Binomial Distribution Calculator
Enter the number of trials n and the probability of success p to get the chance of exactly k successes, at most k, at least k, or between two values. You also get the mean, variance, standard deviation, a full probability table and a chart with your outcomes highlighted.
A decimal from 0 to 1, e.g. 0.25 (or a percentage like 25%)
How to use the Binomial Distribution Calculator
- Enter n, the number of independent trials.
- Enter p, the probability of success on each trial (e.g. 0.5 for a fair coin).
- Choose the probability you need: exactly, at most, at least or between.
- Enter k (or a and b) and press Calculate.
- Read the probability, the summary statistics and the chart, or download the table.
Binomial distribution formulas
| Quantity | Formula |
|---|---|
| Probability of exactly k | P(X = k) = C(n, k) pᵏ (1 − p)ⁿ⁻ᵏ |
| At most k (CDF) | P(X ≤ k) = Σi=0k P(X = i) |
| At least k | P(X ≥ k) = 1 − P(X ≤ k − 1) |
| Mean | μ = np |
| Variance | σ² = np(1 − p) |
| Mode | ⌊(n + 1)p⌋ |
Example: 10 fair coin flips (n = 10, p = 0.5)
| Heads k | C(10, k) | P(X = k) | P(X ≤ k) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1 | 0.000977 | 0.000977 |
| 1 | 10 | 0.009766 | 0.010742 |
| 2 | 45 | 0.043945 | 0.054688 |
| 3 | 120 | 0.117188 | 0.171875 |
| 4 | 210 | 0.205078 | 0.376953 |
| 5 | 252 | 0.246094 | 0.623047 |
| 6 | 210 | 0.205078 | 0.828125 |
| 7 | 120 | 0.117188 | 0.945313 |
| 8 | 45 | 0.043945 | 0.989258 |
| 9 | 10 | 0.009766 | 0.999023 |
| 10 | 1 | 0.000977 | 1 |
When is a situation binomial?
- There is a fixed number of trials n.
- Each trial has two outcomes (success / failure).
- The probability of success p is the same on every trial.
- The trials are independent. Drawing without replacement from a small group breaks this rule (that is a hypergeometric situation).
Frequently asked questions
What is the binomial distribution?
It describes the number of successes X in n independent trials that each succeed with the same probability p, such as the number of heads in 10 coin flips. Each trial has only two outcomes, and the trials do not affect each other.
What is the binomial probability formula?
P(X = k) = C(n, k) · pᵏ · (1 − p)ⁿ⁻ᵏ, where C(n, k) = n!/(k!(n − k)!). For 6 heads in 10 fair coin flips: C(10, 6) × 0.5¹⁰ = 210/1024 ≈ 0.205078.
How do I calculate 'at least' and 'at most' probabilities?
Add the individual probabilities: P(X ≤ k) = P(0) + … + P(k) and P(X ≥ k) = P(k) + … + P(n). They are related by P(X ≥ k) = 1 − P(X ≤ k − 1). The chance of at least one six in 4 dice rolls is 1 − (5/6)⁴ ≈ 0.517747.
What are the mean and variance of a binomial distribution?
The mean is μ = np and the variance is σ² = np(1 − p), so the standard deviation is √(np(1 − p)). For 100 fair coin flips, μ = 50 and σ = 5.
When can I use the normal approximation?
A common rule is np ≥ 10 and n(1 − p) ≥ 10. Then the binomial is close to a normal distribution with mean np and standard deviation √(np(1 − p)); use a continuity correction of ±0.5. This calculator gives exact binomial results, so you do not need the approximation.
What is the difference between binomial PDF and CDF?
The PDF (strictly, the probability mass function) gives P(X = k) for one value. The CDF gives the cumulative probability P(X ≤ k). The table below the chart shows both for every k.
Can I enter p as a percentage?
Yes. If you type a number greater than 1 (up to 100), it is read as a percentage, so 25 becomes 0.25. The steps show how it was interpreted.