Using the Binomial Tables

If we have a binomial distribution with n = 7 p = 0.6 and q = 0.4

The probability of at least 5 successes means 5, 6 or 7 successes and is written as

P ( x ≥ 5)
The probability of more than 3 successes means 4, 5, 6 or 7 successes and is written as
P ( x > 3)
The probability of no more than 4 successes means 4 or fewer successes and is written
P ( x ≤ 4)

How to use the tables:

The tables in your text book only give the answer to P ( x ≤ ) So to answer any other
question you need to do some calculation.

Let: n = 7, p = 0.60, q = 0.40

(turn to the binomial table that has n = 7, and use the p = 0.60 column)

If n = 7 then x, the number of successes, can equal:

0 or 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 or 6 or 7

Find
a. P ( x ≤ 4)

P ( x ≤ 4) means 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4 successes

0 or 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 or 6 or 7

This can be found directly from the tables P ( x ≤ 4) = 0.580

b. P ( x < 3)

P ( x < 3) means 0, 1 or 2 successes

0 or 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 or 6 or 7

and P ( x ≤ 2) is found directly from the tables : P ( x ≤ 2) = 0.096

c. P( x > 5)

P ( x > 5) means 6 or 7 successes

0 or 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 or 6 or 7

now P ( x ≤ 5) = 0.841 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 successes

(this set is the complement of P(x>5))

and P( x ≤ 7) =1 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 successes

So P( x > 5) = P ( x ≤ 7) − P ( x ≤ 5) = 1 − P ( x ≤ 5) = 1 − 0.841 = 0.159

d. P ( x ≥ 3)

P ( x ≥ 3) means 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 successes

0 or 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 or 6 or 7

Now P ( x ≤ 2) = 0.096 0, 1 or 2 successes

(this is the complement of P ( x ≥ 3) )

And P( x ≤ 7) =1 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 successes

So P( x ≥ 3) = 1 − P ( x ≤ 2) = 1 − 0.096 = 0.904
e. P( x = 5)

0 or 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 or 6 or 7

P ( x ≤ 5) = 0.841 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 successes

P ( x ≤ 4) = 0.580 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4 successes

so P ( x = 5) = P ( x ≤ 5) − P ( x ≤ 4) = 0.841 − 0.580 = 0.261

n −x
or use the binomial formula: P ( x) = C x × p × q
n x

with x = 5, n = 7, p = 0.6 and q = 0.4

P ( x = 5) = C 57 × 0.6 5 × 0.4 2 = 0.2612736 = 0.261 as above.

The Poisson tables are also cumulative and must be used in the same way as the binomial
tables to answer P ( x ≤ , x < , x > or x ≥ ) questions.