number y
of teller X P(X) at least no tellers are busy at
0 0.029 12:00 noon?
1 0.049
2 0.078 P(X
3 0.155
4 0.212 =0.029 + 0.049 + 0.078 + 0.155
5 0.262 + 0.212 + 0.262 + 0.215
6 0.215
=1
Exercise 1. Let X the values of the random
variable represented by the number of boxes of
“leche puto”. The probability distribution is
shown below
Number of Probability,
Boxes, X P(X)
25 1/10
1. Find the probability that
37 1/5
40 or more boxes will
40 1/10 be sold in a particular
42 1/5 day?
45 3/10
50 1/10
Number of Probability
Boxes, X , P(X)

25 1/10
2. Find the probability that
37 1/5
the number of boxes
40 1/10 delivered will be at least 37,
42 1/5 but not more than 50
45 3/10
50 1/10