STATISTICS &
PROBABILITY
Lesson 2:
PROBABILITY MASS FUNCTION
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
At the end of this course, the learners are
expected to:
a. illustrate and calculate the mean of a discrete
random variable;
b. interpret the mean of a discrete random
variable;
c. illustrate and calculate the variance of a
discrete random variable; and
d. interpret the variance of a discrete random
variable.
REVIEW
Random
Variable
Discrete Continuous
finite number of possible infinite number of
values that can be possible values
counted usually measurements
take on integral values only
Decimal/ fraction
Whole numbers
PROBABILIT
Y
HEAD - 0.5
TAIL - 0.5
John Kerrich
10,000
times
5067 heads acquired
TODAY’S DISCUSSION:
MEAN
VARIANCE &
STANDARD
DEVIATION
EXAMPL
E
Consider tossing a coin thrice. What is the average
number of heads that would appear?
STEP 1 SOLUTION
Number of heads X Probability P(X)
Construct the
probability 0
distribution for the
random variable X 1
representing the
number of heads 2
that would appear.
3
EXAMPL
E
STEP 2 SOLUTION
X P(X) X·P(X)
Multiply the
value of the 0 0
random
variable X by 1
the
correspondin 2
g probability.
3
EXAMPL
E
STEP 3 SOLUTION
X P(X) X·P(X)
0 0
Add the
results of
1
X·P(X)
(Step2)
2
ΣX·P(X) = 12/8 or 1.5
EXAMPL
E
What is the average number of heads that would appear?
So, the average number of heads
that would appear is 1.5.
The mean tells us the average
number of heads that would appear if
you do the experiment “tossing a coin
thrice” many times.
Mean of the random variable X
or
the mean of the probability distribution X
Formula for the Mean of the Probability
Distribution
𝝁 = 𝜮 [ 𝑿 ⋅ 𝑷 ( 𝑿 )]
Let’s try these:
The probabilities that a surgeon operates on a 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7 patients in
any day are 0.15, 0.10, 0.20, 0.25, and 0.30, respectively. Find the
average number of patients that a surgeon operates on a day.
STEP 1 SOLUTION
Number of items X Probability P(X)
Construct the 3 0.15
0.10
probability
distribution for the 4
0.20
random variable X
representing the 5
0.25
number of items that
a costumer will buy. 6
7 0.30
Let’s try these:
The probabilities that a surgeon operates on a 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7 patients
in any day are 0.15, 0.10, 0.20, 0.25, and 0.30, respectively. Find the
average number of patients that a surgeon operates on a day.
STEP 2 SOLUTION
Number of Probability P(X) X·P(X)
items X
Multiply the 3 0.15 0.45
0.10 0.40
value of the
random 4
0.20 1.00
variable X by
the 5
0.25 1.50
corresponding
probability. 6
7 0.30 2.10
Let’s try these:
The probabilities that a surgeon operates on a 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7 patients in
any day are 0.15, 0.10, 0.20, 0.25, and 0.30, respectively. Find the
average number of patients that a surgeon operates on a day.
STEP 3 SOLUTION
Number of Probability P(X) X·P(X)
patients X
3 0.15 0.45
Add the results 4 0.10 0.40
0.20 1.00
of X·P(X)
(Step2) 5
6 0.25 1.50
7 0.30 2.10
ΣX·P(X) = 5.45
Let’s try these:
The probabilities that a surgeon operates on a 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7
patients in any day are 0.15, 0.10, 0.20, 0.25, and 0.30,
respectively. Find the average number of patients that a surgeon
operates on a day.
So, the average number of patients that the surgeon will operate in
a day is 5.45.
Let’s try these:
The probabilities that a customer will buy 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 items in a
grocery store are 3/10, 1/10, 1/10, 2/10, and 3/10, respectively. What is
the average number of items that a customer will buy?
STEP 1 SOLUTION
Number of items X Probability P(X)
Construct the 1 3/10
1/10
probability
distribution for the 2
1/10
random variable X
representing the 3
2/10
number of items that
a costumer will buy. 4
5 3/10
Let’s try these:
The probabilities that a customer will buy 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 items in a
grocery store are 3/10, 1/10, 1/10, 2/10, and 3/10, respectively. What is
the average number of items that a customer will buy?
STEP 2 SOLUTION
Number of Probability P(X) X·P(X)
items X
Multiply the 1 3/10 3/10
1/10 2/10
value of the
random 2
1/10 3/10
variable X by
the 3
2/10 8/10
corresponding
probability. 4
5 3/10 15/10
Let’s try these:
The probabilities that a customer will buy 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 items in a
grocery store are 3/10, 1/10, 1/10, 2/10, and 3/10, respectively. What is
the average number of items that a customer will buy?
STEP 3 SOLUTION
Number of Probability P(X) X·P(X)
items X
1 3/10 3/10
Add the results 2 1/10 2/10
1/10 3/10
of X·P(X)
(Step2) 3
4 2/10 8/10
5 3/10 15/10
ΣX·P(X) = 31/10 or 3.1
Let’s try these:
The probabilities that a customer will buy 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 items in a
grocery store are 3/10, 1/10, 1/10, 2/10, and 3/10, respectively. What is
the average number of items that a customer will buy?
Therefore, the average number of items that a customer will buy is 3.1.
Let’s try these:
the following probability distribution tells us the probability that a
certain soccer team scores a certain number of goals in a given game.
What is the mean number of goals for the soccer team.
GOALS (X) PROBABILITY P(X)
0 0.18
1 0.34
2 0.35
3 0.11
4 0.02
Let’s try these:
The following probability distribution tells us the probability that a given
vehicle experiences a certain number of battery failures during a 10-year
span. What is the mean number of expected failures for this vehicle?
Failures (X) PROBABILITY P(X)
0 0.24
1 0.57
2 0.16
3 0.03
Let’s try these:
The following probability distribution tells us the probability that a given basketball team wins a
certain number of games in a tournament. What is the mean number of expected wins for this
team?
Wins (X) PROBABILITY P(X)
0 0.06
1 0.15
2 0.17
3 0.24
4 0.23
5 0.09
6 0.06
Variance and
Standard Deviation
describe the amount of spread,
dispersion, or variability of the items in
a distribution.
Formula for the Variance of the
Probability Distribution 𝝈𝟐= 𝜮 [ 𝑿 𝟐 ⋅ 𝑷 ( 𝑿 )]−𝝁𝟐
𝝈=√ 𝜮 [𝑿 ⋅𝑷 (𝑿)]−𝝁
𝟐 𝟐
Formula for the Standard Deviation
of the Probability Distribution
Computing Variance and
Standard Deviation
Compute the variance and standard deviation of the
distribution of the experiment “tossing the coin thrice.”
STEP 1 SOLUTION
X P(X) X·P(X)
Find the
mean of the 0 0
probability
distribution 1
using the
formula: 2
𝟐
𝝁 = 𝜮 [ 𝑿 ⋅ 𝑷 ( 𝑿 )]
3
ΣX·P(X) = 12/8 or 1.5
Computing Variance and
Standard Deviation
STEP 2 SOLUTION
X P(X) X·P(X) X2·P(X)
Multiply the
square of the 0 0 02·1/8 = 0
value of the
random
1 12·3/8 = 3/8
variable X by
its 22·3/8 =
correspondin 2
12/8
g probability.
3 32·1/8 = 9/8
Computing Variance and
Standard Deviation
STEP 3 SOLUTION
X P(X) X·P(X) X2·P(X)
0 0 02 . 1/8 = 0
Get the sum 12 · 3/8 =
of the results 1
3/8
in step 2.
22 · 3/8 =
2
12/8
32 · 1/8 =
3
9/8
Σ[X2·P(X)] = 24/8 or 3
Computing Variance and
Standard Deviation
STEP 4 SOLUTION
Subtract the square of The variance is given by:
the mean from the 2 2
results obtained in step 3𝜎 = 𝛴 [ 𝑋 ⋅ 𝑃 ( 𝑋 )]−𝜇
to get the variance.
The standard variation is The standard deviation (SD) is:
the square root of the
variance.
Let’s try these:
The number of motorcycles sold per day at a motorcycle dealership
store, together with its corresponding probabilities, is shown in the table
below. Find the variance and standard deviation of the given probability
distribution.
Number of Probability P(X)
motorcycles X
0 0.10
1 0.20
2 0.30
3 0.20
4 0.20
Let’s try these:
The number of motorcycles sold per day at a motorcycle dealership
store, together with its corresponding probabilities, is shown in the table
below. Find the variance and standard deviation of the given probability
distribution. STEP 1 SOLUTION
X P(X) X·P(X)
Find the mean 0 0.10 0
0.20 0.20
of the
probability 1
0.30 0.60
distribution
using the 2
0.20 0.60
formula:
𝝁 = 𝜮 [ 𝑿 ⋅ 𝑷 ( 𝑿 )] 3
4 0.20 0.80
ΣX·P(X) = 2.20
Let’s try these:
The number of motorcycles sold per day at a motorcycle dealership store,
together with its corresponding probabilities, is shown in the table below. Find
the variance and standard deviation of the given probability distribution.
STEP 2 SOLUTION
X P(X) X·P(X) X2·P(X)
Multiply the 0 0.10 0 02·0.10 = 0
0.20 0.20
square of the
value of the 1 12·0.20 = 0.20
random
0.30 0.60
variable X by
2 22·0.30 = 1.20
its
0.20 0.60
corresponding
probability. 3 32·0.20 = 1.80
4 0.20 0.80 42·0.20 = 3.20
Let’s try these:
The number of motorcycles sold per day at a motorcycle dealership
store, together with its corresponding probabilities, is shown in the table
below. Find the variance and standard deviation of the given probability
distribution. STEP 3 SOLUTION
X P(X) X·P(X) X2·P(X)
0 0.10 0 02·0.10 = 0
Get the sum of 1 0.20 0.20 12·0.20 = 0.20
0.30 0.60
the results in
step 2. 2 22·0.30 = 1.20
3 0.20 0.60 32·0.20 = 1.80
4 0.20 0.80 42·0.20 = 3.20
Σ[X2·P(X)] = 6.40
Let’s try these:
The number of motorcycles sold per day at a motorcycle dealership store,
together with its corresponding probabilities, is shown in the table below. Find
the variance and standard deviation of the given probability distribution.
STEP 4 SOLUTION
Subtract the square of the The variance is given by:
mean from the results 𝟐 𝟐
𝝈
obtained in step 3 to get the = 𝜮 [ 𝑿 ⋅ 𝑷 ( 𝑿 )] − 𝝁
variance.
The standard variation is The standard deviation (SD) is:
the square root of the
variance.
Let’s try these:
The probabilities that a surgeon
operates on a 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7 patients in
any day are 0.15, 0.10, 0.20, 0.25, and
0.30, respectively. Find the variance and
standard deviation of the given
probability distribution.
