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Introductory Statistics

Prem S. Mann

Chapter 5

Discrete Random Variables and Their Probability Distributions - all with Video Answers

Educators

Section 1

Random Variables

02:12

Problem 1

Explain the meaning of a random variable, a discrete random variable, and a continuous random variable. Give one example each of a discrete random variable and a continuous random variable.

Christopher Stanley
Christopher Stanley
Numerade Educator
02:05

Problem 2

Classify each of the following random variables as discrete or continuous.
a. The time left on a parking meter
b. The number of bats broken by a major league baseball team in a season
c. The number of cars in a parking lot
d. The total pounds of fish caught on a fishing trip
e. The number of cars crossing a bridge on a given day
f. The time spent by a physician examining a patient

ET
Ed Tam
Numerade Educator
02:59

Problem 3

Indicate which of the following random variables are discrete and which are continuous.
a. The number of new accounts opened at a bank during a certain month
b. The time taken to run a marathon
c. The price of a concert ticket
d. The number of times a person says "please" in a day
e. The points scored in a football game
f. The weight of a randomly selected package

Jon Southam
Jon Southam
Numerade Educator
02:48

Problem 4

A household can watch news on any of the three networks $-\mathrm{ABC}$, $\mathrm{CBS}$, or $\mathrm{NBC}$. On a certain day, five households randomly and independently decide which channel to watch. Let $x$ be the number of households among these five that decide to watch news on $\mathrm{ABC}$. Is $x$ a discrete or a continuous random variable? Explain.

Narayan Hari
Narayan Hari
Numerade Educator
02:48

Problem 5

One of the four gas stations located at an intersection of two major roads is a Texaco station. Suppose the next six cars that stop at any of these four gas stations make their selections randomly and independently. Let $x$ be the number of cars in these six that stop at the Texaco station. Is $x$ a discrete or a continuous random variable? Explain.

Narayan Hari
Narayan Hari
Numerade Educator