Elementary Statistics
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Calculating the Mean and Standard Deviation
of a Discrete Probability Distribution
on the TI-83 and TI-86

Enter the possible values for your random variable X in list L1.

Enter the probabilities for each value of X in list L2 in the position next to the value of X.

Calculate “One Variable Statistics” for lists L1 and L2.

(Do this the same way you calculate one variable statistics for data values and frequencies when given a set of data.)

The calculator will give the mean as "x-bar" although we know that this mean is actually µ because it is the mean of a probability distribution.

The calculator will give the standard deviation as σ which indicates the standard deviation of a probability distribution (as well as the standard deviation of a population).

The calculator does not give you a value for s because the frequencies you gave it are not whole numbers.

Content Developed by Susan Dean and Barbara Illowsky, Licensed under a Creative Commons License
Published by the Sofia Open Content Initiative
© 2004 Foothill-De Anza Community College District &The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation