6.1 Flashcard Probability Distributions

Front

What is a probability distribution?

Back

A probability distribution is a mathematical function that provides the probabilities of occurrence of different possible outcomes in an experiment.

Front

What are the two main conditions for a function to be a probability distribution?

Back

1. All probabilities must be between 0 and 1. 2. The sum of all probabilities must equal 1.

Front

What does it mean if P(X) = 0?

Back

It means that the event X cannot occur.

Front

What does it mean if P(X) = 1?

Back

It means that the event X is certain to occur.

Front

How do you find the missing probability in a distribution?

Back

Subtract the sum of known probabilities from 1.

Front

What is the probability of an impossible event?

Back

The probability of an impossible event is 0.

Front

What is the probability of a certain event?

Back

The probability of a certain event is 1.

Front

If P(X=2) = 0.3 and P(X=3) = 0.2, what is P(X>1)?

Back

P(X>1) = P(X=2) + P(X=3) + P(X=4) + ... (sum of all probabilities greater than 1).

Front

What is the sum of probabilities in a valid probability distribution?

Back

The sum of probabilities in a valid probability distribution must equal 1.

Front

What is a discrete probability distribution?

Back

A discrete probability distribution is one where the variable can take on a countable number of values.