Teachings for Exercise 4A

Probability
Probability Reminder
• An experiment is a repeatable process that gives outcomes
• An event is a collection of one (or more) outcomes
• A sample space is the set of all possible outcomes in an experiment
No. outcomes in that event
• P(event occurring) = Total possible outcomes

• Impossible event  P = 0
• Certain event  P = 1

• Probabilities are only written as Fractions, Decimals and Percentages.

4A
Probability
Probability Reminder
• Find the probability of a fair dice landing on a 5.

No. outcomes in that event

• P(event occurring) = Total possible outcomes

1
• P(5) = 6

4A
Probability
Probability Reminder
• Two spinners are numbered 1-4. Both are spun and the sum of the numbers
calculated. Find P(5) and P(x > 5)
4 5 6 7 8 Draw a sample space to show the outcomes.
Spinner 2

3 4 5 6 7
P(5) = 4 1
=
2 3 4 5 6 16 4

1 2 3 4 5

1 2 3 4 P(x > 5) = 6 3
=
16 8
Spinner 1

4A
Teachings for Exercise 4B
Probability
Using Venn Diagrams
Venn diagrams are a very useful way of representing Probabilities. They
can also help you answer multi-part questions.
S

A B
A rectangle labelled S
represents the
Sample Space

Circle A represents Circle B represents

the Probability of the Probability of
event A event B

4B
Probability
S
Using Venn Diagrams A B

The Area in the middle represents the

Probability of A and B happening together.
P(A  B)
‘n’  ‘and’ S
The whole area represents the Probability A B
of A or B happening (or them together).
P(A  B)

S
The area outside of A represents the A B
Probability of A not happening.
P(A') = 1-P(A)

4B
Probability
Using Venn Diagrams
In a class of 30 students, 7 are in the choir, 5 are in the school band and 2 are in
both the choir and the band. Draw a Venn diagram to show this information.

1) Always fill in the middle first. The

middle represents choir and band.
 2 students S
2) There are 5 students in the band, in
total. 2 are already on the diagram. B C
 3 students extra in ‘B’
3) There are 7 students in the choir, 2 3 2 5
of which are already on the diagram.
 5 more students in ‘C’
4) 30 students in total, 10 already
filled in. 20
 20 students outside the circles

4B
Probability
Using Venn Diagrams
In a class of 30 students, 7 are in the choir, 5 are in the school band and 2 are in
both the choir and the band. Draw a Venn diagram to show this information.

‘Probability of not being in the band’

P(B') = 1 - P(B) S

B C
5
P(B') = 1 -
30 3 2 5
25 5
P(B') =
30 6
20

You could also have got /30 by counting the parts not in the ‘B’ circle.
25

4B
Probability
Using Venn Diagrams
A vet surveys 100 clients. She finds out the following:
25 have dogs 53 have cats 40 have fish
15 have dogs and cats 10 have cats and fish 11 have dogs and fish
7 have dogs, cats and fish

S
1) Always fill in the middle first. The D C
middle represents all 3 pets
6 8 35
2) Then fill in the parts where 2
circles overlap. Remember to take
away the middle from each. 7
4 3
3) After this you can fill in the rest,
based on what you have already
completed 26

4) Remember to work out how many F 11

people have no pets (add up the
numbers in the circle, and subtract
from 100)
4B
Probability
Using Venn Diagrams
A vet surveys 100 clients. She finds out the following:
25 have dogs 53 have cats 40 have fish
15 have dogs and cats 10 have cats and fish 11 have dogs and fish
7 have dogs, cats and fish

S
P(Dog only) = 6 3
D C
100 50
6 8 35

P(Doesn't own Fish) = 60 3

7
100 5 4 3

P(None of these) = 11 26
100
F 11

4B
Probability
Formulae from the Venn Diagram – The Addition Rule

If P(A) = a and P(B) = b

S
And we let the intersection P(A  B) = i

Then we can label a Venn diagram as

A B
follows:

The intersection  i a-i i b-i

The rest of A  a – i
The rest of B  b – i
The Area in the circles 1 – (a + b – i)
 (a – i) + i + (b – i)
a+b–i
So the remainder will be 1 – (a + b – i)

5C
Probability
Formulae from the Venn Diagram – The Addition Rule

If P(A) = a and P(B) = b

S
And we let the intersection P(A  B) = i

A B
The Probability of A or B is the whole
of the area inside the circles
P(A or B) = (a – i) + (b – i) + i
a-i i b-i
P(A or B) = a – i + b – i + i
P(A or B) = a + b - i
1 – (a + b – i)

P(A or B) = a + b - i
P(A  B) = P(A) + P(B) - P(A  B)
Rearranged you can also
P(A  B) = P(A) + P(B) - P(A  B) get this formula

5C
Probability
Formulae from the Venn Diagram – The Addition Rule
A and B are two events such that P(A) = 0.6, P(B) = 0.7 and P(A or B) = 0.9.
Calculate: a)
P(A  B) S
b)
P(A')
c)
P(A'  B) A B
d)
P(A'  B)
0.2 0.4 0.3
a) P(A  B) = P(A) + P(B) - P(A  B)
P(A  B) = 0.6 + 0.7 - 0.9
0.1
P(A  B) = 0.4

Now you know the intersection, you can draw a Venn diagram!

5C
Probability
Formulae from the Venn Diagram – The Addition Rule
A and B are two events such that P(A) = 0.6, P(B) = 0.7 and P(A or B) = 0.9.
Calculate: b)P(A')
c)P(A'  B) S
d)P(A'  B)
A B

b) P(A') = 0.4 0.2 0.4 0.3

‘Probability of not A’

c) P(A'  B) = 0.8 0.1

‘Probability of not A, or B’

d) P(A'  B) = 0.3
‘Probability of not A, and B’
5C
Teachings for Exercise 4C
Teachings for Exercise 4D