Chapter 6

Random Variables and Probability Distributions

Honors 281
What is a random variable
• Random variable a numerical variable whose value depends on the
outcome of a chance experiment. A random variable associates a
numerical value with each outcome of a chance experiment.
• discrete if its possible values are isolated points along a number line.
• continuous if its possible values are all points in some interval.
• probability distribution of a discrete random variable x gives the
probability associated with each possible x value.
Properties of Discrete Probability
Distributions
•  For every possible x value, 1.
6

• =
5

• p(x)
4

0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Probability Distributions of Continuous
Random Variables (6.3)
•  Defined by a probability density curve, f(x)
• f(x)
• The total area under the curve is equal to 1.
•
• Calculating P(a < x < b) = P(x < b) – P(x< a)
Section 6.4 Mean and Standard Deviation
of a Random Variable
•The
  mean value of a random variable x, denoted by ,
describes where the probability distribution of x is centered.
It is calculated by first multiplying each possible x value by the
probability of observing that value and then adding the
resulting quantities. Symbolically,
=
 
The term expected value is sometimes used in place of mean
value, and E(x) is another way to denote .
 Standard Deviation of a Random Variable x
•The
  standard deviation of a random variable x, denoted by , describes
variability in the probability distribution.

When the value of is small , observed values of x will tend to be close

to the mean value. The larger the value of the more variability there
will be in observed x values.
 Variance of a random variable x
•The
  variance of a random variable x, denoted by , is found by …
 
p(x)
 
The standard deviation of x, denoted by , is the square root of the
variance.
 Ch. 6.5 Normal Distribution
•On  pg. 299, the standard normal distribution is the normal distribution
with
 
=0 and =1
 
The standard normal curve is sometimes called the z curve.

• Recall z transform
•z
•On  pg. 300, for any number between – 3.89 and 3.89 and rounded to
two decimal places, Appendix Table 2 gives
 
(area under z curve to the left of ) = P( z < ) = P( z )

where the letter z is used to represent a random variable whose

distribution is the standard normal distribution. Note it is symmetric
and the divides the distribution in half.
Look up
• Find P(z<-1.76) using this table
• The letter z is reserved for the standard normal distribution.
• Can standardize x values to probabilities.
Example
•  From prior research we know that the population mean height
inches and the standard deviation is inches.
• What is the probability that a student’s height is between 54 and 58
inches?
• What is the maximum height to be in the minimum 5% of the class?
Section 6.6 – Checking for Normality-
Mostly Skipping
• Gives a tool (normal probability plot) for seeing if data is normally
distributed – useful in higher level statistics and data science courses
Binomial Distribution
Properties of a Binomial Experiment:
A binomial experiment consists of a sequence of trials with the
following conditions:

1. There is a fixed number of trials.  

2. Each trial can result in one of only two possible outcomes, labeled
Success (S) and Failure (F) .
3. Outcomes of different trials are independent.
4. The probability of success is the same for each trial.
Binomial Random Variable
• X  =number of successes observed when a binomial experiment is
performed
• The probability distribution of x is called the binomial probability
distribution.
• n = number of independent trials in a binomial experiment
• p = constant probability that any particular trial results in a success.
• p(x) = P(x successes among the n trials) =

x = 0, 1, 2, …, n
Normal Approximation to Binomial
•  Check if appropriate to do normal approximation to binomial:
• If n and p are such that np 10 and n(1 – p) 10 , then the distribution is
approximately normal.
• and
• Continuity Correction
• Add .5 or 1/2 if we are finding the probability using a right endpoint
• Subtract .5 or 1/2 if we are finding the probability using a left endpoint.