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BINOMIAL PROBABILITY DISTRIBUTIONS

Bernoulli Trials:
Repeated independent trials in which there are only two possible complementary
outcomes denoted by S for success and F for failure with P(S )  p and P( F )  1  p  q (i.e.
probability of success remains same for all trials) are called Bernoulli trials.

Binomial Experiment:
An experiment consisting of “n” Bernoulli trials is called as Binomial experiment.
OR
An experiment of “n” independent trials, in which the outcome can always be
classified as either a success or a failure and in which probability of success remains constant
from trial to trial is called a Binomial experiment.
Properties of Binomial Experiment:

(i) The outcome of each trial may be classified into one of two categories: success and
failure.
(ii) The successive trials are all independent.
(iii) The probability of success remains constant from trial to trial.
(iv) The experiment is repeated a fixed number of times say “n”.
Binomial Random Variable:
The random variable X which denotes the number of successes in a Binomial
experiment is called as Binomial random variable.
Binomial Probability Function:
If p denotes the probability of success and q  1  p denotes the probability of
failure, then the probability distribution for exactly x success in n trials is
n
P( X  x)  b( x; n, p )    p x q n  x ; x  0,1,......., n
 x
called the Binomial Probability Distribution.
Where p = Probability of success.
q  1  p = Probability of failure.
n = Number of trials
x = Number of successes
…………………………………
Parameters of Binomial Probability distribution:
Binomial Probability Distribution has two parameters as n and p .
…………………………………
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Note:
As we know that
Total probability = 1
q  p 1
 p  1 q
and q  1 p
………………………………………………
Note:
The desired probability always stands for success.
…………………………………………….
Note: (Compliment Law)
(i) P( X  x)  1  P( X  x)
(ii) P( X  x )  1  P( X  x )
(iii) P( X  x)  1  P( X  x)
(iv) P( X  x)  1  P( X  x)
………………………………………….
Note:
(i) At least  (ii) At most  (iii) fewer than < (iv) Not more than 
…………………………………………….
Example: Suppose you independently flip a coin 4 times and the outcome of each toss can be
either head or tails. What is the probability of obtaining exactly 2 tails?
1
Solution: Given n  4, p  P(tail ) 
2
1 1
then q  1 p  1 
2 2
4 x
 n  x n x  4   1   1 
x

As P( X  x)    p q      
 x  x 2   2 
4 2
 4 1   1 
2

P( X  2)       
 2 2   2 
2
 1  1   1  1  6
P( X  2)  6     6    
 4  2   4  4  16
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3
P( X  2) 
8
…………………………………………….
Example: Let X have a binomial distribution with n = 3 and p = 0.4. Find
 3
P  X   , P( X  2), P( X  2), P( X  2) and P ( X  2)
 2
Solution: Given n  3, p  0.4
then q  1  p  1  0.4  0.6
n 3 
As P( X  x)    p x q n  x    (0.4) x (0.6)3 x
 x  x
3
(i) P( X  )  0
2
Because there is no probability for fraction in Binomial Probability distribution
3
(ii) P( X  2)    (0.4) 2 (0.6)3 2  (3)(0.16)(0.6)  0.288
 2
(iii) P( X  2)  P( X  0)  P( X  1)  P( X  2)
3  3 3
P( X  2)    (0.4)0 (0.6)30    (0.4)1 (0.6)31    (0.4) 2 (0.6)32
0 1   2
P( X  2)  (1)(1)(0.216)  (3)(0.4)(0.36)  (3)(0.16)(0.6)
P( X  2)  0.216  0.432  0.288  0.936
(iv) P( X  2)  0
Because there is no probability for Negative numbers in Binomial Probability
distribution
(v) P( X  2)  P( X  2)  P( X  3)
3  3
P( X  2)    (0.4) 2 (0.6)3 2    (0.4)3 (0.6) 33
 2  3
P( X  2)  (3)(0.16)(0.6)  (1)(0.064)(1)
P( X  2)  0.288  0.064  0.352
…………………………………………….
Example: A die is rolled five times and a 5 or 6 is considered a success. Find the probability
of (i) no success (ii) at least 2 success
Solution: Given n  5
p  P(5 or 6)  P(5)  P(6)
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1 1 2 1
p   
6 6 6 3
1 2
then q  1 p  1 
3 3
Let X = Number of getting 5 or 6 on a die
5 x
 n  x n x  5   1   2 
x

As P( X  x)    p q      
 x  x 3   3 
5 0
5 1   2 
0
 32  32
(i) P( X  0)        (1) 1  
0 3   3   243  243

(ii) P( X  2)  1  P( X  2)

P( X  2)  1   P( X  0)  P( X  1) 

 5   1   2 
0 5 0
 5 1   2 
1 51

P( X  2)  1              
 0   3   3  1   3   3  

  32   1  16  
P( X  2)  1  11     5     
  243   3  81  

 32 80  112 131
P( X  2)  1      1   0.539
 243 243  243 243

…………………………………………….
Example: Suppose you independently throw a dart 10 times. Each time you throw a dart, the
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probability of hitting the target is 4 . What is the probability of hitting the target less
than 5 times?
Example: A clothing store has determined that 30% of the people who enter the store will
make a purchase. Eight people enter the store during a one-hour period. Find the
probability that (a) exactly four people will make a purchase, and (b) at least one
person will make a purchase.
Example: Seven out of every 100 people in the United States have Type O negative blood. If
6 people are chosen at random, what is the probability that exactly 2 of them have
Type O negative blood?
D.Y.S.
…………………………………………….
Example: Find the probability of getting (i) exactly 4 heads and (ii) not more than 4 heads
when 6 coins are tossed.
1
Solution: Given n  6, p  P( Head ) 
2
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1 1
then q  1 p  1 
2 2
Let X = Number of heads on a die.
6 x
 n  x n x  6   1   1 
x

As P( X  x)    p q      
 x  x 2   2 
6 4
6 1   1 
4
 1  1  15
(i) P( X  4)        (15)    
 4 2   2   16  4  64
(ii) P( X  4)  1  P( X  4)
P( X  4)  1   P( X  5)  P( X  6) 

 6   1   1 
5 6 5
 6 1   1 
6 66

P( X  4)  1              
 5   2   2   6 2   2  
  1  1   1  
P( X  4)  1   6      1   1 
  32  2   64  
6 1 7 57
P( X  2)  1      1  
 64 64  64 64
…………………………………………….
Example: If 60% of the voters in a large district prefer candidate A, what is the probability
that in a sample of 12 voters exactly 7 will prefer A?
Solution: Given n  12, p  60%  0.60
then q  1  p  1  0.60  0.40
Let X = Number of voters who prefer candidate A

n 12 
P( X  x)    p x q n  x     0.60   0.40 
x 12  x
As
 x x 
P( X  7)  ? D.Y.S.

…………………………………………….
Example: The probability that a patient recovers from a delicate heart operation is 0.9. What
is the probability that exactly five of the next 7 patients having this operation survive?
Solution: Given n  7, p  0.9
then q  1  p  1  0.9  0.1
Let X = Number of recovered patients from heart operation

n 7
P( X  x)    p x q n  x     0.9   0.1
x 7 x
As
 x  x
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P( X  5)  ? D.Y.S.

…………………………………………….
Example: One in every 6 coffee drinkers at a restaurant prefers coffee with cream, sugar, or
both. If 4 coffee drinkers are chosen at random, what is the probability that at least 1
coffee drinker prefers coffee with cream, sugar, or both?

Example: Eighty percent of the songs played at a radio station are rock songs. If 10 songs are
chosen at random from the station’s play list, what is the probability that at least 9 of
the songs will be rock songs?

D.Y.S.
…………………………………………….
Example: The incidence of occupational disease in an industry is such that the workmen
have a 20% chance of suffering from it. What is the probability that out of 6 workmen (i) not
more than 2 and (ii) 4 or more will catch the disease
Solution: Given n  6, p  20%  0.20
then q  1  p  1  0.20  0.80
Let X = Number of workmen suffering from occupational disease.

n 6
P( X  x)    p x q n  x     0.20   0.80 
x 6 x
As
 x  x
(i) P( X  2)  ?

(ii) P( X  4)  ? D.Y.S.
…………………………………………….
Note:
In Binomial Probability distribution
Mean    np

Variance   2  npq

S .D.    npq

………………………………………….
Example: A r.v. X is binomially distributed with mean 3 and variance 2. Find n and p.
Solution: Given
  np  3.......................(i )
 2  npq  2.......................(ii)
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Putting np  3 in equation (ii)

2
3q  2  q
3
2 1
And p  1 q  1 
3 3
1
Putting p  in equation (i)
3
1
n   3  n  3 3  9
3
……………………………………………
Example: Find the mean, variance and the standard deviation of a binomial distribution with
50 trials, for which the probability of success is 0.1?

Solution: Given n  50, p  0.1

then q  1  p  1  0.1  0.90
As we know that
  np  (50)(0.1)  5
 2  npq  50(0.1)(0.9)  4.5
And   npq  50(0.1)(0.9)  4.5  2.12
……………………………………………
Example: Find the standard deviation of a binomial distribution with 8 trials, for which the
probability of success is 0.3.

Example: In a doctor’s office, 80% of the patients are adults. If 15 patients are scheduled for
an appointment on a given day, what is the expected number of adults? What is the
standard deviation?

D.Y.S.
……………………………………………
Note:
The shape of the Binomial probability distribution depends upon its parameters “n”
and “p” as
1
(i) If p  q  , then distribution is symmetrical.
2
1
(ii) If p  q or p  , then distribution is positively skewed
2
1
(iii) If p  q or p  , then distribution is negatively skewed.
2
………………………………………….