G N V H S – S H S Learning Resource Material in Probability and Statistics

Random Variables and Probability Distributions

Lesson Objectives
1. Illustrate a random variable and classify as discrete or continuous.
2. Find the possible values of a random variable.
3. Illustrate a probability distribution for a discrete random variable and its properties
4. Compute probabilities corresponding to a given random variable
5. Construct the probability mass function of a discrete random variable
6. Illustrate, calculate, and interpret the mean and variance of a discrete random variable.
7. Solve problems involving mean and variance of probability of distribution.

Lesson 1: Exploring Random Variables

Random Variable
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

Defective Cell Phones

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. These are 0, 1, 2, 3. If
there is no defective cell phone, we assign the number 0; if there is 1 defective cell phone, we assign the
number 1; if there are two defective cell phones, we assign the number 2; and 3, if there are three defective
cell phones. The possible values of this random variable are 0, 1, 2, and 3.

Possible Outcomes Value of the Random Variable X

(number of defective cell phones)
NNN 0
NND 1
NDN 1
DNN 1
NDD 2
DND 2
DDN 2
DDD 3

Discrete Random Variable and Continuous Random Variable

A random variable is a discrete random variable if its set of possible outcomes is countable. Mostly,
discrete 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.

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G N V H S – S H S Learning Resource Material in Probability and Statistics

EXAMPLE 2

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.
STEPS SOLUTION
1. Determine the sample space.
Let H represent head and T The sample space for this experiment is:
represent tail. S = {TTT, TTH, THT, HTT, HHT, HTH, THH, HHH}
2. Multiply the value of the
random variable X by the Number of Items Probability
corresponding probability. X P(X)
TTT 3
TTH 2
THT 2
HTT 2
HHT 1
HTH 1
THH 1
HHH 0

EXAMPLE 3

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.

STEPS SOLUTION
1. Determine the sample space.
Let B represent the blue balls and The sample space for this experiment is:
R represent the red ball. S = {RR, RB, BR, BB}
2. Multiply the value of the
random variable X by the Number of Items Probability
corresponding probability. X P(X)
RR 0
RB 1
BR 1
BB 2

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G N V H S – S H S Learning Resource Material in Probability and Statistics

Lesson 2: Constructing Probability Distributions

Discrete Probability Distribution
A discrete probability distribution or a probability mass function consists of the values a random variable
can assume and the corresponding probabilities of the values.

EXAMPLE 4

Number of Tails
Suppose three coins are tossed. Let Y be the random variable representing the number of tails that
occur. Find the probability of each of the values of the random variable Y.
Solution:
STEPS SOLUTION
1. Determine the sample space. Let H represents The sample space for this experiment is:
head and T represents tail. S = {TTT, TTH, THT, HTT, HHT, HTH, THH, HHH}

2. Count the number of tails in each outcome in

the sample space and assign this number to this Variable of the
outcome. Possible Outcomes Random Variable Y
(number of tails)
TTT 3
TTH 2
THT 2
HTT 2
HHT 1
HTH 1
THH 1
HHH 0

3. There are four possible values of the random

variable Y representing the number of tails. These
are 0, 1, 2, and 3. Assign probability values P(Y) to Number of Tails Y Probability P(Y)
each value of the random variable.
• There are 8 possible outcomes and no tail
1
occurs once, so the probability that we 0
1 8
shall assign to the random variable 0 is 8
• There are 8 possible outcomes and 1 tail 3
occurs three times, so the probability that 1
8
we shall assign to the random variable 1 is
3
8 3
2
• There are 8 possible outcomes and 2 tails 8
occur three times, so the probability that
we shall assign to the random variable 2 is 1
3 3
8 8
• There are 8 possible outcomes and 3 tails
occur once, so the probability that we
1
shall assign to the random variable 3 is 8

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G N V H S – S H S Learning Resource Material in Probability and Statistics

Number of Blue Balls (Z) 0 1 2 3

Probability P(Z) 1 3 3 1
8 8 8 8

EXAMPLE 5

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:
represent the blue ball and R represent S = {RR, RB, BR, BB}
the red ball.
2. Count the number of blue balls in each
outcome in the sample space and assign Variable of the Random
Possible
this number to this outcome. Variable Z (number of blue
Outcomes
balls)
RR 0
RB 1
BR 1
BB 2

3. There are three possible values of the

random variable Z representing the
number of blue balls. These are 0, 1, and Number of Blue Balls Z Probability P(Z)
2. Assign probability values P(Z) to each
value of the random variable.
1
• There are 4 possible outcomes 1
4
and no blue ball occurs once, so
the probability that we shall 1
assign to the random variable 0 is 2
1 2
4
• There are 4 possible outcomes 1
3
and 1 blue ball occurs two times, 4
so the probability that we shall
assign to the random variable 1 is
1
2
• There are 4 possible outcomes
and 2 blue ball occurs once, so the
probability that we shall assign to
1
the random variable 2 is 4

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G N V H S – S H S Learning Resource Material in Probability and Statistics

Number of Blue Balls (Z) 0 1 2

Probability P(Z) 1 1 1
4 2 4

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

Properties of a Probability Distribution

1. The probability of each value of the random variable must be between or equal to 0 and 1. In
symbol, we write as 0 ≤ 𝑃(𝑋) ≤ 1.

2. The sum of the probabilities of all values of the random variable must be equal to 1. In
symbol, we write it as ∑ 𝑃(𝑋) = 1.