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Discrete and Continuous
Random Variables
Lesson 1.2
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Give It All
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1. What difficulty did you encounter in
thinking of random variables for each
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2. What did you consider in determining
random variables that satisfy the
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given conditions?
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At the end of the lesson, the learners
should be able to distinguish
between a discrete and a continuous
random variable (M11/12SP-IIIa-2).
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● Differentiate discrete and continuous
random variables.
● Determine whether a random variable is
discrete or continuous.
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Values of random
variables may appear
as whole numbers,
fractions, or decimals.
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Knowing the type of
random variable helps
us analyze a
particular set of data
at hand.
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Discrete Random
Variable
A discrete random variable is a
random variable with a finite
number of possible values or an
infinite number of values that can
be counted.
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Discrete Random Variable
Example:
The number of phones produced by a
company is a discrete random variable
since it can be counted as , , , , and so on.
It has an infinite number of values that can
be counted.
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Continuous Random
Variable
A continuous random variable a
random variable that can assume
an infinite number of values that
can take decimal or fractional
values.
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Continuous Random Variable
Example:
The weight of a student is a continuous
random variable since its possible values
can be represented by decimal numbers
such as kg. The number of its possible
values is not countable, and there can be
an infinite number of values.
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Example 1: A random variable has the following
values: , , , , or . Is the random variable discrete or
continuous?
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Example 1: A random variable has the following
values: , , , , or . Is the random variable discrete or
continuous?
Solution:
Based on the given, we see that the number of possible
values of the random variable is finite. Thus, the random
variable is discrete.
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Example 2: Determine whether the recorded body
temperature of a patient in a hospital is a discrete or a
continuous random variable.
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Example 2: Determine whether the recorded body
temperature of a patient in a hospital is a discrete or a
continuous random variable.
Solution:
The body temperature of a patient may take infinitely
many possible decimal values such as , , and . Thus, the
body temperature of a patient is a continuous random
variable.
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Example 3: Rose continuously flips a coin and counts
how many times the head of the coin
appears. Does this represent a discrete or continuous
random variable?
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Example 3: Rose continuously flips a coin and counts
how many times the head of the coin
appears. Does this represent a discrete or continuous
random variable?
Solution:
In this case, the number of heads that appear
are countable (e.g., 1, 2, 3). Thus, the random
variable is discrete.
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Examples
1. Let be a random variable that denotes the
number of boys in a flag ceremony. Is discrete or
continuous?
2. The value of the probability 𝑃 of an event ranges from
0 to 1. Is 𝑃 a discrete or continuous random variable?
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A teacher conducts a physical fitness test to measure the following: number of situps, time spent
in a 50-meter sprint, the distance of a long jump, and body mass index (BMI). Identify the random
variables in the fitness test and determine whether the variables are discrete or continuous
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Summary
● A discrete random variable is a random variable
with a finite number of possible values or an infinite
number of values that can be counted.
● A continuous random variable is a random
variable that can assume an infinite number of values
that can take decimal or fractional values.
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Classify the following random variables as discrete
or continuous.
1. number of students in the canteen during
lunch break
2. amount of water in liters that a person
consumes in a day
3. amount of money spent on buying medicines
4. weight of a baby
5. number of passengers in a bus
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6. number of patients in a hospital
7. speed of a car
8. number of shooting stars in one night
9. number of revolutions per minute of a wheel
10. profit of a businessman
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buy. Let 𝑋 be the number of boxes of canned goods, 𝑌
A store owner made a list of the supplies he needs to
be the amount of sugar in kilograms, and 𝑍 be the
number of packs of chips. Determine whether 𝑋, 𝑌,
and 𝑍 are discrete or continuous.
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