CHAPTER 1:

Lesson 1:
RANDOM VARIABLES
AND
PROBABILITY DISTRIBUTIONS
Lesson 1: Exploring Random Variables
RANDOM VARIABLES
- 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.
* DISCRETE RANDOM VARIABLES
- the set of possible outcomes is countable
* CONTINUOUS RANDOM VARIABLES
- represent measured data such as
heights, weights, temperature, age etc.

Sample Space
- the set of all possible outcomes of an
experiment.
List the sample space of the ff.
experiments.
1. Tossing three coins 8
2. Rolling a pair of dice 36
3. Rolling a die and tossing a coin
simultaneously. 12
Example #1:
Suppose a coin is tossed twice, Let
X be the random variable
representing the number of tails
that occur. Find the values of the
random variable X.
S = { TT, HT, TH,
HH }
Example:
VALUE OF THE RANDOM VARIABLE (X)
POSSIBLE OUTCOME (Number of Tails)

TT 2

TH 1

HT 1

HH 0

Therefore, the possible values of the

random variable X are 0, 1, and 2
Example #2:
Suppose three cell phones tested at
random. Let D represent the defective
cell phone and N represent the non-
defective cell phone. If we let X be the
random variable representing the
number of defective cell phones, show
the values of the random variable X.
Example:
VALUE OF THE RANDOM
Therefore,
the possible
POSSIBLE OUTCOME VARIABLE (X)
(Number of defective cell
phones)
NN 0
N
NN
D
1 values of
the random
ND 1
N
DN 1
N
ND
D
2
variable X
DN 2
D
DD 2 are 0, 1, 2
N
DD
D
3
and 3
Example #3:
Suppose three coins are tossed.
Let Y be the random variable
representing the number of
heads that occur. Find the
values of the random variable Y.
Example:
POSSIBLE OUTCOME
VALUE OF THE RANDOM
VARIABLE (Y)
(Number of Heads)
Therefore,
HH 3 the possible
values of
H
TTT 0
TT 1
H
TH 1 the random
T
TH
H
2
variable Y
HH 2
T
HT 2 are 0, 1, 2
H
HT 1 and 3
1 WHOLE SHEET OF
INTERMEDIATE PAD
1. 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
2. Four coins are tossed. Let Z be the
Z.
random variable representing the
number of tails that occur. Find the