Okuzeka
Statistics vocabulary · Probability Distributions

Binomial distribution

Meaning in statistics, with examples

/baɪˈnoʊmiəl ˌdɪstrɪˈbjuːʃən/nounCommon term

In statistics, binomial distribution means: The probability distribution of the number of successes in a fixed number of independent trials, each with the same probability of success, such as heads in 20 coin tosses.

In Turkish: binom dağılımı, iki terimli dağılım

How it is used

Defined by two parameters, n (number of trials) and p (probability of success); its mean is np. Used for yes/no outcomes such as faulty items in a batch, patients who respond to a treatment or customers who click.

Example sentences

  1. If 10% of parts are faulty, the number of faulty parts in a box of 50 follows a binomial distribution.

  2. Use the binomial distribution to find the probability of exactly 3 successes in 10 trials.

Common collocations

  • follow a binomial distribution
  • binomial probability
  • binomial test
  • number of trials
  • probabilityA number between 0 and 1 that expresses how likely an event is: 0 means it cannot happen and 1 means it is certain.
  • independent eventsEvents where knowing that one has happened does not change the probability of the other; for two such events, P(A and B) = P(A) × P(B).
  • Poisson distributionA probability distribution for the number of times an event happens in a fixed period or space when events occur independently at a constant average rate.
  • random variableA variable whose value is determined by the outcome of a random process, such as the number of heads in ten coin tosses or the waiting time for a bus.
  • distributionThe pattern showing which values a variable takes and how often each one occurs, often pictured as a histogram or a curve.

More terms: Probability Distributions

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level: