REVIEW ACTIVITY

1. From a box containing 4 Possible Outcomes Value of the Random

Variable G (number of
black balls and 2 green green balls)

balls, 3 balls are drawn in

succession. Each ball is BBB 0
placed back in the box BBG 1
before the next draw is BGB 1
made. Let G be a random
GBB 1
variable representing the
BGG 2
number of green balls that
occur. Find the values of the GGB 2

random variable G. GBG 2

PRELIMINARY ACTIVITY

A. Find the probability of the following events.

Event (E) Probability P(E)

1. Getting an even number in a single roll of a die. 1/2
2. Getting a sum of 6 when two dice are rolled. 5/36
3. Getting an ace when a card is drawn from a deck. 1/13
4. The probability that all children are boys if a couple has three
children. 1/8
5. Getting an odd number and a tail when a die is rolled and a
coin is tossed simultaneously.
1/4
6. Getting a red queen when a card is drawn from a deck. 1/26
7. Getting a red ball from a box containing 3 red and 6 black 1/3
balls.
CONSTRUCTING PROBABILITY
DISTRIBUTIONS
 At the end of the lesson, the students should be
able to:
a. illustrate a probability distribution for a
discrete random variable and its properties;
b. compute probabilities corresponding to
a given random variable; and
c. construct the probability mass function of a
discrete random variable and its corresponding
histogram.
CONCEPT NOTES
CONCEPT NOTES

PROPERTIES OF A PROBABILITY DISTRIBUTION

 The probability of each value of the random

variable must be between or equal to 0 and 1. In
symbol, we write it as 0 ≤ P(x) ≤ 1.
 The sum of the probabilities of all values of the
random variable must be equal to 1. In symbol,
 P(X )  1
CONCEPT NOTES

Steps in Constructing a Probability of a Discrete

Random Variable X

1. Determine the sample space.

2. Assign value to the random variable X in each
outcome.
3. Assign probability values P(X) to each value of the
random variable.
EXAMPLE

EXAMPLE 1:
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.
EXAMPLE
STEPS SOLUTION
1. Determine the sample space. Let H The sample space for this experiment is:
represent head and T represent tail. S = {TTT, TTH, THT, HTT, HHT, HTH, THH, HHH}

2. Count the number of tails in each Possible Outcomes Value of the Random Variable
outcome in the sample space and assign X (number of tails)
this number to this outcome.
TTT 3
TTH 2
THT 2
HTT 2
HHT 1
HTH 1
THH 1
HHH 0
 STEPS SOLUTION
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 each value of the
random variable. Number of Tails Y Probability P(Y)
• There are 8 possible outcomes and no
tail occurs once, so the probability that
we shall assign to the random variable 0
is 1/8.
0 1/8
• There are 8 possible outcomes and one
tail occurs three times, so the probability
that we shall assign to the random
variable 1 is 3/8. 1 3/8
• There are 8 possible outcomes and 2
tails occur three times, so the probability
that we shall assign to the random
variable 2 is 3/8. 2 3/8
• There are 8 possible outcomes and three
tails occur once, so the probability that
we shall assign to the random variable 3
is 1/8.
3 1/8
Table 1.1. The Probability Distribution or the Probability
Mass Function of Discrete Random Variable Y

NUMBER OF TAILS Y
0 1 2 3
PROBABILITY P(Y) 1/8 3/8 3/8 1/8
EXAMPLE

EXAMPLE 2:
Suppose three cell phones are tested at
random. Let D represent the defective cell
phone and let N the non-defective cell
phone. If we let X be the random variable
for the number of defective cell phones,
construct the probability distribution of the
random variable X.
EXAMPLE
STEPS SOLUTION
1. Determine the sample space. Let H The sample space for this experiment is:
represent head and T represent tail. S = {NNN,NND, NDN, NDD, DNN, DND, DDN, DDD}

2. Count the number of tails in each Possible Outcomes Value of the Random Variable
outcome in the sample space and assign X (number of heads)
this number to this outcome.
NNN 0
NND 1
NDN 1
DNN 1
NDD 2
DND 2
DDN 2
DDD 3
 STEPS SOLUTION
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 each value of the
random variable. Number of Tails Y Probability P(Y)
• There are 8 possible outcomes and no
defective cell phone occurs once, so the
probability that we shall assign to the
random variable 0 is 1/8.
0 1/8
• There are 8 possible outcomes and one
defective cell phone occurs three times,
so the probability that we shall assign to
the random variable 1 is 3/8. 1 3/8
• There are 8 possible outcomes and 2
defective cell phones occur three times,
so the probability that we shall assign to
the random variable 2 is 3/8. 2 3/8
• There are 8 possible outcomes and three
defective cell phones occur once, so the
probability that we shall assign to the
random variable 3 is 1/8.
3 1/8
Table 1.2. The Probability Distribution or the Probability
Mass Function of Discrete Random Variable X.

NUMBER OF
DEFECTIVE CELL 0 1 2 3
PHONES X
PROBABILITY P(X) 1/8 3/8 3/8 1/8
Table 1.2. The Probability Distribution or the Probability Mass Function of
Discrete Random Variable X.

NUMBER OF
DEFECTIVE CELL 0 1 2 3
PHONES X
PROBABILITY P(X) 1/8 3/8 3/8 1/8

Can we make a HISTOGRAM for this probability

distribution?
CONCEPT NOTES

Steps in Constructing a Histogram for a Probability

Distribution

1. Plot the values of the random variable along the

horizontal axis.
2. Plot the probabilities along the vertical axis.
Table 1.2. The Probability Distribution or the Probability Mass
Function of Discrete Random Variable X.

NUMBER OF DEFECTIVE CELL

PHONES X 0 1 2 3

PROBABILITY P(X) 1/8 3/8 3/8 1/8

NUMBER OF DEFECTIVE CELL PHONES
X 0 1 2 3

PROBABILITY P(X) 1/8 3/8 3/8 1/8

0.5
PROBABILITY P(X)

0.4

0.3

0.2

0.1

0
1 2 3 4
NUMBER OF DEFECTIVE CELL PHONES (X)
EXERCISE 1

A. Determine whether the distribution represents a

probability distribution. Explain your answer.
1. X 1 5 8 7 9
P(X) 1/3 1/3 1/3 1/3 1/3

X 0 2 4 6 8
2.
P(X) 1/6 1/6 1/3 1/6 1/6

3. X 1 2 3 5
P(X) 1/4 1/8 1/4 1/8
EXERCISE 1

A. Determine whether the distribution represents a

probability distribution. Explain your answer.

X 4 8 12 15 17
4. P(X) 1/5 1/8 1/8 1/5 1/8

5. X 1 3 5 7
P(X) 0.35 0.25 0.22 0.12
 EXERCISE 2 (GROUP ACTIVITY)
B. Construct the probability distribution for the random variables describe in each of
the following situations. Draw the corresponding histogram for each probability
distribution.
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.

VALUE OF THE RANDOM VARIABLE PROBABILITY P(Z)

Z
 EXERCISE 2 (GROUP ACTIVITY)
B. Construct the probability distribution for the random variables describe in each of
the following situations. Draw the corresponding histogram for each probability
distribution.
2. Let T be a random variable giving the number of heads 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.
VALUE OF THE RANDOM VARIABLE PROBABILITY P(T)
T
 EXERCISE 3 (INDIVIDUAL PRACTICE)
C. Determine whether the given values can serve as the values
of a probability distribution of the random variable X that can take
on only the values 1, 2, 3. Explain your answer.

1. P(1) = 0.08, P(2) = 0.12, P(3) = 1.03

2. P(1) = 10/33, P(2) = 1/3, P(3) = 12/33
3. P(1) = 0.42, P(2) = 0.31, P(3) = 0.37
4. P(1) = 9/14, P(2) = 4/14, P(3) = 1/14
5. P(1) = 0, P(2) = 0.71, P(3) = 0.39
NOTE: NO CALCULATOR
 EXERCISE 3 (INDIVIDUAL PRACTICE)
C. Determine whether the given values can serve as the values
of a probabilit distribution of the random variable X that can take
on only the values 1, 2, 3. Explain your answer.

1. P(1) = 1/19, P(2) = 10/19, P(3) = 5/19, P(4) = 5/19

2. P(1) = 0.25, P(2) = 0.75, P(3) = 0.25, P(4) = -0.25
3. P(1) = 0.15, P(2) = 0.27, P(3) = 0.29, P(4) = 0.29
4. P(1) = 0, P(2) = 0.45, P(3) = 0.25, P(4) = 0.35
5. P(1) = 1/8, P(2) = 3/8, P(3) = 3/8, P(4) = 1/8
NOTE: NO CALCULATOR