The Continuous Uniform Distribution describes a scenario where a random variable can take any value within a specific interval , and all sub-intervals of the same length are equally probable.
Parameters and Properties
- : The minimum possible value.
- : The maximum possible value.
- Mean ():
- Variance ():
Why is the height of the PDF exactly ? Remember that for any continuous distribution, the total area under the probability density curve must equal exactly 1 (100%). Since the Uniform distribution forms a rectangle with width , its height must be so that .
Advanced Practice
Example 1: The Commuter Train
A commuter train arrives at a station exactly every 15 minutes. A passenger arrives at the station at a completely random time. What is the probability that the passenger has to wait more than 10 minutes for the next train?
Example 2: Conditional Wait
Using the same commuter train (arriving every 15 minutes), suppose the passenger has already waited 5 minutes and the train hasn't arrived. What is the probability that they will have to wait at least 5 more minutes?