Discrete

Probability
Distributions
Chapter 6

McGraw-Hill/Irwin Copyright © 2012 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Learning Objectives
LO1 Identify the characteristics of a probability distribution.
LO2 Distinguish between discrete and continuous random
variable.
LO3 Compute the mean of a probability distribution.
LO4 Compute the variance and standard deviation of a
probability distribution.
LO5 Describe and compute probabilities for a binomial
distribution.
LO6 Describe and compute probabilities for a
hypergeometric distribution.
LO7 Describe and compute probabilities for a Poisson
distribution.

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 LO1 Identify the characteristics
of a probability distribution.

What is a Probability Distribution?

PROBABILITY DISTRIBUTION A listing of all the outcomes of
an experiment and the probability associated with each outcome.

Experiment:
Toss a coin three times.
Observe the number of
heads. The possible
results are: Zero heads,
One head,
Two heads, and
Three heads.
What is the probability
distribution for the
number of heads?
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 LO1

Characteristics of a Probability Distribution

CHARACTERISTICS OF A PROBABILITY
DISTRIBUTION
1.The probability of a particular outcome is between
0 and 1 inclusive.
2. The outcomes are mutually exclusive events.
3. The list is exhaustive. So the sum of the probabilities
of the various events is equal to 1.

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 LO1

Probability Distribution of Number of Heads

Observed in 3 Tosses of a Coin

6-5
 LO1

Random Variables
RANDOM VARIABLE A quantity resulting from an experiment
that, by chance, can assume different values.

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 LO2 Distinguish between discrete
and continuous random variable.

Types of Random Variables

DISCRETE RANDOM VARIABLE A random variable that can assume
only certain clearly separated values. It is usually the result of counting
something.

CONTINUOUS RANDOM VARIABLE can assume an infinite number

of values within a given range. It is usually the result of some type of
measurement

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 LO2

Discrete Random Variables

DISCRETE RANDOM VARIABLE A random variable that can assume

only certain clearly separated values. It is usually the result of counting
something.

EXAMPLES
1. The number of students in a class.
2. The number of children in a family.
3. The number of cars entering a carwash in a hour.
4. Number of home mortgages approved by Coastal Federal Bank last
week.

6-8
 LO2

Continuous Random Variables

CONTINUOUS RANDOM VARIABLE can assume an infinite number

of values within a given range. It is usually the result of some type of
measurement

EXAMPLES
 The length of each song on the latest Tim McGraw album.
 The weight of each student in this class.
 The temperature outside as you are reading this book.
 The amount of money earned by each of the more than 750
players currently on Major League Baseball team rosters.

6-9
 LO3 Compute the mean of a
probability distribution.

The Mean of a Probability Distribution

MEAN
•The mean is a typical value used to represent the
central location of a probability distribution.
•The mean of a probability distribution is also
referred to as its expected value.

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 LO3

Mean, Variance, and Standard

Deviation of a Probability Distribution - Example

John Ragsdale sells new cars for

Pelican Ford. John usually sells the
largest number of cars on Saturday. He
has developed the following probability
distribution for the number of cars he
expects to sell on a particular Saturday.

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 LO3

Mean of a Probability Distribution - Example

6-12
 LO4 Compute the variance and standard
deviation of a probability distribution.
The Variance and Standard
Deviation of a Probability Distribution
Measures the amount of spread in a distribution
• The computational steps are:
1. Subtract the mean from each value, and square this
difference.
2. Multiply each squared difference by its probability.
3. Sum the resulting products to arrive at the variance.

The standard deviation is found by taking the positive

square root of the variance.

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 LO4

Variance and Standard

Deviation of a Probability Distribution - Example

   2  1.290  1.136
6-14
 LO5 Describe and compute probabilities for
a binomial distribution.

Binomial Probability Distribution

 A Widely occurring discrete probability distribution
 Characteristics of a Binomial Probability Distribution
1. There are only two possible outcomes on a
particular trial of an experiment.
2. The outcomes are mutually exclusive,
3. The random variable is the result of counts.
4. Each trial is independent of any other trial

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 LO5

Binomial Probability Experiment

1. An outcome on each trial of an experiment is
classified into one of two mutually exclusive
categories—a success or a failure.
2. The random variable counts the number of successes
in a fixed number of trials.
3. The probability of success and failure stay the same
for each trial.
4. The trials are independent, meaning that the outcome
of one trial does not affect the outcome of any
other trial.

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 LO5

Binomial Probability Formula

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 LO5

Binomial Probability - Example

There are five flights
daily from Pittsburgh
via US Airways into
the Bradford
Regional Airport in
PA. Suppose the
probability that any
flight arrives late is .
20.
What is the
probability that none
of the flights are late
today?
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 LO5

Binomial Probability - Excel

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 LO5

Binomial Dist. – Mean and Variance

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 LO5

Binomial Dist. – Mean and Variance:

Example
For the example
regarding the number
of late flights, recall
that  =.20 and n = 5.

What is the average

number of late flights?

What is the variance

of the number of late
flights?

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 LO5
Binomial Dist. – Mean and Variance:
Another Solution

6-22
 LO5

Binomial Distribution - Table

Five percent of the worm gears produced by an automatic, high-
speed Carter-Bell milling machine are defective.
What is the probability that out of six gears selected at random
none will be defective? Exactly one? Exactly two? Exactly three?
Exactly four? Exactly five? Exactly six out of six?

6-23
 LO5

Binomial Distribution - MegaStat

Five percent of the
worm gears produced
by an automatic, high-
speed Carter-Bell
milling machine are
defective.
What is the probability
that out of six gears
selected at random …

None will be defective?

Exactly one?
Exactly two?
Exactly three?
Exactly four?
Exactly five?
Exactly six out of six?

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 LO5

Binomial – Shapes for Varying  (n constant)

6-25
 LO5

Binomial – Shapes for Varying n ( constant)

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 LO5

Binomial Probability Distributions -

Example
A study by the Illinois Department of Transportation
concluded that 76.2 percent of front seat occupants
used seat belts. A sample of 12 vehicles is selected.
What is the probability the front seat occupants in
exactly 7 of the 12 vehicles are wearing seat belts?

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 LO5

Binomial Probability Distributions -

Example
A study by the Illinois Department of Transportation
concluded that 76.2 percent of front seat occupants
used seat belts. A sample of 12 vehicles is selected.
What is the probability the front seat occupants in at
least 7 of the 12 vehicles are wearing seat belts?

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 LO5

Cumulative Binomial Probability

Distributions - Excel

6-29
 LO6 Describe and compute probabilities for
a hypergeometric distribution.

Hypergeometric Probability Distribution

1. An outcome on each trial of an experiment is
classified into one of two mutually exclusive
categories—a success or a failure.
2. The probability of success and failure changes from
trial to trial.
3. The trials are not independent, meaning that the
outcome of one trial affects the outcome of any other
trial.

Note: Use hypergeometric distribution if experiment is

binomial, but sampling is without replacement from a finite
population where n/N is more than 0.05

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 LO6

Hypergeometric Probability Distribution - Formula

6-31
 LO6

Hypergeometric Probability Distribution - Example

PlayTime Toys, Inc., employs 50

people in the Assembly
Department. Forty of the
employees belong to a union and
ten do not. Five employees are
selected at random to form a
committee to meet with
management regarding shift
starting times.

What is the probability that four

of the five selected for the
committee belong to a union?

6-32
 LO6

Hypergeometric Probability Distribution - Example

Here’s what’s given:

N = 50 (number of employees)
S = 40 (number of union employees)
x = 4 (number of union employees selected)
n = 5 (number of employees selected)

What is the probability that four of the

five selected for the committee belong to
a union?

33
6-33
 LO7 Describe and compute
probabilities for a Poisson distribution.

Poisson Probability Distribution

The Poisson probability distribution
describes the number of times some event
occurs during a specified interval. The
interval may be time, distance, area, or volume.

Assumptions of the Poisson Distribution

 The probability is proportional to the length of the
interval.
 The intervals are independent.

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 LO7

Poisson Probability Distribution

The Poisson probability distribution is characterized by
the number of times an event happens during some
interval or continuum.
Examples include:
• The number of misspelled words per page in a newspaper.
• The number of calls per hour received by Dyson Vacuum
Cleaner Company.
• The number of vehicles sold per day at Hyatt Buick GMC
in Durham, North Carolina.
• The number of goals scored in a college soccer game.

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 LO7

Poisson Probability Distribution

The Poisson distribution can be
described mathematically using the
formula:

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 LO7

Poisson Probability Distribution

 The mean number of successes μ can be determined in Poisson
situations by n, where n is the number of trials and  the
probability of a success.

 The variance of the Poisson distribution is also equal to n .

6-37
 LO7

Poisson Probability Distribution - Example

Assume baggage is rarely lost by Northwest Airlines.

Suppose a random sample of 1,000 flights shows a
total of 300 bags were lost. Thus, the arithmetic
mean number of lost bags per flight is 0.3
(300/1,000). If the number of lost bags per flight
follows a Poisson distribution with u = 0.3, find the
probability of not losing any bags.

6-38
 LO7

Poisson Probability Distribution - Table

Recall from the previous illustration that the number of lost bags
follows a Poisson distribution with a mean of 0.3. Use Appendix B.5
to find the probability that no bags will be lost on a particular flight.
What is the probability no bag will be lost on a particular flight?

6-39
 LO7

More About the Poisson Probability Distribution

 The Poisson probability distribution is always positively skewed and the
random variable has no specific upper limit.
The Poisson distribution for the lost bags illustration, where µ=0.3, is highly
skewed.
As µ becomes larger, the Poisson distribution becomes more symmetrical.

6-40