EXPLORING RANDOM VARIABLES

Lesson Objectives

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

• illustrate a random variable;
• classify random variables as discrete or
continuous; and
• find the possible values of a random variable.
Pre-Assessment

Recap:
The set of all possible outcomes of an
experiment is called the sample space.
Lesson Introduction
If three coins are tossed, what numbers can be
assigned for the frequency of heads that will occur?

If three cards are drawn from a deck, what number

can be assigned for the frequency of face cards that
will occur?

The answers to these questions require an

understanding of random variables.
Suppose three cell phones are tested at
random. We want to find out the number of
defective cell phones that occur. Thus, to each
outcome in the sample space we shall assign a
value.
Suppose three cell phones are tested at random.
We want to find out the number of defective cell
phones that occur.
Possible Outcomes
NNN NDD
NND DND
NDN DDN
DNN DDD
To each outcome in the sample space we shall assign a
value.
0 - If there is no defective cell phone
1- if there is 1 defective cell phone
2- if there are two defective cell phones
3 -if there are three defective cell phones

The number of defective cell phones is a random

variable.
The possible values of this random variable are
0, 1, 2, and 3.
A random variable is a function that associates a
real number to each element in the sample
space. It is a variable whose values are
determined by chance.
Example 1

Tossing Three Coins

Suppose three coins are tossed. Let Y be the
random variable representing the number of
tails that occur. Find the values of the random
variable Y. Complete the table below.
Solution to Example 1

The possible values of the random variable Y are

0, 1, 2, and 3.
Example 2
Drawing Balls from an Urn
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. Find the values of the
random variable Z. Complete the table below.
Solution to Example 2

The possible values of the random variable Z are

0, 1, and 2.
Discussion Points
A random variable is a discrete random variable if its
set of possible outcomes is countable. Mostly, discrete
random variables represent count data, such as the
number of defective chairs produced in a factory.

For Example 1, the possible values of random variable

Y are 0, 1, 2, and 3. The possible values for random
variable Z in Example 2, are 0, 1, and 2. Random
variables Y and Z are discrete random variables.
Discussion Points

A random variable is a continuous random

variable if it takes on values on a continuous scale.
Often, continuous random variables represent
measured data, such as heights, weights, and
temperatures.
Discussion Points
Example of Continuous Random Variable

Suppose an experiment is conducted to determine

the distance that a certain type of car will travel
using 10 liters of gasoline over a prescribed test
course. If distance is a random variable, then we
have an infinite number of distances that cannot be
equated to the number of whole numbers. This is
an example of a continuous random variable.
Exercise 1

Four coins are tossed. Let Z be the random

variable representing the number of heads that
occur. Find the values of the random variable Z.
Exercise 2

A shipment of five computers contains two that

are slightly defective. If a retailer receives three of
these computers at random, list the elements of
the sample space S using the letters D and N for
defective and non-defective computers,
respectively. To each sample point assign a value x
of the random variable X representing the
number of computers purchased by the retailer
which are slightly defective.
Exercise 3

Let T be a random variable giving the number

of heads plus the number of tails in three
tosses of a coin. List the elements of the
sample space S for the three tosses of the coin
and assign a value to each sample point.
Exercise 4

Classify the following random variables as discrete or

continuous.
a) the number of defective computers produced by
a manufacturer
b) the weight of newborns each year in a hospital
c) the number of siblings in a family of a region
d) the amount of paint utilized in a building project
e) the number of dropout in a school district for a
period of 10 years
Summary

A random variable is a function that associates

a real number to each element in the sample
space. It is a variable whose values are
determined by chance.
Summary

• A random variable is a discrete random variable if its set of

possible outcomes is countable. Mostly, discrete random
variables represent count data, such as the number of
defective chairs produced in a factory.

• A random variable is a continuous random variable if it

takes on values on a continuous scale. Often, continuous
random variables represent measured data, such as
heights, weights, and temperatures.