In-Class Activity 2

Number of Blue Balls

Two balls are drawn in succession without replacement from an urn containing 5 red
balls and 6 blue balls. Let Z be the random variable representing the number of blue balls.
Construct the probability distribution of the random variable Z.

Steps Solution

1. Determine the sample space. Let B The sample space for this experiment is
represents blue ball and R S = RR, RB, BR, BB
represents red ball.
2. Count the number of blue balls in
each outcome in the sample space
and assign this number to this Possible Outcomes Value of the Random
outcome.
Variable Z
(number of blue balls)

RR 0

RB 1

BR 1

BB 2

3. Find the probability of each

possible outcome.
• There are 11 balls in all. The Possible Outcomes Probability
probability of getting a red ball
5 5 4 2
in the first draw is 11 and the RR (11) (10) = 11
probability of getting a red ball
4
in the second draw is 10 because 5 6 3
RB ( )( ) =
the balls are drawn in 11 10 11
succession without replacement. 6 5 3
Thus, the probability of getting BR ( )( ) =
2 11 10 11
2 red balls in succession is 11.
• The probability of getting a red 6 5 3
BB ( )( ) =
5
ball in the first draw is 11 and 11 10 11
 the probability of getting a blue
6
ball in the second draw is 10 .
• The probability of getting a blue
6
ball in the first draw is 11 and
the probability of getting a red
5
ball in the second draw is 10 .
• The probability of getting a blue
6
ball in the first draw is 11 and
the probability of getting a blue
5
ball in the second draw is 10 .

4. There are three possible values of Probability

Number of Blue Balls
the random variable Z representing
the number of blue balls. These are (Z) P(Z)
0, 1, and 2. Assign probability
2
values P(Z), to each value of the 0 11
random variable.
3 3 6
1 + =
11 11 11
3
2
11

The probability distribution or a probability mass function of discrete random variable Z

is shown below.

Number of Blue Balls Z 0 1 2

2 6 3
Probability P(Z)
11 11 11

Can you make a histogram for this probability distribution? Remember that a
histogram is a bar graph. To construct a histogram for a probability distribution, follow these
steps.

• Plot the values of the random variable along the horizontal axis.
• Plot the probabilities along the vertical axis.

The histogram for the probability distribution of the discrete random variable Z is shown below.
 0.6

0.5

0.4

0.3

0.2

0.1

0
0 1 2

Number of Blue Balls (Z)

Figure 1.1. Histogram for the Probability Distribution of the Discrete Random Variable Z