4/15/24, 3:17 PM What is Binomial Probability Distribution with example?

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What is Binomial Probability Distribution

with example?
Last Updated : 02 Nov, 2021
Probability is the likelihood of something happening. When we say the
probability of something, it means how likely that something is. Some
events have a high probability and are very likely to happen, and some have
less probability which means they are very unlikely to happen. Examples –
The probability of getting a tail on tossing an unbiased coin is 1/2 and the
probability of getting a number greater than 4 on rolling dice is 1/3. In other
words, it is the measure of the chance that the event will occur as a result of
an experiment.

Probability theory is a very powerful instrument for organizing, interpreting,

and applying information which is very useful in various domains like data
science, trading, betting of horses, etc.

Binomial Experiment

A Binomial experiment is an experiment in which there are a fixed number of

trials (say n), every trial is independent of the others, only 2 outcomes:
success or failure, and the probability of each outcome remains constant for
trial to trial. Examples of the binomial experiments,

Binomial Experiment Possible Outcomes

Did 2 appear on the dice? Yes / No

Condition of a statement True / False

Tossing a coin Heads / Tails

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4/15/24, 3:17 PM What is Binomial Probability Distribution with example? - GeeksforGeeks

When there is given any binomial experiment in which we are performing

random experiments multiple times (for example, tossing a coin 7 times or
rolling a dice 10 times ), then finding out the probability of a certain outcome
in n trials is called its binomial probability. Consider a binary experiment has
n independent trials with two outcomes:

Success
Failure

Now the Probability of getting r successes in n trials is:

P = nCr.pr.qn-r

where p = probability of success and q = probability of failure such that p +

q = 1.

Graphical Representation of symmetric Binomial Distribution

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4/15/24, 3:17 PM What is Binomial Probability Distribution with example? - GeeksforGeeks

The binomial distribution consists of multiple Bernoulli’s events. The

difference between Bernoulli’s distribution and Binomial distribution is
that the expected value of Bernoulli’s distribution gives the expected
outcome for a single trial while the expected value of Binomial distribution
suggests the number of times expected to get a specific outcome. The graph
of binomial distribution represents the likelihood of attaining our desired
outcome a specific number of times.

Sample Problems

Question 1: If an unbiased coin is tossed 7 times, then find out the

probability of getting exactly 3 heads.

Solution:

Given number of trials(n) = 7, number of success(r)= 3

= Probability of success = Probability of getting a head in a trial (p) =

1/2

= Probability of failure = Probability of not getting a head in a trial (q) =

1/2

Now applying binomial probability formula:

= Probability of getting exactly 3 heads (P) = nCr.pr.qn – r

= 7C3.(1/2)3 × (1/2)4
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4/15/24, 3:17 PM What is Binomial Probability Distribution with example? - GeeksforGeeks

= 35/128

Question 2: A dice is thrown 5 times, and getting an odd prime number is

considered a success. Find the probability of:

1. Exactly one success

2. At least one success

Solution :

Given: Number of trials (n) = 5,

Number of odd prime numbers from 1 to 6 = 2 (3, 5)

= Probability of success = Probability of getting a 3 or 5 on the dice(p)

= 2/6 = 1/3

= Probability of failure = Probability of not getting 1, 2, 4, 6 on the

dice(q) = 1 – 1/3 = 2/3

Exactly one success(r = 1)

Applying binomial probability formula:

=> Probability of getting exactly 1 success (P) = nCr.pr.qn-r

= 5C1. (1/3)1. (2/3)4

= 80/243 (Ans)

At least one success( r = 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

Now since it is given at least one succes, add all the binomial
probabilities for r = 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Applying binomial probability formula:

= Probability of getting at least 1 success (P) = P(r = 1) + P(r = 2) + P(r

= 3) + P(r = 4) + P(r = 5)

(getting 1 success) (2 success) (3 success) (4 success) (5 success)

= 1 –toP(r
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4/15/24, 3:17 PM What is Binomial Probability Distribution with example? - GeeksforGeeks

= 1 – 5C0.(1/3)0.(2/3)5

= 1 – 32/243

= 211/243

Question 3: Joker draws 4 cards from a well-shuffled deck of 52 cards

with replacement. Find the probability that he draws at least 3 kings
from the deck.

Solution:

Given: Number of cards to be drawn(n) = 4

Success = getting a king

Probability of getting a king card from 52 random cards(p) = 4/52 =

1/13 (Since total no of kings = 4 and each card is replaced after every
pick)

Probability of failure(q) = 1 – 1/13 = 12/13

= Probability of getting at least 3 king in this case = P(r = 3) + P(r = 4)

(getting 3 kings) (getting 4 kings)

Applying binomial probability formula = 4C3.(1/13)3.(12/13)1 + 4C4.

(1/13)4.(12/13)0

= (1/13)3.(4.12/13 + 1/13) (Taking common on both sides)

= 49/28561

Question 4: You are giving an MCQ test having only 5 questions. In each
question, 4 options are given and each question can have one or more
than one correct answer. Since you have not studied anything for the test,
you decide to mark all the answers at random. Find the probability that
you get exactly 3 questions correct out of 5, to just pass your
examination.

Solution:
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4/15/24, 3:17 PM What is Binomial Probability Distribution with example? - GeeksforGeeks

Given: Number of questions(n) = 5

Now to find the probability of success, first, find the total

no of the ways a question can be answered.

As shown in the figure above, there are 4 cases :

= number of ways to answer a question when only 1 option is correct =

4C
1= 4 ways

= number of ways to answer a question when 2 options are correct =

4C = 6 ways
2

= number of ways to answer a question when 3 options are correct =

4C = 4 ways
3

= number of ways to answer a question when 4 options are correct =

4C = 1 way
4

Adding up all ways, the total no of ways = 15 ways.

Now out of these 15 ways, only one will be correct for a particular
question.

Thus, the probability of success(i.e. getting a correct answer) = 1/15

And the probability of failure = 1 – 1/15 = 14/15

Now,

The probability that you get exactly 3 question correct out of 5

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4/15/24, 3:17 PM What is Binomial Probability Distribution with example? - GeeksforGeeks

= 10. (196/759375)

= 392/151875

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