Random Variable
Definition
A random variable is a numerical value that represents the outcome of a random event or experiment.
Analogy
Think of a random variable as a vending machine. Each time you press a button, you get a different item (outcome) with its own value (numerical representation).
Related terms
Probability Distribution: A probability distribution describes the likelihood of each possible outcome for a random variable.
Discrete Random Variable: A discrete random variable can only take on specific values, usually whole numbers.
Continuous Random Variable: A continuous random variable can take on any value within a certain range.
"Random Variable" appears in:
Study guides (4)
Practice Questions (9)
- Which of the following best defines a random variable?
- How are probabilities of all possible values of a random variable related?
- What does the standard deviation of a random variable measure?
- How can you find the mean of a linear transformation of a random variable?
- How can you find the standard deviation of a linear transformation of a random variable?
- A random variable, X, has a mean of 10 and a standard deviation of 2. If you transform X into a new random variable Y by adding a constant of 3 to each value, what is the mean and standard deviation of Y?
- A random variable, X, has a mean of 5 and a standard deviation of 3. If you transform X by multiplying each value by a constant of 6, what is the mean and standard deviation of the transformed variable, Y?
- Which of the following transformations affect the measures of center of a random variable?
- A random variable, X, has a mean of 18. If you transform X by dividing each value by a constant of 2, what is the mean of the transformed variable, Y?
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