AP Statistics Probability Distributions

Front

What is the probability of an event?

Back

The probability of an event is a measure of the likelihood that the event will occur, expressed as a number between 0 and 1.

Front

How do you calculate the probability of selecting a specific item from a group?

Back

Probability = (Number of favorable outcomes) / (Total number of outcomes). For example, the probability of grabbing a salmon from a pond with 50 fish, where 15 are salmon, is 15/50 = 0.30.

Front

What is the mean in a probability distribution?

Back

The mean is the average value of a set of numbers, calculated by summing all values and dividing by the number of values.

Front

What does standard deviation represent in a data set?

Back

Standard deviation measures the amount of variation or dispersion in a set of values. A low standard deviation indicates that the values tend to be close to the mean.

Front

What is the empirical rule in statistics?

Back

The empirical rule states that for a normal distribution, approximately 68% of the data falls within one standard deviation of the mean, 95% within two standard deviations, and 99.7% within three standard deviations.

Front

What is a continuous random variable?

Back

A continuous random variable can take any value within a given range. For example, the time it takes to complete an exam is continuous.

Front

What is a discrete random variable?

Back

A discrete random variable can take only specific values, often counts of items. For example, the number of correct answers on a quiz is discrete.

Front

What does it mean for an event to be unusual in probability?

Back

An event is considered unusual if its probability is less than or equal to 0.05.

Front

How do you find the probability of multiple independent events occurring?

Back

To find the probability of multiple independent events occurring, multiply the probabilities of each individual event.

Front

What is the probability of guessing correctly on a true-false question?

Back

The probability of guessing correctly on a true-false question is 0.5, since there are two possible answers.