Statistics and Probability Module 1

Education (University of Northern Philippines)

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Statistics and Probability – Grade 11
Alternative Delivery Mode
Quarter 2 – Module 1: Random Variables and Probability
Distributions First Edition, 2019

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Development Team of the Module:

Authors: John Mark C. Corpuz, ECE

Reviewers: Evangeline M. Pailmao
Emily A. Tabamo
Rufe A. Felicilda
Illustrator: Jay Michael A. Calipusan

Management Team:

Chairperson: Dr. Arturo B. Bayocot, CESO III

Regional Director
Co-Chairpersons: Dr. Victor G. De Gracia Jr., CESO V
Asst. Regional Director
Mala Epra B. Magnaong
CES, CLMD
Members: Dr. Bienvenido U. Tagolimot, Jr.
Regional ADM Coordinator
Marino O. Dal
EPS, Math

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Office 10 Office Address: Zone 1, Upper Balulang Cagayan de Oro City
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Telefax: (088) 880-7071, (088) 880-7072
E-mail Address: [email protected]

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 Table of Contents

What I Need To ……………………………………..……..…… 1

Know
Module Content ………………………………………………… 1
Module Objectives ………………………………………………… 1
General Instructions ………………………………………………… 2
What I Know ………………………………………………… 3
Lessons/Concept
Lesson 1 – The Concept of Random Variables 5
…………………
Activity 1 ………………………………………………… 8
Lesson 2 – Probability Distribution of Discrete
Random Variables ………………………………………… 9
Activity 2 ………………………………………………… 15
Lesson 3 – Solving for the Mean, Variance, and
Standard Deviation of Discrete
Probability Distributions ……………………………….. 17
Activity 3 ………………………………………………… 25
What I Have Learned ………………………………………………... 27
Assessment ………………………………………………… 28
Key to Answers ………………………………………………… 31
References ………………………………………………… 37

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 What I Need To Know

Statistics and Probability is one of the most important

branches of mathematics that is often taken for granted by
everyone. Statistics
plays a very important role in our lives. Without statistics, companies could
not effectively assess the performance of their manufacturing plants, TV
channels would have no way of knowing which TV shows people prefer to
watch, we would not be aware of the death rate caused by cancer, and
many more.
This module gives you a head start in understanding Statistics in the
future. The topics that will be discussed in this module are very important
tools that you will need to understand future topics in this subject. Random
variables will be referred to repeatedly in future modules. So you must do
your best to retain as much information as you can from this module.
There will be plenty of practice activities and exercises for you to
work on in this module. So don’t forget to wear your thinking hat, always
stay positive, and be confident that you can finish this module successfully.

Module Content
The lessons that we will tackle are the following:
 Lesson 1 – The Concept of Random Variables
 Lesson 2 – Probability Distribution of Discrete Random Variables
 Lesson 3 – Solving for the Mean, Variance, and
Standard Deviation of Discrete
Probability Distributions

Module Objectives
Once you are done with this module, you should be able to:

 (M11/12SP-IIIa-1) illustrate a random variable (discrete and continuous);

 (M11/12SP-IIIa-2) distinguish between a discrete and a continuous
random variable;
 (M11/12SP-IIIa-3) find the possible values of a random variable;
 (M11/12SP-IIIa-4) illustrate a probability distribution for a discrete
random variable and its properties;
 (M11/12SP-IIIa-5) construct the probability mass function of a discrete
random variable and its corresponding histogram;
 (M11/12SP-IIIa-6) compute probabilities corresponding to a given
random variable;
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 (M11/12SP-IIIb-1) illustrate the mean and variance of a discrete random
variable;
 (M11/12SP-IIIb-2) calculate the mean and the variance of a discrete
random variable;
 (M11/12SP-IIIb-3) interpret the mean and the variance of a discrete
random variable; and
 (M11/12SP-IIIb-4) solve problems involving mean and variance of
probability distributions.

General Instructions
To complete the objectives of this module, you
must DO THE FOLLOWING:
 Patiently read the text carefully and understand every
sentence. Do not proceed to the next part of the module
without fully understanding the previous text.
 Read the directions of each activity carefully. You will be
guided as to the steps in answering the exercises and
activities of this module.
 Do not proceed to the next part without completing the
previous activities.
 Be aware of the following terms:

Continuous having the property that the absolute value of the

numerical difference between the value at a given point
and the value at any point in a neighborhood of the given
point can be made as close
to zero as desired by choosing the neighborhood small
enough.
Die a small cube marked on each face with from one to six
spots and used usually in games by being shaken and
thrown to come to
rest at random on a flat surface.
Discrete consisting of distinct or unconnected elements
Finite having limits or having a limited nature
Infinite extremely large or having no limits
Measurement the process of getting the amount or degree of something
Notation a system of marks, signs, figures, or characters that is
used to
represent information
Random without definite aim, direction, rule, or method.
Source: Merriam - Webster's collegiate dictionary, 1999

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 What I Know (Pre-Test)
Multiple Choice. Encircle the letter of the best answer.

1. Which of the following random variables is discrete?

a. Number of movies made by a director c. Time needed to finish a movie
b. Length of film used in a movie d. Land area of a movie studio

outcome of the random variable 𝑋 = 𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑑𝑜𝑡𝑠

2. If two dice are rolled, which of the following is not a possible

𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑢𝑝?
a. 2 b. 3 c. 10 d. 13
3. Find the correct value of Y to make a valid probability distribution.
X 1 2 3 4 5
P(X) 0.11 0.15 0.35 Y 0.24
a. 0.11 b. 0.15 c. 0.35 d. 0.24
4. Which of the following is NOT a valid probability
distribution?
X a.1 2 3 4 5
P(X) 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.3 0.1

b. X 1 3 5 7 9
P(X) 1/5 1/5 1/5 1/5 1/5

c. X 0 1 2 3 4
P(X) 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5

d. X 4 8 12 14 16
P(X) 0.36 0.21 0.10 0.09 0.24

5. A family of 4 children has the following probability distribution.

What is the expected number of girls in a group of 4 siblings?
Number of Girls Y 0 1 2 3 4
Probability P(Y) 1/15 3/15 7/15 3/15 1/15
a. 1 b. 2 c. 2.5 d. 3

6. The mean of a probability distribution is the same as the expected

value of a discrete random variable of a probability distribution
a. True b. False c. Both d. Neither

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7. Tossing a die has the following probability distribution. Find the
standard deviation of the number of spots that will appear when
a die is tossed.
Number of spots (Y) 1 2 3 4 5 6
Probability P(Y) 1/6 1/6 1/6 1/6 1/6 1/6
a. 0.167 b. 1.667 c. 1.7 d. 2.9
For numbers 8-10, refer to the probability distribution below.
Y 0 1 2 3 4 5
P(Y) 0.11 0.15 0.23 0.25 0.13 0.13
8. What is the mean of the probability distribution?
a. 2.23 b. 2.33 c. 2.43 d. 2.53
9. What is the variance of the probability distribution?
a. 1.25 b. 2.25 c. 3.25 d. 4.25
10. What is the standard deviation of the probability distribution?
a. 1.25 b. 1.50 c. 2.00 d. 2.25

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LESSON The Concept of Random
1 Variables
LEARNING CONCEPT
Let’s begin with the idea of a random variable. A random
variable may be confusing to you at first especially if you
associate it with the common variables that we use in algebra.
Let us differentiate:

Variable Random Variable

 written in small letter  written in capital letter

𝑥+2=9
 give value to equations like
𝑋 = the number of dots facing
 a random variable could be

 In this case 𝑥 can only take

up after rolling a die
 Notice how the random
on a distinct value and that process of rolling a die gives
is 7 you a random outcome each
time you perform the
experiment. Rolling once may
give you 5, and rolling again
may give you 6, and again 4; I
think you see the point here.
Hence it is called a “random”
variable.

𝑋 as a numerical type of data

 Additionally, we also consider

because the outcomes of the

said random variable are
numerical in nature.

processes. For example, in the random variable 𝑌 = 𝑠𝑒𝑥 𝑜𝑓 𝑐𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑔𝑒

A random variable may also be used to quantify unquantifiable

𝑠𝑡𝑢𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑙𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑠.
Possible outcomes: male or female
Characteristic: categorical (non-
numerical)
It would be very difficult to perform mathematical operations on such
kinds of data so we have to find a way to convert these data into numbers.
We could assign the value 0 for male and 1 for female.

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Note: The values “0 and 1” are just models/examples. You may use other
values like 10, 500, and even 2,020. Still, the values 0 and 1 are most
commonly used in statistics.

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 Below are some more examples of random variables:
 Number of defective cell phones produced in a manufacturing
factory daily
 Amount of paint needed to repaint a room
 Amount of time needed to walk from home to school
 Gender of students taking up BS Criminology
 Height of applicants for the Miss Universe pageant
There are two varieties of random variables that are numerical in nature:

DISCRETE RANDOM CONTINUOUS RANDOM

VARIABLE VS VARIABLE
Let us differentiate.
Discrete Random Variable Continuous Random Variable
its values are obtained through its values are obtained through
counting measurement
Examples:
Examples:  growth of tomato seedlings
 number of rotten bananas per week,
in a bunch of bananas,  time needed to finish an exam,
 number of honor students in a and
class, and  weight of pigs after 3 months
 number of tiles needed to
cover a floor.

the sample space is finite (can be there are infinite elements in the
counted) because each sample has a sample space wherein each sample
space between them are so closely packed such that
infinite number of elements can fit
throughout the sample space
Note: A sample space is the set of all possible outcomes in a random
experiment. Here are some more examples of discrete and continuous
random variables.

Discrete Random Variable Continuous Random Variable

Total number of spots in rolling two Power consumption of an appliance
dice
Number of pages in a chapter of a Body temperature of a person
book
Number of appliances in a household Cloth needed to make a dress
Total number of all animals in a farm Length of a piece of chalk
Number of cards drawn pH level of an acid

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 What’s New
Try and classify the following random variables as discrete or
continuous. Each random variable is assigned a letter. Once
grouped,
crack and form the “hidden words” from the letters of each group.
(T) number of deaths due to AIDS (H) number of channels in Sea cable
(O) weight of ₱100 worth of pork (A) number of satellites orbiting the
Earth
(K) number of notebooks in a student’s (N) number of gadgets in a
bag household
(U) volume of diesel used in a trip (Y) time needed to solve a Rubik’s
cube
From the entries written in the table above, try to fill out the table below.

Discrete Random Variable Continuous Random Variable

Don’t forget to re-arrange the letters to form a

Did you get the
phrase. Hidden words: correct phrase? Good
job! In that case,
DISCRETE CONTINUOUS
you’re welcome…

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 What I Can Do:
Activity 1

Classify the following random variables as DISCRETE or CONTINUOUS.

1. Length of a cell phone charger

2. Number of gadgets in a household

3. Count of words encoded per minute

4. Amount of water consumed per day

5. Sum of burgers sold in a day

6. Amount of time needed to boil a

liquid
7. Number of channels in a cable TV

8. Daily count of visitors in a mall

9. Distance between two barangays

10. Total area of a rice field

11. Growth of a child per year

12. Temperature needed to bake bread

13. Number of babies born per day

14. Yearly death due to cancer

15. Number of mistakes in a test

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LESSON Probability Distribution of
2 Discrete Random Variables

Learning Concept
Again, the purpose of using random variable is so that we
could
measure observations and process data to make a conclusion
about the population. So what are the possible values of a random variable,
you might ask? Below are some random variables with their corresponding
possible values.
Random
Description Set of Possible Values
Variable
V marital status of teachers single, married, widow, …
W number of dots after rolling a 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
die
X tossing a coin Heads, Tails
Y tossing two coins HT, HH, TH, TT
Z household pet being raised dog, cat, mouse, snake, rabbit, …
As a statistician, you must be able to identify the set of possible
values of your random variable even before conducting your survey.

Example 1. Suppose you are to test three random eggplants from a harvest
to see if there are worms in it. You want to find out the number of eggplants
attacked by worms. Use W to represent if there is a worm attack in an
eggplant and N if there is none.

Note: The letters W and N are not random variables but are used
to represent the possible outcome upon checking an eggplant. X
is the random variable representing the number of eggplants
attacked by worms.

Again, you are sampling three eggplants. The table below has
been filled out to illustrate and demonstrate the possible outcomes
of this experiment. Try to understand the values therein.

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 Value of Random Variable X The
Possible Outcomes (number of eggplants with possible values of
the random variable X are
worm attacks)
0, 1, 2, and 3.
NNN 0
NNW 1
NWN 1
NWW 2
WNN 1
WNW 2
WWN 2
WWW 3

Example 2. Suppose that four coins are tossed. Let Y be the random variable
representing the number of heads that occur. Complete the table below to
find the possible values of Y.
Value of Random Variable Y
Possible Outcomes
(number of heads)
HHHH 4
HHHT 3
HHTH 3
HHTT 2
HTHH 3
HTHT
HTTH
HTTT
THHH
THHT
THTH
THTT
TTHH
TTHT
TTTH
TTTT
The possible values of the random variable Y are 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4.
Now that we already have the possible values of the random variable,
we can now construct the probability distribution. Looking back at example
1, the random variable X represents the number of damaged eggplants in a
harvest. We have defined the sample space and their corresponding values
in the table below.

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 Value of Random Variable X
Possible Outcomes
(number of eggplants with worm attacks)
NNN 0
NNW 1
NWN 1
NWW 2
WNN 1
WNW 2
WWN 2
WWW 3

There is a total of 8 possible outcomes with 4 distinct possible values

of X. We now assign the probability values of each.

Number of eggplants
Probability P(X)
with worm attacks X

1
There are 8 possible outcomes

8
0 and only 1 of them had no worm
at all. So
the probability that we shall assign is 1.
8
3 There are 8 possible outcomes
8
1 and 3 of them have exactly 1
eggplant attacked by worms. So
the probability
3 that we shall assign is 3.
8
8
2
There are 8 possible outcomes
and 3 of them have 2 eggplants
attacked by worms. So the
1 probability that we shall

8
3 assign is 3.
8
There are 8 possible outcomes
and only 1 of them had all 3
eggplants attacked by worms. So
the probability
that we shall assign is 1.
8

You have to remember that the sum of all probabilities

in the distribution must always be equal to 1, no more and no
less. If the sum is

+
1
8
distribution. Let us try to add all probabilities in the
𝑜𝑟 1. Therefore, the distribution is
8 + 8 +8 =
3 3 1
distribution. We get
8 8
valid.

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distribution or probability mass function of the random variable 𝑌. We can graph
The table shown on the previous page is what we call the probability

the distribution in the form of a histogram as presented below.

3/8

Probability P(X) 2/8

3/8 3/8
1/8

1/8 1/8
0
0 1 2 3
Number of eggplants with worm attacks X

What is a histogram?

A histogram is like a bar graph but has no

spaces in between the bars. Investigate the
heights of the bars and compare it with the
probabilities written in the table above.
What have you noticed?

What’s New
Based on the distribution above, the table below shows
some more probabilities. Can you explain how these values
were obtained?

Condition Probability P(X)

4 1
𝑜𝑟
8 2
getting 2 or more worm attacks
7
8
getting less than 3 worm attacks
4 1
𝑜𝑟
8 2
getting at most 1 worm attack

7
8
getting 2 or less worm attack
1
8
getting at least 3 worm attacks
4 1
𝑜𝑟
8 2
getting more than 1 worm
attacks

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 In example 2, the random variable Y represents the number of heads
that occur when tossing four coins. We have defined the sample space and
their corresponding values as shown in the table below.
Value of Random Variable Y
Possible Outcomes
(number of heads)
HHHH 4
HHHT 3
HHTH 3
HHTT 2
HTHH 3
HTHT 2
HTTH 2
HTTT 1
THHH 3
THHT 2
THTH 2
THTT 1
TTHH 2
TTHT 1
TTTH 1
TTTT 0

There are 5 distinct possible values of 𝑌 which are 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4.

We now assign the probability values of each, as shown below.

Number
Let’s stop of heads
and think Y Probability P(Y)
for a moment.
1
16
0 why the probability values P(Y) are like that? Where did the
Can you explain
4 1
𝑜𝑟
denominator 16 come from? How about the numerator values 1, 4, 6, 4, and 1?

16 4
1 come from?
Where did they

6 3
𝑜𝑟
the distribution we get 1 +
6
Getting the sum of all probabilities in
16 8
2
+
4
4 1 +
𝑜𝑟 16 16 16
16 4
= 𝑜𝑟 1. The histogram of the
16
3
+
4
1
1 16
16
16
4
16
distribution is shown below.

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 6/16
Remember this!
The sum of all
Probability P(Y)

4/16 probabilities in a discrete

6/16 probability distribution
2/16 4/16 4/16 should always be equal to
1, no more no less.
1/16 1/16 Otherwise, the
0
0 1 2 3 4 distribution becomes
Number of heads Y

What’s New
Consider the histogram above. Try to answer the questions below.
 What is the probability of getting more than 3 heads?
 What is the probability of getting less than 2 heads?
 What is the probability of getting at least 3 heads?
 What is the probability of getting at most 1 head?
 What is the probability of getting 2 or 3 heads?
 What is the probability of getting pure heads?
 What is the probability of getting no heads?

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 What I Can Do
Activity 2
A. Construct the probability distribution of a particular
experiment by following the instructions given to you.
A dog gave birth to a litter of six puppies. Three of them are male
while the rest are female. If you are to be given three of these puppies at
random, list all the elements of the sample space using the letters M and F
for male puppies and female puppies, respectively. Then assign a value x of
the random variable X representing the number of male puppies you
receive.

Possible Outcomes Value of Random Variable X

There are four values for the random variable. Assign probability
values P(X) to each then construct the histogram by drawing on the graph
below.

Value of Random Variable X Probability P(X)

6/16
Probability P(X)

4/16

2/16

0
0 1 2 3
Number of male puppies X

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 Consider the histogram you just made, try to answer the questions below.
 What is the probability of getting more than 2 males?

 What is the probability of getting less than 2 males?

 What is the probability of getting at least 2 males?

 What is the probability of getting at most 2 males?

 What is the probability of getting 1 or 2 males?

 What is the probability of getting no males?

 What is the probability of getting all males?

B. Determine whether the distribution represented is valid or not.

Explain your answer.

1. X 1 3 5 7 9
1 1 1 1 1
4 4 4 4 4
P(X)

2. X 0 1 2 3 4
1 1 1 1 1
5 5 10 5 5
P(X)

3. X 1 2 3 4
1 1 1 1
3 6 3 6
P(X)

4. X 3 6 9 12
1 2 1 1
5 5 5 5
P(X)

5. X 1 3 5 7
P(X) 0.25 0.20 0.45 0.15

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 Solving for the Mean,
LESSON Variance, and Standard
3 Deviation of Discrete
Probability Distributions
LEARNING CONCEPT
Any discrete probability distribution has a mean, a
variance, and a standard deviation.

The mean is the average of all possible outcomes. It is

otherwise referred to as the “expected value” of a probability
distribution. When we say expected value, it means that if we repeat
any given experiment infinite times, the theoretical mean would be
the “expected value”. For instance, the mean of rolling a die is
theoretically 3.5. You will never roll a 3.5 no matter how many times
you roll the die because there’s only 3 and 4. However, if you take the
average of all outcomes, you should get 3.5 or at least close to that
value. You will have a better understanding about this concept with
more examples given underneath.

The variance and standard deviation are measures of spread or variability.

LOW
HIGH

If the variance and standard

If the values of the variance and
deviation are low, that means that
standard deviation are high, that
the individual outcomes of the
means that the individual outcomes
experiment are closely spaced with
of the experiment are far relative to
each other. In other words, the
each other.
values are almost the same values
In other words, the values differ
or if they do differ, the difference is

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 As a point of reference, if the values of all
the outcomes in an experiment are all the
same, the variance and standard deviation
are both 0. But of course, this rarely
happens in real life application.

The first graph

you see on the top has
values that are more
“scattered” than that
of the second graph
underneath.

The data in the

second graph is more
“closely/tightly”
packed together
compared to the first
one.

The variance
and standard
deviation of the first
graph should have
values greater than
the variance and
standard deviation of
the second graph
underneath.

Example 3. In a 5-item test, the probabilities that a student gets 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or

3 5 7 3 1 1
5 mistakes are , , , , , and , respectively. What is the average

20 20 20 20 20 20
number of
mistakes that a student makes in this class? What is the variance and
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standard deviation of this discrete probability distribution?

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 To solve this problem, all you we have to do is arrange
the given entries which are the random variable values and
their corresponding probabilities in the first two columns of a
three column table. So in this particular example, our random
variable which we are going to call X is the number of mistakes
a student gets in a 5-item quiz. You may use your calculator in
solving for the unknown values.

𝑿𝑿 ∙ 𝑃(𝑿𝑿)
No.
Let’s stop of think for a moment.
and
𝑃(𝑿𝑿)
Probability
𝑿𝑿 in columns 1 and 2 are just copied from the problem statement
mistakes

above. The entries in 3the third column you have to solve yourself by
The entries

multiplying the 1st and 20

0 0
5 5
column entries. 0 × = 0,
20 320
nd
1 2
7 14 20
1× = ,2× =
5 5 7 14
20 20
2 , and so on.
20 20 20 20
3 9
20 20
3 The number of rows would
1 4 depend entirely on the
20 20
4 number of possible values
1 5 that the random variable may
20 20
5
take.

1st Column × 2nd Column = 3rd Column

The symbol for mean is the Greek letter 𝜇 (read as “myu”). To

solve for the mean, all we have to do is add up all the entries of the 3rd
column.

Equation 1. 𝜇 = ∑ 𝑋 ∙ 𝑃(𝑋)

So the value of the mean in the example above is just the sum of all
entries in the third column,

𝜇 = ∑ 𝑋 ∙ 𝑃(𝑋) = 0 + + + + + = = 1.85
5 14 9 4 5 37

20 20 20 20 20 20

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 The symbol for variance is 𝜎2. To solve for the variance, all we have
to do is add up all entries on the last column.

Equation 2. 𝜎2 = ∑(𝑋 − 𝜇)2 ∙ 𝑃(𝑋)

So the value of the variance of the discrete probability distribution

shown above is just the sum of all entries in the last column.

𝜎2 = ∑(𝑋 − 𝜇)2 ∙ 𝑃(𝑋)

= 0.513375 + 0.180625 + 0.007875 + 0.198375 + 0.231125 +
0.496125
= 1.6275
The variance of the probability distribution is 1.6275. Now that the

The symbol for standard deviation is 𝜎.

value of the variance is found, we can now solve for the standard deviation.

Equation 3. 𝜎 = √𝜎2

So the value of the standard deviation is solved by getting the square

root of the variance. Again, you cannot solve for the value of the standard
deviation without finding first the variance and mean.

𝜎 = √𝜎2 = √1.6275 ≈ 1.28

The standard deviation is approximately equal to 1.28. We say

“approximately equal to” because we already rounded off the value from
1.2757350822 to 1.28.

Now that we have completed solving example 3, let us now

summarize the steps in solving for the mean, variance, and standard
deviation.

Steps in Finding the Mean:

1. Multiply the random variable by its probability.
2. Use equation 1 to find the mean by adding all products obtained in step
1.

Steps in Finding the Variance:

𝑋 − 𝜇.
3. Subtract the computed mean from each value of the random variable:

4. Square the value obtained in step 3: (𝑋 − 𝜇)2.

5. Multiply the value obtained in step 4 by the given probability: (𝑋
− 𝜇)2 ∙ 𝑃(𝑋)
6. Use equation 2 to find the variance by adding all products obtained in
step 5.

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Example 4. In a seafood restaurant, the manager wants to know if their
customers like their new raw large oysters. According to their sales
representative, in the past 4 months, the number of oysters consumed by a
customer, along with its corresponding probabilities, is shown in the
succeeding table. Compute the mean, variance and standard deviation.
Number of oysters consumed Probability

2
X P(X)

10
0

2
10
1

3
10
2

2
10
3

1
10
4

Solution:
𝑿𝑿 𝑃(𝑿𝑿) 𝑿𝑿 ∙ 𝑃(𝑿𝑿) 𝑿𝑿 − 𝝁 (𝑿𝑿 − 𝝁)𝟐𝟐 (𝑿𝑿 − 𝝁)𝟐𝟐 ∙
𝑃(𝑿𝑿)
2 18
0 0 − 𝑜𝑟 − 3.24 0.648
10 1.8 10
2 2 8
1 − 𝑜𝑟 − 0.64 0.128
10 10 0.8 10
3 6 2
2 𝑜𝑟 0.2 0.04 0.012
10 10 10
2 6 12
3 𝑜𝑟 1.2 1.44 0.288
10 10 10
1 4 22
4 𝑜𝑟 2.2 4.84 0.484
10 10 10

2 6 6 4
What is the mean?
𝜇 = ∑ 𝑋 ∙ 𝑃(𝑋) = 0 +
+ 18 = 1.8
10 + + =
10 10
10 10

What is the variance?

𝜎2 = ∑(𝑋 − 𝜇)2 ∙ 𝑃(𝑋) = 0.648 + 0.128 + 0.012 + 0.288 + 0.484 = 1.56

What is the standard deviation?

𝜎 = √𝜎2 = √1.56 ≈ 1.25

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 Based on the computation, the mean of the
distribution is
1.8. That implies that the average number of oysters
ordered by a customer is 1.8 𝑜𝑦𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑠. Again none of
ordered 1 of an oyster. The number 1.8 is just the
𝑎𝑛𝑑
the customers10 actually
best
estimate of the average number of oysters consumed by a
buying customer. The variance is 1.56 𝑜𝑦𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑠2 while the
standard deviation is about 1.25 𝑜𝑦𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑠.
This is the main advantage of standard deviation
over the
variance. The standard deviation is the same unit as your
random variable, while the variance isn’t.

Example 5. The probabilities that 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10 accidents happen in

Northern
Mindanao High Way in a year is 0.45, 0.22, 0.15, 0.10, 0.05, 0.02, and 0.01,
respectively. Find the average number of accidents that occur in the said
high way each year.
Solution:

𝑿𝑿 𝑃(𝑿𝑿) 𝑿𝑿 ∙ 𝑃(𝑿𝑿) 𝑿𝑿 − 𝝁 (𝑿𝑿 − 𝝁)𝟐𝟐 (𝑿𝑿 − 𝝁)𝟐𝟐 ∙

𝑃(𝑿𝑿)
4 0.45 1.8 −1.18 1.3924 0.62658
5 0.22 1.1 −0.18 0.0324 0.007128
6 0.15 0.9 0.82 0.6724 0.10086
7 0.10 0.7 1.82 3.3124 0.33124
8 0.05 0.4 2.82 7.9524 0.39762
9 0.02 0.18 3.82 14.5924 0.291848
10 0.01 0.1 4.82 23.2324 0.232324

What is the mean?

𝜇 = ∑ 𝑋 ∙ 𝑃(𝑋) = 1.8 + 1.1 + 0.9 + 0.7 + 0.4 + 0.18 + 0.1 = 5.18

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What is the variance?
𝜎2 = ∑(𝑋 − 𝜇)2 ∙ 𝑃(𝑋)
= 0.62658 + 0.007128 + 0.10086 + 0.33124 + 0.39762 + 0.291848
+ 0.232324
= 1.9876

What is the standard deviation?

𝜎 = √𝜎2

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 What I Can Do
Activity 3
A. Find the mean, variance, and standard deviation of the
following probability distribution by completing the tables
below.

𝑋 𝑃(𝑋) 𝑋 ∙ 𝑃(𝑋) 𝑋−𝜇 (𝑋 − 𝜇)2 (𝑋 − 𝜇)2 ∙

𝑃(𝑋)
1.

1
3
7
3
8
7
2
13
7
1
18
7

𝑋 𝑃(𝑋) 𝑋 ∙ 𝑃(𝑋) 𝑋−𝜇 (𝑋 − 𝜇)2 (𝑋 − 𝜇)2 ∙

𝑃(𝑋)
2.

1
2
10
2
4
10
3
6
10
3
8
10
1
10
10

𝑋 𝑃(𝑋) 𝑋 ∙ 𝑃(𝑋) 𝑋−𝜇 (𝑋 − 𝜇)2 (𝑋 − 𝜇)2 ∙

𝑃(𝑋)
3.

1 0.11
5 0.40
7 0.30
10 0.19

𝑋 𝑃(𝑋) 𝑋 ∙ 𝑃(𝑋) 𝑋−𝜇 (𝑋 − 𝜇)2 (𝑋 − 𝜇)2 ∙

𝑃(𝑋)
4.

4
2
9
1
3
9
2
5
9
2
11
9

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 𝑋 𝑃(𝑋) 𝑋 ∙ 𝑃(𝑋) 𝑋−𝜇 (𝑋 − 𝜇)2 (𝑋 − 𝜇)2 ∙
𝑃(𝑋)
5.

5 0.05

10 0.34

15 0.26

20 0.25

25 0.10

A. Solve the following problems.

1. The probabilities of a number of students to come late in a class are
shown in the table below. Find the average number of students to
come late daily in this class.

Number of students 0 1 2 3 4 5
(X)
Probability P(X) 0.40 0.22 0.15 0.10 0.08 0.05

2. A police lieutenant records the number of police blotter filed each day
in their city. Based on his records, the probability distribution of the
number of police blotters filed each day is in the table below. The city
mayor claims that the crime rate is in its all-time low with only 2
blotters being filed each day. Determine the mean of the probability
distribution shown and decide if the mayor’s claim is valid.

Number of students 0 1 2 3 4
(X)
Probability P(X) 0.33 0.13 0.23 0.15 0.16

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 What I Have Learned
This is a summary of all that we’ve learned so far.

 A random variable is a function that links a specific numerical value to

each element in the sample space of any given experiment or situation.
 A discrete random variable is a random variable whose set of possible
outcomes is finite. Values of each sample are separated with a finite gap
or space. Values of this variable may be obtained through counting.
 A continuous random variable is a random variable whose set of possible
outcomes is infinite. This type of variable may take on a continuous
stream of values. Its values can only be obtained through measurement.
 A discrete probability distribution, otherwise known as a probability mass
function, is made up of the values that a random variable can take with
their corresponding probabilities. A valid probability distribution must
have a sum of exactly equal to 1, no more no less.
 Formulas for Mean, Variance, and Standard Deviation.
Equation 1. 𝜇 = ∑ 𝑋 ∙ 𝑃 (𝑋)

Equation 2. 𝜎2 = ∑(𝑋 − 𝜇)2

∙ 𝑃(𝑋) Equation 3. 𝜎 = √𝜎2
 Steps in Finding the Mean:
1. Multiply the random variable by its probability.
2. Use equation 1 to find the mean by adding all products obtained in step 1.

3. Subtract the computed mean from each value of the random variable: 𝑋
 Steps in Finding the Variance:

− 𝜇.
4. Square the value obtained in step 3: (𝑋 − 𝜇)2.
5. Multiply the value obtained in step 4 by the corresponding

(𝑋 − 𝜇)2 ∙ 𝑃(𝑋)
probability:

6. Use equation 2 to find the variance by adding all products obtained in step
5.
 Steps in Finding the Standard Deviation:
7. Use equation 3 to find the standard deviation by getting the square
root of the value obtained in step 6.

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 Assessment
Post-test

A. Multiple Choice. Encircle the letter of the best answer.

1. Which of the following random variables is discrete?

a. Number of movies made by a director c. Time needed to finish a movie
b. Length of film used in a movie d. Land area of a movie studio
2. If two dice are rolled, which of the following is not a possible
outcome of the random variable X: total number of dots facing up?
a. 2 b. 3 c. 10 d. 13
3. Find the correct value of Y to make a valid probability distribution.
X 1 2 3 4 5
P(X) 0.11 0.15 0.35 Y 0.24
a. 0.11 b. 0.15 c. 0.35 d. 0.24
4. Which of the following is NOT a valid probability
distribution?
X a.1 2 3 4 5
P(X) 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.3 0.1

b. X 1 3 5 7 9
P(X) 1/5 1/5 1/5 1/5 1/5

c. X 0 1 2 3 4
P(X) 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5

d. X 4 8 12 14 16
P(X) 0.36 0.21 0.10 0.09 0.24

5. A family of 4 children has the following probability distribution.

What is the expected number of girls in a group of 4 siblings?
Number of Girls Y 0 1 2 3 4
Probability P(Y) 1/15 3/15 7/15 3/15 1/15
a. 0.11 b. 0.15 c. 1 d. 2
6. The mean for a probability distribution is the same as the expected
value of a discrete random variable of a probability distribution
a. True b. False c. Both d. Neither

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For numbers 7-11, refer to the probability distribution below. A birthing
home recorded the number of live births that materialize in their birthing
home in the past 2 years.

Live births per month 0 1 2 3 4 5

Y
Probability P(Y) 0.11 0.15 0.23 0.25 0.13 0.13
7. What is the probability that exactly 2 babies will be born in the
home in any month?
a. 0.11 b. 0.15 c. 0.23 d. 0.25
8. What is the probability that less than 2 babies will be born in the
home in any month?
a. 0.26 b. 0.38 c. 0.48 d. 0.36
9. What is the probability that more than 2 babies will be born in the
home in any month?
a. 0.26 b. 0.51 c. 0.74 d. 0.89
10. What is the probability that at least 2 babies will be born in the
home in any month?
a. 0.26 b. 0.51 c. 0.74 d. 0.89
11. What is the probability that at most 2 babies will be born in the
home in any month?
a. 0.26 b. 0.49 c. 0.74 d. 0.87
12. Tossing a die has the following probability distribution. Find the
standard deviation of the number of spots that will appear when
a die is tossed.
Number of spots (Y) 1 2 3 4 5 6
Probability P(Y) 1/6 1/6 1/6 1/6 1/6 1/6
a. 0.167 b. 1.667 c. 1.7 d. 2.9
For numbers 13-15, refer to the probability distribution below.
Y 0 1 2 3 4 5
P(Y) 0.11 0.15 0.23 0.25 0.13 0.13
13. What is the mean of the probability distribution?
a. 2.23 b. 2.33 c. 2.43 d. 2.53
14. What is the variance of the probability distribution?
a. 2.25 b. 2.50 c. 2.75 d. 3.00
15. What is the standard deviation of the probability distribution?
a. 1.25 b. 1.50 c. 1.75 d. 2.00

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B. Identify weather the given variable is discrete or continuous. Write your
answer on the space provided before each item.
1. number of cars in a parking lot
2. time it takes to finish a bowl of noodles
3. number of visitors in a resort each day
4. temperature needed to melt a metal
5. weight of one whole watermelon

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 Key to Answers

PRE-TEST ACTIVITY 1
1. A 1. Continuous
2. D 2. Discrete
3. B 3. Discrete
4. C 4. Continuous
5. B 5. Discrete
6. A 6. Continuous
7. C 7. Discrete
8. D 8. Discrete
9. B 9. Continuous
10. B 10. Continuous
11. Continuous
12. Continuous
13. Discrete
14. Discrete
15. Discrete

ACTIVITY 2
A.
Value of Random
Possible Outcomes
Variable X
FFF 0
FFM 1
FMF 1
FMM 2
MFF 1
MFM 2
MMF 2
MMM 3

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 Value of Random Variable X Probability P(X)
1
8
0

3
8
1

3
8
2

1
8
3

6/16

4/16
3/8 3/8
2/16
1/8 1/8
0
0 1 2 3
Number of male puppies X

1
8
 What is the probability of getting more than 2 males?
What is the probability of getting less than 2 males? 1
2

1
2
 What is the probability of getting at least 2 males?
7
8
 What is the probability of getting at most 2 males?
3
4
 What is the probability of getting 1 or 2 males?
1
8
 What is the probability of getting no males?
1
8
 What is the probability of getting all males?

B.
1. Not Valid. Sum exceeds 1.

∑ 1 15 1 1 1
𝑃(𝑋) = + = + + + 𝑜𝑟 1.25
4 4 4 4 4
4
2. Not Valid. Sum is less than 1.
∑ 1 1 11 2 21 2 2 9
+ + + + = + + + + = 𝑜𝑟 0.9
𝑃(𝑋) = 10 10 10 10 10 10
5 10 5 5
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Probability P(X)

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 1 1 1 2 1 2 1 6
3. Valid.
∑ 1 = + + + = 𝑜𝑟 1
𝑃(𝑋) = + + + 6 6 6 6 6
3 6 3
6 5
4. Valid.

1 2 1
1
∑ 𝑃(𝑋) = + + + = 𝑜𝑟 1
5 5 5 5 5
5. Not Valid. Sum exceeds 1.
∑ 𝑃(𝑋) = 0.25 + 0.20 + 0.45 + 0.15 = 1.05

ACTIVITY 3
A.

𝑋 𝑃(𝑋) 𝑋 ∙ 𝑃(𝑋) 𝑋−𝜇 (𝑋 − 𝜇)2 (𝑋 − 𝜇)2 ∙

𝑃(𝑋)
1.

1 3
3 −7.14 51.0204 7.2886
7 7
3 24
8 −2.14 4.5918 1.9679
7 7
2 26
13 2.86 8.1633 2.3324
7 7
1 18
18 7.86 61.7347 8.8192
7 7

26 18
What is the mean?
𝜇= ∑ 𝑋∙ 3 71 ≈ 10.14
𝑃(𝑋) = 24 + + =
+ 7 7 7
What is the variance? 7 7
𝜎2 = ∑(𝑋 − 𝜇)2 ∙ 𝑃(𝑋)
= 7.2886 + 1.9679 + 2.3324 + 8.8192 ≈ 20.41
What is the standard deviation?
𝜎 = √𝜎2 = √20.41 ≈ 4.52
𝑋 𝑃(𝑋) 𝑋 ∙ 𝑃(𝑋) 𝑋−𝜇 (𝑋 − 𝜇)2 (𝑋 − 𝜇)2 ∙
𝑃(𝑋)
2.

1
2 0.2 −4.2 17.64 1.764
10
2
4 0.8 −2.2 4.84 0.968
10
3
6 1.8 −0.2 0.04 0.012
10
3
8 2.4 1.8 3.24 0.972
10
1
10 1 3.8 14.44 1.444
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 What is the mean?
𝜇 = ∑ 𝑋 ∙ 𝑃(𝑋) = 0.2 + 0.8 + 1.8 + 2.4 + 1 = 6.2
What is the variance?
𝜎2 = ∑(𝑋 − 𝜇)2 ∙ 𝑃(𝑋)
= 1.764 + 0.968 + 0.012 + 0.972 + 1.444
= 5.16
What is the standard deviation?
𝜎 = √𝜎2 = √5.16 ≈ 2.27

𝑋 𝑃(𝑋) 𝑋 ∙ 𝑃(𝑋) 𝑋−𝜇 (𝑋 − 𝜇)2 (𝑋 − 𝜇)2 ∙

𝑃(𝑋)
3.

1 0.11 0.11 −5.11 26.1121 2.8723

5 0.40 2 −1.11 1.2321 0.4928

7 0.30 2.1 0.89 0.7921 0.2376

10 0.19 1.9 3.89 15.1321 2.8751

What is the mean?
𝜇 = ∑ 𝑋 ∙ 𝑃(𝑋) = 0.11 + 2 + 2.1 + 1.9 = 6.11
What is the variance?
𝜎2 = ∑(𝑋 − 𝜇)2 ∙ 𝑃(𝑋)
= 2.8723 + 0.4928 + 0.2376 + 2.8751
= 6.48
What is the standard deviation?
𝜎 = √𝜎2 = √6.48 ≈ 2.55

𝑋 𝑃(𝑋) 𝑋 ∙ 𝑃(𝑋) 𝑋−𝜇 (𝑋 − 𝜇)2 (𝑋 − 𝜇)2 ∙

𝑃(𝑋)
4.

4 8
2 −2.7778 7.7160 3.4294
9 9
1 3
3 −1.7778 3.1605 0.3512
9 9
2 10
5 0.2222 0.0494 0.0110
9 9
2 22
11 6.2222 38.7160 8.6036
9 9

8 3 10 22 43
What is the mean?
𝜇= ∑ 𝑋∙ + + + ≈ 4.78
𝑃(𝑋) = = 9
9 9 9 9

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 What is the variance?
𝜎2 = ∑(𝑋 − 𝜇)2 ∙ 𝑃(𝑋)
= 3.4294 + 0.3512 + 0.0110 + 8.6036 ≈ 12.40
What is the standard deviation?
𝜎 = √𝜎2 = √12.40 ≈ 3.52

𝑋 𝑃(𝑋) 𝑋 ∙ 𝑃(𝑋) 𝑋−𝜇 (𝑋 − 𝜇)2 (𝑋 − 𝜇)2 ∙

𝑃(𝑋)
5.

5 0.05 0.25 −10.05 101.0025 5.0501

10 0.34 3.4 −5.05 25.5025 8.6709

15 0.26 3.9 −0.05 0.0025 0.0007

20 0.25 5 4.95 24.5025 6.1256

25 0.10 2.5 9.95 99.0025 9.9003

What is the mean?

𝜇 = ∑ 𝑋 ∙ 𝑃(𝑋) = 0.25 + 3.4 + 3.9 + 5 + 2.5 = 15.05
What is the variance?
𝜎2 = ∑(𝑋 − 𝜇)2 ∙ 𝑃(𝑋)
= 5.0501 + 8.6709 + 0.0007 + 6.1256 + 9.9003
≈ 29.75
What is the standard deviation?
𝜎 = √𝜎2 = √29.75 ≈ 5.45

A.

1. 𝑋 𝑃(𝑋) 𝑋 ∙ 𝑃(𝑋)
0 0.40 0

1 0.22 0.22

2 0.15 0.3

3 0.10 0.3

4 0.08 0.32

5 0.05 0.25

What is the mean?

𝜇 = ∑ 𝑋 ∙ 𝑃(𝑋) = 0 + 0.22 + 0.3 + 0.3 + 0.32 + 0.25 = 1.39

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2. 𝑋 𝑃(𝑋) 𝑋 ∙ 𝑃(𝑋)
0 0.33 0

1 0.13 0.13

2 0.23 0.46

3 0.15 0.45

4 0.16 0.64

What is the mean?

𝜇 = ∑ 𝑋 ∙ 𝑃(𝑋) = 0.13 + 0.46 + 0.45 + 0.64 = 1.68

The mayor’s claim is valid.

POST-TEST
A. B.
1. A 1. Discrete
2. D 2. Continuous
3. B 3. Discrete
4. C 4. Continuous
5. D 5. Continuous
6. A
7. C
8. A
9. B
10. C
11. B
12. C
13. D
14. A
15. B

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 REFERENCES

Belecina, Rene S., Elisa S. Baccay, and Efren B. Mateo, Statistics and
Probability, Manila: Rex Book Store, Inc., 2016, 1-48.
Calaca, Ninia I., Chin Uy, Nestor M. Noble, and Ronaldo A. Manalo, Statistics
and Probability, Quezon City: Vibal Group, Inc., 2016, 40-92.
Walpol, Ronald E., Raymond H. Myers, and Sharon L. Myers, Probability and
Statistics: for Engineers and Scientists, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey
07458: Pearson Education Asia Pte Ltd., 2001, 51-83.
“Random Variables,” Khan Academy, Inc., last modified August 1,
2019,
https://www.khanacademy.org/math/statistics-probability/random-
variables- stats-library/random-variables-discrete/v/random-
variables.
“Probability Distributions,” Batia Infotech, last modified Jan 28,
2013, https://www.proprofs.com/quiz-school/story.php?
title=probability- distributions.

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