Lesson Objectives
At the end of this lesson, you are expected to:
• illustrate a random variable;
• classify random variables as discrete or
continuous; and
• find the possible values of a random variable.
Decision-making is an important aspect in business, education,
insurance, and other real-life situations. Many decisions are made by
assigning probabilities to all possible outcomes pertaining to the
situation and then evaluating the results. For instance, an insurance
company might be able to assign probabilities to the number of vehicles
a family owns. This information will help the company in making
decisions regarding future financial situations. This situation requires the
use of random variables and the probability distribution.
This chapter will explain the concept of random variables and
probability distribution. We will learn how to construct the probability
mass function of a discrete probability distribution and describe its
properties and characteristics by computing its mean and variance.
To find out if you are ready to learn this new lesson, do the following
activity.
ENTRY CARD
List the sample space of the following experiments.
Experiment Sample Space
1. Tossing three coins
2. Rolling a die and tossing a coin
simultaneously
3. Drawing a spade from a deck of
cards
Recall that a variable is a characteristic or
attribute that can assume different values. We use
capital letters to denote or represent a variable. In this
lesson, we shall discuss variables that are associated
with probabilities called random variables.
Defective Cell Phones
Suppose three cell phones are tested at random. We want to find
out the number of defective cell phones. Thus, to each outcome in
the sample space we shall assign a value of either 0, 1, 2, or 3. If
there is no defective cell phone, we assign the number 0; if there is 1
defective cell phone, we assign the number 1; if there are two
defective cell phones, we assign the number 2; and if there are three
defective cell phones, we assign the number 3. The number of
defective cell phones is a random variable. The possible values of
this random variable are 0, 1, 2, and 3.
Illustration:
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,
can you show the values of the random variable X? Complete the table below to show
the values of the random variable.
Value of the Random Variable
Possible Outcomes X (Number of Defective Cell
Phones)
Value of the Random Variable X
Possible Outcomes (Number of Defective Cell
Phones)
NNN 0
NND 1
NDN 1
DNN 1
NDD 2
DND 2
DDN 2
DDD 3
A random variable 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.
Tossing Three Coins
Suppose three coins are tossed. Let Y be the random variable
representing the number of tails that turn up. Find the values of the
random variable Y. Complete the table below
Value of the Random Variable Y
Possible Outcomes
(Number of Tails)
Steps Solution
Solution:
1. Determine the sample The sample space for this
space. Let H represent experiment is
head and T represent tail.
S = {TTT, TTH, THT, HTT,
HHT, HTH, THH, HHH}
2. Count the number of Value of the Random
tails in each outcome in Possible Outcomes Variable Y
the sample space and (Number of Tails)
assign this number to the
TTT 3
outcome.
TTH 2
THT 2
HTT 2
HHT 1
HTH 1
THH 1
HHH 0
So, the possible values of the random variable Y are 0, 1, 2, 3.
Drawing Balls from an Urn
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
Z. Complete the table below.
Value of the Random Variable Z
Possible Outcomes
(Number of Blue Balls)
Solution: Steps Solution
1. Determine the sample The sample space for this
space. Let B represent the experiment is
blue ball and R represent
the red ball. S = {RR, RB, BR, BB}
2. Count the number of
tails in each outcome in Value of the Random
the sample space and Possible Outcomes Variable Z
assign this number to the (Number of Blue Balls)
outcome.
RR 0
RB 1
BR 1
BB 2
So, the possible values of the random variable Z are 0, 1, 2.
For In-Class Activity 1, the possible values of random variable X are 0,
1, 2, and 3; in In-Class Activity 2, the possible values of random variable
Y are 0, 1, 2, and 3; and in In-Class Activity 3, the possible values of
random variable Z are 0, 1, and 2. Random variables X, Y, and Z are
discrete random variables.
Suppose an experiment is conducted to determine the distance that a
certain type of car will travel using 10 liters of gasoline over a
prescribed test course. If distance is a random variable, then we have
an infinite number of distances that cannot be equated to the number
of whole numbers. This is an example of a continuous random
variable.
Exercise
Answer the following questions:
1. How do you describe a discrete random variable?
[Link] do you describe a continuous random variable?
3. Give three examples of a discrete random variable.
[Link] three examples of a continuous random variable.
