Chapter3: Random Variables

IN THIS CHAPTER:

✔ Discrete Random Variables

✔ Discrete Probability Distribution
✔ Mean , Variance, Standard Deviation, and Expectation
✔ Some Theorems on Expectation
✔ Some Theorems on Variance
✔ Continuous Random Variables
✔ Continuous Probability Distribution
✔ Graphical Interpretations

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Random Variables

A variable is a characteristic or attribute that can assume different values. Various letters of
the alphabet, such as X, Y, or Z, are used to represent variables. Since the variables in this
chapter are associated with probability, they are called random variables.

A random variable is a variable whose values are determined by chance.

When the observations of a quantitative random variable can take on only a finite number of
values or a countable number of values, we say that the variable is a discrete random variable.
For example, the outcomes for the roll of a die or the outcomes for the toss of a coin.
When the observations of a quantitative random variable can take on only of the countless
number of values in a line interval, we say that the variable is a continuous random variable.
For example, if the temperature goes from 62° to 78° in a 24-hour period, it has passed through
every possible number from 62 to 78. Continuous random variables are obtained from data
than can be measured rather than counted. Examples of continuous variables are heights,
weights, temperatures, and time.
A random variable has a probability distribution whether it is discrete or continuous.

Discrete Probability Distribution

Let X be a discrete random variable, and suppose that the possible values that it can assume
are given by x1, x2, x3, …, xn arranged in some order. Suppose also that these values are
assumed with probabilities given by
P (X = xk) = f (xk ) k = 1,2,…
It is convenient to introduce the probability function, also referred to as probability
distribution, given by
P (X = x) = f (x)
For x = xk , this reduces to our previous equation, while for other values of x, f (x) = 0.
In general, f (x) is a probability function if

1. 𝑓 (𝑥) ≥ 0

2. 4 𝑓(𝑥 ) = 1
𝑥

where the sum in the second property above is taken over all possible values of x.

Discrete probability distributions can be shown by using a graph or a table. Probability

distributions can also be represented by a formula.

Example 1: Suppose that a coin is tossed twice. Let X represent the number of heads that can
come up. With each sample point we can associate a number for X as follows:
Sample Point HH HT TH TT
X 2 1 0
Now we can find the probability function corresponding to the random variable X.
Assuming the coin is fair, we have
1 1 1
𝑃(𝐻𝐻) = , 𝑃 (𝐻𝑇) = , 𝑃 (𝑇𝐻 ) = ,
4 4 4
1
𝑃(𝑇𝑇 ) =
4
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Then

1
𝑃(𝑋 = 0) = 𝑃(𝑇𝑇) =
4
1 1 1
𝑃(𝑋 = 1) = 𝑃(𝐻𝑇 ∪ 𝑇𝐻) = 𝑃(𝐻𝑇) + 𝑃(𝑇𝐻) = + =
4 4 2
1
𝑃(𝑋 = 2) = 𝑃(𝐻𝐻) =
4
Thus, the probability function is given by
Number of heads X 0 1 2
Probability 𝑃 (𝑋) 1 1 1
4 2 4
Graphical Representation
Probability distributions can be shown graphically by representing the values of X on the
x axis and the probabilities P(X) on the y axis.

Figure1: Probability Distribution for Example 1.

Example2: Construct a probability distribution for rolling a single die.
Solution
Since the sample space is 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and each outcome has a probability of 1/6, the
distribution is as shown.
Outcome X 1 2 3 4 5 6
Probability 𝑃(𝑋) 1 1 1 1 1 1
6 6 6 6 6 6

Example3: During the summer months, a rental agency keeps track of the number of chain saws
it rents each day for a period of 90 days. The number of saws rented per day is represented by the
variable X. The results are shown here. Compute the probability P(X) for each X, and construct a
probability distribution and graph for the data.
X Number of days
0 45
1 30
2 15
Total = 90
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 Solution
The probability P(X) can be computed for each X by dividing the number of days X saws were
rented by total days.
for 0 saws : 45/90 = 0.50 for 1 saws : 30/90 = 0.33 for 2 saws : 15/90 = 0.17
The distribution is as follows:
Number of saws rented X 0 1 2
Probability 𝑃(𝑋) 0.50 0.33 0.17
The graph is shown in Figure2.

Figure 2: Probability Distribution for Example 3.

Formula Representation
A probability distribution can be written in formula notation.

Example4: Write the distribution for the formula and determine whether it is a probability
distribution.
1
𝑃 (𝑋 ) = , where 𝑋 = 2, 3, 6.
𝑋
Solution
The distribution is shown as follows:
X 2 3 6
𝑃(𝑋) 1 1 1
2 3 6

It is a probability distribution since 𝑃(𝑋) > 0 for all 𝑋 and ∑ 𝑃 (𝑋 ) = 1.

Example5: Determine whether each distribution is a probability distribution.

(a) (b)
x 4 6 8 10 x 8 9 12
P(x) –0.6 0.2 0.7 1.5 P(x) 2/3 1/6 1/6
(c) d)
x 1 2 3 4 x 1 3 5 7 9

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 P(x) 1/4 1/4 1/4 1/4 P(x) 0.3 0.1 0.2 0.4 –0.7

Solution
(a) No. It is not a probability distribution since P(X) cannot be negative or greater than 1.
(b) Yes. It is a probability distribution.
(c) Yes. It is a probability distribution.
(d) No, since 𝑃(𝑋) ≠ −0.7.

Mean, Variance, Standard Deviation, and Expectation

The mean, variance, and standard deviation for a probability distribution are computed
differently from the mean, variance, and standard deviation for samples. This section explains
how these measures—as well as a new measure called the expectation—are calculated for
probability distributions.

Mean
To find the mean for a probability distribution, you must multiply each possible outcome by
its corresponding probability and find the sum of the products. The formula is given by

𝜇 = 𝑋1 ∙ 𝑃 (𝑋1) + 𝑋2 ∙ 𝑃(𝑋2 ) + 𝑋3 ∙ 𝑃 (𝑋3) + ⋯ + 𝑋𝑛 ∙ 𝑃(𝑋𝑛 )

= 4 𝑋 ∙ 𝑃 (𝑋 )

where 𝑋1, 𝑋2, 𝑋3, … , 𝑋𝑛are the outcomes and 𝑃 (𝑋1), 𝑃 (𝑋2), 𝑃 (𝑋3), … , 𝑃(𝑋𝑛 ) are corresponding
probabilities.
Rounding Rule for the Mean, Variance, and Standard Deviation for a Probability
Distribution The rounding rule for the mean, variance, and standard deviation for variables of a
probability distribution is this: The mean, variance, and standard deviation should be rounded to
one more decimal place than the outcome X. When fractions are used, they should be reduced to
lowest terms.

Example6: Find the mean of the number of spots that appear when a die is tossed.
Solution
In the toss of a die, the mean can be computed thus.

Outcome X 1 2 3 4 5 6
Probability 𝑃(𝑋) 1 1 1 1 1 1
6 6 6 6 6 6

1 1 1 1 1 1 21
𝜇 = 4 𝑋 ∙ 𝑃 (𝑋 ) = 1 ∙ + 2 ∙ + 3 ∙ + 4 ∙ + 5 ∙ + 6 ∙ =
6 6 6 6 6 6 6
1
= 3 or 3.5
2

That is, when a die is tossed many times, the theoretical mean will be 3.5. Note that even though
the die cannot show a 3.5, the theoretical average is 3.5.
The reason why this formula gives the theoretical mean is that in the long run, each
outcome would occur approximately 1/6 of the time. Hence, multiplying the outcome by its
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corresponding probability and finding the sum would yield the theoretical mean. In other words,
outcome 1 would occur approximately 1/6 of the time, outcome 2 would occur approximately 1/6
of the time, etc.

Example7: Find If three coins are tossed, find the mean of the number of heads that occur.
Solution
The probability distribution is
Number of heads X 0 1 2 3
Probability 𝑃(𝑋) 1 3 3 1
8 8 8 8
The mean is
1 3 3 1 12 1
𝜇 = 4 𝑋 ∙ 𝑃( 𝑋 ) = 0 ∙ + 1 ∙ + 2 ∙ + 3 ∙ = = 1 or 1.5
8 8 8 8 8 2

The value 1.5 cannot occur as an outcome. Nevertheless, it is the long-run or theoretical average.

Variance and Standard Deviation

To find the variance for the random variable of a probability distribution, subtract the
theoretical mean of the random variable from each outcome and square the difference. Then
multiply each difference by its corresponding probability and add the products. The formula is
𝜎 2 = 4 [(𝑋 − 𝜇)2 ∙ 𝑃(𝑋)]
Finding the variance by using this formula is somewhat tedious. So for simplified computations,
a shortcut formula can be used. This formula is algebraically equivalent to the longer one.

𝜎 2 = 4[𝑋 2 ∙ 𝑃 (𝑋)] − 𝜇2
The standard deviation of a probability distribution is

𝜎 = √ 𝜎 2 = Ù4[ 𝑋 2 ∙ 𝑃( 𝑋 )] − 𝜇2
Remember that the variance and standard deviation cannot be negative.

Example8: Compute the variance and standard deviation for the probability distribution in
Example 6.
Solution
Recall that the mean is 𝜇 = 3.5 computed in Example 6. Square each outcome and multiply by
the corresponding probability, sum those products, and then subtract the square of the mean.

1 1 1 1 1 1
𝜎 2 = Ô12 ∙ + 22 ∙ + 32 ∙ + 42 ∙ + 52 ∙ + 62 ∙ Õ − (3.5)2
6 6 6 6 6 6
= 2.9

To get the standard deviation, find the square root of the variance.

𝜎 = √2.9 = 1.7

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Example9: A box contains 5 balls. Two are numbered 3, one is numbered 4, and two are
numbered 5. The balls are mixed and one is selected at random. After a ball is
selected, its number is recorded. Then it is replaced. If the experiment is repeated
many times, find the variance and standard deviation of the numbers on the balls.

Solution
Let X be the number on each ball. The probability distribution is
Number on ball X 3 4 5
Probability 𝑃(𝑋) 2 1 2
5 5 5
The mean is
2 1 2
𝜇 = 4 𝑋 ∙ 𝑃 (𝑋 ) = 3 ∙ + 4 ∙ + 5 ∙ = 4
5 5 5
The variance
2 1 2
𝜎 2 = 4[𝑋 2 ∙ 𝑃(𝑋)] − 𝜇2 = 32 ∙ + 42 ∙ + 52 ∙ − 42
5 5 5
4 4
= 16 − 16 =
5 5
The standard deviation is
4
𝜎 = a = √0.8 = 0.894
5
The mean, variance, and standard deviation can also be found by using vertical columns, as
shown.
𝑋 𝑃( 𝑋) 𝑋 ∙ 𝑃 (𝑋 ) 𝑋 2 ∙ 𝑃(𝑋)
3 0.4 1.2 3.6
4 0.2 0.8 3.2
5 0.4 2.0 10
4 𝑋 ∙ 𝑃(𝑋) = 4.0 4 𝑋 2 ∙ 𝑃(𝑋) = 16.8

Find the mean by summing the ∑ 𝑋 ∙ 𝑃(𝑋) column, and find the variance by summing the
∑ 𝑋 2 ∙ 𝑃 (𝑋) column and subtracting the square of the mean.
𝜎 2 = 16.8 − 42 = 16.8 − 16 = 0.8
and
𝜎 = √0.8 = 0.894
Expectation
A very important concept in probability and statistics is that of mathematical expectation,
expected value, or briefly the expectation, of a random variable. For a discrete random variable X
having the possible values x1, x2, …, xn, the expectation of X is defined as
The expected value of a discrete random variable of a probability distribution is the theoretical
average of the variable. The formula is
𝑛

𝐸 (𝑋 ) = 𝑥1𝑃(𝑋 = 𝑥1) + ⋯ + 𝑥𝑛𝑃( 𝑋 = 𝑥𝑛 ) = 4 𝑥𝑗𝑃c𝑋 = 𝑥𝑗d

𝑗=1

or equivalently, if 𝑃c𝑋 = 𝑥𝑗 d = 𝑓c𝑥𝑗 d,

𝑛

𝐸 (𝑋 ) = 𝑥1𝑓 (𝑥1) + ⋯ + 𝑥𝑛𝑓( 𝑥𝑛 ) = 4 𝑥𝑗𝑓c𝑥𝑗d = 4 𝑥𝑓 (𝑥 )

𝑗=1 𝑥

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where the last summation is taken over all appropriate values of x.
Notice that when the probabilities are all equal,
𝑥1 + 𝑥2 + ⋯ + 𝑥𝑛
𝐸 (𝑋 ) =
𝑛
which is simply the sample mean of x1, x2, …, xn .

The formula for the expected value is the same as the formula for the theoretical mean. The
expected value, then, is the theoretical mean of the probability distribution.
That is, 𝐸 (𝑋) = 𝜇.
When expected value problems involve money, it is customary to round the answer to the nearest
cent.

Example10: Suppose that a game is to be played with a single die assumed fair. In this game a
player wins $20 if a 2 turns up; $40 if a 4 turns up; loses $30 if a 6 turns up; while the player
neither wins nor loses if any other face turns up. Find the expected sum of money to be won.
Solution
Let X be the random variable giving the amount of money won on any toss. The possible
amounts won when the die turns up 1, 2, …, 6 are x1, x2, …, x6, respectively, while the
probabilities of these are f(x1), f(x2), …, f(x6). The probability function for X is given by:

X 0 +20 0 +40 0 –30

P (X) 1/6 1/6 1/6 1/6 1/6 1/6

Therefore, the expected value, or expectation, is

1 1 1 1 1
𝐸 (𝑋) = ( 0) Ô Õ + (20) Ô Õ + (0) Ô Õ + (40 ) Ô Õ + (0) Ô Õ
6 6 6 6 6
1
+ (−30) Ô Õ = 5
6
It follows that the player can expect to win $5. In a fair game, therefore, the player should
expect to pay $5 in order to play the game.

Remember: The expected value of a discrete random variable is its measure of central
tendency!
Variance and Standard Deviation
We have already noted that the expectation of a random variable X is often called the mean and
can be denoted by μ. As we noted in Chapter One, another quantity of great importance in
probability and statistics is the variance. If X is a discrete random variable taking the values x1,
x2, …, xn, and having probability function f(x), then the variance is given by
𝑛
2
𝜎 = 𝐸 [(𝑋 − 𝜇) ] = 4c𝑥𝑗 − 𝜇d ∙ 𝑓c𝑥𝑗 d = 4(𝑥 − 𝜇 )2 ∙ 𝑓 (𝑥)
2
𝑋
2

𝑗=1 𝑥
or the shortcut formula
2
𝜎𝑋2 = 𝐸 (𝑋 2) − c𝐸 (𝑋 )d or 𝜎𝑋2 = 𝐸 (𝑋 2) − 𝜇2
In the special case where all the probabilities are equal, we have
(𝑥1 − 𝜇 )2 + (𝑥2 − 𝜇)2 + ⋯ + (𝑥𝑛 − 𝜇 )2
𝜎𝑋2 =
𝑛
which is the sample variance we found for a set of n numbers values x1, x2,…, xn, .

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Example 11: Find the variance for the game played in Example 10. Recall the probability
function for the game:
X 0 +20 0 +40 0 –30
f (x) 1/6 1/6 1/6 1/6 1/6 1/6

We have already found the mean to be μ = 5, therefore, the variance is given by

1 1 1
𝜎𝑋2 = (0 − 5) 2 Ô Õ + (20 − 5)2 Ô Õ + ( 0 − 5)2 Ô Õ
6 6 6
1 1
+ (40 − 5)2 Ô Õ + (0 − 5)2 Ô Õ
6 6
1 2750
+ (−30 − 5 )2 Ô Õ = = 458.333
6 6

The standard deviation can be found by simply taking the square root of the variance.
Therefore, the standard deviation is
𝜎𝑋 = •458.333 = 21.40872096
Notice that if X has certain dimensions or units, such as centimeters (cm), then the variance of
X has units cm2 while the standard deviation has the same unit as X, i.e., cm. It is for this reason
that the standard deviation is often used.

Some Theorems on Expectation

Theorem 1: If c is any constant, then
𝐸 (𝑐𝑋 ) = 𝑐𝐸 (𝑋 )
Theorem 2: If X and Y are any random variables, then
𝐸(𝑋 + 𝑌) = 𝐸 (𝑋) + 𝐸 (𝑌)
Theorem 3: If X and Y are independent random variables, then
𝐸 (𝑋𝑌 ) = 𝐸 (𝑋 )𝐸 (𝑌)
Note!
These properties hold for any random variable, not just discrete random variables.

Some Theorems on Variance

Theorem 4:
𝜎 2 = 𝐸[(𝑋 − 𝜇 )2] = 𝐸 (𝑋 2) − 𝜇2 = 𝐸(𝑋 2 ) − [𝐸 (𝑋 )]2
Where 𝜇 = 𝐸 (𝑋) .

Theorem 5: If c is any constant,

𝑉𝑎𝑟 (𝑐𝑋 ) = 𝑐 2 𝑉𝑎𝑟 (𝑋 )

Theorem 6: The quantity 𝐸 [(𝑋 − 𝑎 )2] is a minimum when

𝑎 = 𝜇 = 𝐸 (𝑋 )
Theorem 7: If X and Y are independent random variables,
𝑉𝑎𝑟(𝑋 + 𝑌 ) = 𝑉𝑎𝑟(𝑋) + 𝑉𝑎𝑟 (𝑌) or 𝜎𝑋+𝑌
2
= 𝜎𝑋2 + 𝜎𝑌2
𝑉𝑎𝑟(𝑋 − 𝑌 ) = 𝑉𝑎𝑟 (𝑋) + 𝑉𝑎𝑟 (𝑌) or 𝜎𝑋−𝑌
2
= 𝜎𝑋2 + 𝜎𝑌2
Don’t Forget
These theorems apply to the variance and not to the standard deviation!
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Make sure you convert your standard deviation into variance before you apply these theorems.
Generalizations of Theorem 7 to more than two independent random variables are easily
made. In words, the variance of a sum of independent variables equals the sum of their variances.
Again, these theorems hold true for discrete and nondiscrete random variables.

Example 12: Let X and Y be the random independent events of rolling a fair die. Compute the
expected value of X + Y, and the variance of X + Y.
The following is the probability function for X and Y, individually:

x 1 2 3 4 5 6
f (x) 1/6 1/6 1/6 1/6 1/6 1/6
From this, we get the following:
𝜇𝑋 = 𝜇𝑌 = 3.5 and 𝜎𝑋2 = 𝜎𝑌2 = 2.91666

There are two ways we could compute E(X + Y) and Var(X + Y).
First, we could compute the probability distribution of X + Y, and find the expected value and
variance from there. Notice that the possible values for X + Y are 2, 3, …, 11, 12.

x +y 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
f (x +y) 1/36 2/36 3/36 4/36 5/36 6/36 5/36 6/36 3/36 2/36 1/36
We can find the expected value as follows:
1 2 2 1
𝐸 (𝑋 + 𝑌) = (2) Ô Õ + (3) Ô Õ + ⋯ + ( 11) Ô Õ + (12) Ô Õ
36 36 36 36
252
= =7
36
It then follows that the variance is:
1 1 210
𝑉𝑎𝑟 (𝑋 + 𝑌 ) = Ý(2 − 7)2 Ô Õ + ⋯ + (12 − 7)2 Ô ÕÞ =
36 36 36
= 5.8333
However, using Theorems 2 and 7 makes this an easy task.
By using Theorem 2, 𝐸 (𝑋 + 𝑌) = 𝐸(𝑋) + 𝐸 (𝑌) = 3.5 + 3.5 = 7 .
By using Theorem 7,
𝑉𝑎𝑟(𝑋 + 𝑌) = 𝑉𝑎𝑟(𝑋) + 𝑉𝑎𝑟 (𝑌) = 2.91666 + 2.91666
= 5.8333
Since X = Y, we could have also found the expected value using Theorems 1:
𝐸 (𝑋 + 𝑌 ) = 𝐸 (𝑋 + 𝑋 ) = 𝐸 (2𝑋) = 2[𝐸 (𝑋 )] = 2(3.5) = 7
However, we could not have used Theorem 3-5 to find the variance because we are basically using
the same distribution, X, twice, and X is not independent from itself. Notice that we get the wrong
variance when we apply the theorem:
𝑉𝑎𝑟 (𝑋 + 𝑋) = 𝑉𝑎𝑟(2𝑋 ) = (22) 𝑉𝑎𝑟 (𝑋 ) = 4𝑉𝑎𝑟(𝑋) = 11.666

Continuous Random Variables

A nondiscrete random variable X is said to be absolutely continuous, or simply continuous, if
its distribution function may be represented as

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 𝑥

𝐹 (𝑥) = 𝑃(𝑋 ≤ 𝑥) = ß 𝑓(𝑢)𝑑𝑢

−∞
where the function f(x) has the properties
∞

1. 𝑓 (𝑥) ≥ 0 2. ß 𝑓 (𝑥)𝑑𝑥 = 1
−∞
It follows from the above that if X is a continuous random variable, then the probability that X
takes on any one particular value is zero, whereas the interval probability that X lies between
two different values, say a and b, is given by
𝑏

𝑃(𝑎 < 𝑋 < 𝑏) = ß 𝑓 (𝑢 )𝑑𝑢 = 𝐹 (𝑏 ) − 𝐹 (𝑎 )

𝑎

Example 13. If an individual were selected at random from a large group of adult males, the
probability that his height X is precisely 68 inches (i.e., 68.000… inches) would be zero.
However, there is a probability greater than zero that X is between 67.000… inches and
68.000… inches.
A function f(x) that satisfies the above requirements is called a probability function or
probability distribution for a continuous random variable, but it is more often called a
probability density function or simply density function. Any function f(x) satisfying the two
properties above will automatically be a density function, and required probabilities can be
obtained from above equation.
Distribution Functions for Continuous Random Variables
Recall the cumulative distribution function, or distribution function, for a random variable is
defined by
𝐹(𝑥 ) = 𝑃 (𝑋 ≤ 𝑥)
where x is any real number, i.e., −∞ ≤ x ≤ ∞. So,
𝑥

𝐹 (𝑥) = ß 𝑓(𝑥)𝑑𝑥 (∗ )
−∞
Graphical Interpretations
If f(x) is the density function for a random variable X, then we can represent y = f(x) by a curve,
as seen below in Figure 2. Since f(x) ≥ 0, the curve cannot fall below the x-axis. The entire area
bounded by the curve and the x-axis must be 1 because of property 2 listed above.
Geometrically, the probability that X is between a and b, i.e., P(a < X < b), is then represented by
the area shown shaded, in Figure 2.

Figure 2 Figure 3
The distribution function F(x) = P(X ≤ x) is a monotonically increasing function that increases
from 0 to 1 and is represented by a curve as in the following figure:

Page 57 of 101
 Exercises No. 3

1. For Exercises (a), (b), (c), and (d), determine whether the distribution represents a
probability distribution. If it does not, state why.
(a) (b)
x 0 5 10 15 20 x 1 2 3 4
P(x) 1/5 1/5 1/5 1/5 1/5 P(x) 1/4 1/8 1/16 9/16
(c) (d)
x 0 2 4 6 x 2 3 7
P(x) –1.0 1.5 0.3 0.2 P(x) 0.5 0.3 0.4

2. For Exercises (a) through (g), state whether the variable is discrete or continuous.
(a) The speed of a jet airplane.
(b) The number of cheeseburgers a fast-food restaurant serves each day.
(c) The number of people who play the state lottery each day.
(d) The weight of an automobile.
(e) The time it takes to have a medical physical exam.
(f) The number of mathematics majors in your school.
(g) The blood pressures of all patients admitted to a hospital on a specific day.

3. For Exercises (a), (b) and (c), construct a probability distribution for the data and draw a
graph for the distribution.
(a) The probabilities that a patient will have 0, 1, 2, or 3 medical tests performed upon entering
( # ) !
a hospital are , , , and , respectively.
!# !# !# !#
(b) The probabilities that a tutor sees 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 students in any one day are 0.10, 0.25,
0.25, 0.20 , and 0.20, respectively.
! !
(c) A die is loaded in such a way that the probabilities of getting 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 are , ,
$ (
! ! ! !
, , , and , respectively.
!$ !$ !$ !$

4. A box contains three $1 bills, two $5 bills, five $10 bills, and one $20 bill. Construct a
probability distribution for the data if x represents the value of a single bill drawn at random
and then replaced.

5. Construct a probability distribution for a family with 4 children. Let X be the number of
girls.

6. For Exercises (a), (b) and (c), write the distribution for the formula and determine whether
it is a probability distribution.
𝑋
(a) 𝑃 (𝑋 ) = for 𝑋 = 1, 2, 3
6
(b) 𝑃(𝑋) = 𝑋 for 𝑋 = 0.2, 0.3, 0.5
𝑋
(c) 𝑃(𝑋) =
for 𝑋 = 3, 4, 7
6
7. In a family with two children, find (a) the mean, (b) the variance , and (c) standard
deviation, of the number of children who will be girls.
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 8. A special six-sided die is made in which 3 sides have 6 spots, 2 sides have 4 spots, and 1
side has 1 spot. If the die is rolled, find the expected value of the number of spots that will
occur.

9. The probabilities that a player will get 5 to 10 questions right on a trivia quiz are shown
below. Find the mean, variance, and standard deviation for the distribution.

X 5 6 7 8 9 10
P (X) 0.05 0.2 0.4 0.1 0.15 0.1

10. The county highway department recorded the following probabilities for the number of
accidents per day on a certain freeway for one month. The number of accidents per day and
their corresponding probabilities are shown. Find the mean, variance, and standard deviation.

Number of accidents X 0 1 2 3 4
Probability P (X) 0.4 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.1

11. A person pays $2 to play a certain game by rolling a single die once. If a 1 or a 2 comes
up, the person wins nothing. If, however, the player rolls a 3, 4, 5, or 6, he or she wins the
difference between the number rolled and $2. Find the expectation for this game. Is the game
fair?

12. Let X and Y be the random independent events of rolling a fair die. Compute the expected
value of 𝑋 − 𝑌, and the variance of 𝑋 − 𝑌.

13. The formula for finding the variance for a probability distribution is

𝜎 2 = 4 [(𝑋 − 𝜇)2 ∙ 𝑃(𝑋)]

Verify algebraically that this formula gives the same result as the shortcut formula

𝜎 2 = 4[𝑋 2 ∙ 𝑃(𝑋)] − 𝜇2

Page 59 of 101