Binomial Probability Distribution Calculator

Calculate probability of k successes in n independent trials with step-by-step solutions

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P(X = k) = C(n, k) × pk × (1-p)(n-k)

Probability of exactly k successes in n independent trials

Positive integer (1-1000)

Must satisfy 0 ≤ k ≤ n

Value between 0 and 1

Quick Examples

Invalid Input

P(X = ) with n = , p =

P(X ≤ ) with n = , p =

Distribution Statistics for n = , p =

Expected Value (μ)

Variance (σ²)

Std Deviation (σ)

Expected Value (μ = np)

Variance (σ² = np(1-p))

Std Deviation (σ)

Binomial Coefficient

C(, ) =

Number of ways to choose successes from trials

Step-by-Step Solution

1

Identify values

n = , k = , p =

2

Calculate binomial coefficient

C(, ) = ! / (! × !) =

3

Apply the formula

P(X = ) = × ×

4

Final result

P(X = ) =

Probability Distribution

Showing first 21 values (k = 0 to 20)

Common Binomial Scenarios

Scenario n p Expected (μ)
Fair coin (10 flips) 10 0.5 5
Die rolls (getting 6) 12 0.167 2
Quality control (1% defect) 100 0.01 1
Free throws (80% shooter) 10 0.8 8
Survey response (30%) 50 0.3 15

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About Binomial Probability Distribution Calculator

What is the Binomial Probability Distribution?

The binomial probability distribution describes the probability of obtaining exactly k successes in n independent trials, where each trial has only two possible outcomes (success or failure) and the probability of success remains constant.

The Binomial Probability Formula

P(X = k) = C(n, k) × p^k × (1-p)^(n-k)

Where:

  • P(X = k) = Probability of exactly k successes
  • n = Number of trials
  • k = Number of successes desired
  • p = Probability of success on a single trial
  • (1-p) = Probability of failure (often denoted as q)
  • C(n, k) = Binomial coefficient = n! / (k!(n-k)!)

Conditions for a Binomial Experiment

For a random variable X to follow a binomial distribution:

  1. Fixed number of trials (n) - The experiment consists of n identical trials
  2. Two possible outcomes - Each trial results in success or failure
  3. Independent trials - The outcome of one trial doesn't affect others
  4. Constant probability (p) - The probability of success is the same for each trial

Key Formulas

Expected Value (Mean)

μ = E(X) = n × p

The average number of successes you expect in n trials.

Variance

σ² = Var(X) = n × p × (1-p)

Standard Deviation

σ = √(n × p × (1-p))

Cumulative Probability

P(X ≤ k) = Σ P(X = i) for i = 0 to k

The probability of getting at most k successes.

Common Applications

1. Quality Control

  • Defective products in a batch
  • Pass/fail testing

2. Medical Research

  • Drug effectiveness trials
  • Success rates of treatments

3. Games and Gambling

  • Coin flip outcomes
  • Dice roll successes
  • Lottery analysis

4. Sports Analytics

  • Free throw success rates
  • Batting averages

5. Surveys and Polling

  • Yes/no response rates
  • Election predictions

Example Calculations

Example 1: Coin Flips

Flipping a fair coin 10 times, probability of exactly 6 heads:

  • n = 10, k = 6, p = 0.5
  • P(X=6) = C(10,6) × 0.5^6 × 0.5^4 = 210 × 0.015625 × 0.0625 ≈ 0.2051

Example 2: Quality Control

If 5% of products are defective, probability of finding exactly 2 defective items in a sample of 20:

  • n = 20, k = 2, p = 0.05
  • P(X=2) = C(20,2) × 0.05^2 × 0.95^18 ≈ 0.1887

Important Notes

  1. When n is large and p is small, the binomial distribution can be approximated by the Poisson distribution
  2. When n is large, the binomial distribution approaches the normal distribution (Central Limit Theorem)
  3. The binomial coefficient C(n,k) can become very large, so use computational tools for large n values