Two dice are thrown together, and the number appearing on them noted. X denotes the sum of the two numbers. Assuming that all the 36 outcomes are equally likely, what is the probability distribution of X?

When two fair dice are thrown there are total 36 possible outcomes.


X denotes the sum of 2 numbers appearing on dice.


X can take values 2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11 and 12


As appearance of a number on a fair die is equally likely


i.e. P(appearing of 1) = P(appearing of 2) = P(appearing of 3) = P(appearing of 4) = P(appearing of 5) = P(appearing of 6) = 1/6


And also the appearance of numbers on two different dice is an independent event. So two find conditions like P(1 in the first dice and 2 in the second dice) can be given using multiplication rule of probability.


Note: P(AՈB) = P(A)P(B) where A and B are independent events.


P(X = 2) = { (1,1) is the only combination resulting sum = 2}


P(X = 3) =


{ (1,2) and (2,1) are the combinations resulting in sum = 3}


P(X = 4) =


{ (1,3), (3,1) and (2,2) are the combinations resulting in sum = 4}


P(X = 5) =


{ (3,2) (2,3) (1,4) and (4,1) are the combinations resulting in sum = 5}


P(X = 6) =


{ (1,5) (5,1) (2,4) (4,2) (3,3) are the combinations resulting in sum = 6}


P(X = 7) =


{ (1,6) (6,1) (2,5) (5,2) (3,4) (4,3) are the combinations resulting in sum = 7}


P(X = 8) =


{ (3,5) (5,3) (2,6) (6,2) (4,4) are the combinations resulting in sum = 8}


P(X = 9) =


{ (3,6) (6,3) (5,4) and (4,5) are the combinations resulting in sum = 9}


P(X = 10) =


{ (6,4), (4,6) and (5,5) are the combinations resulting in sum = 10}


P(X = 11) =


{ (5,6) and (6,5) are the combinations resulting in sum = 11}


P(X = 12) = { (6,6) is the only combination resulting sum = 2}


Now we have pi and xi.


Required probability distribution is:-



12