Question

A box contains five slips of paper, marked $1, $1, $10, $25, and $25. The winner of a contest selects two slips of paper at random and then gets the larger of the dollar amounts on the two slips. Define a random variable w by w = amount awarded. Determine the probability distribution of w. (Hint: Think of the slips as numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, so that an outcome of the experiment consists of two of these numbers.)

Answer 1

w = $1 or $10 or $25

Probability distribution of w = ($1,$1 $1,$1 $1,$10 $1,$25 $1,$25 $1,$1 $1,$1 $1,$10 $1,$25 $1,$25 $10,$1 $10,$1 $10,$10 $10,$25 $10,$25 $25,$1 $25,$1 $25,$10 $25,$25 $25,$25 $25,$1 $25,$1 $25,$10 $25,$25 $25,$25)

Explanation:

Since the winner gets the larger amount of the two slips picked, random variable 'w' which is the amount awarded could be $1 or $10 or $25.

The probability distribution of 'w' is the values that the statistic takes on. Which could be: $1,$1 $1,$1 $1,$10 $1,$25 $1,$25 $1,$1 $1,$1 $1,$10 $1,$25 $1,$25 $10,$1 $10,$1 $10,$10 $10,$25 $10,$25 $25,$1 $25,$1 $25,$10 $25,$25 $25,$25 $25,$1 $25,$1 $25,$10 $25,$25 $25,$25