View Full Version : please help me out!


bapex4real
12-09-2005, 09:21 AM
I'm having problem with binomial and poisson distribution. please help me out.

JohnM
12-09-2005, 09:30 AM
The binomial distribution models results of experiments where the outcome is one of two events (i.e., flipping a coin is the classic example). As an example, if you flipped a coin 10 times, a binomial distribution would model the number of "heads" or the number of "tails."

The Poisson distribution is used to model count data - for example, how many times does an event occur within a pre-defined time span. A good example would be the arrival of customers in a store (i.e. the number of people who arrive between 12:00PM and 1:00PM). The Poisson can also be used in "binomial" situations where the probability of an event occurring is very small.

If you check our Examples section of this site, there is a post for Online Statistics Resources - at least one of them will include discussions of the binomial and Poisson distributions.