Name: ________________________________
Statistics Year 1
Chapter 5 – Probability
5.1 Calculating Probabilities
Definitions
Experiment -
Event -
Sample Space -
Equally likely Outcomes
The probability of an equally likely event is the number of outcomes in the event divided by
the total number of possible outcomes.
Example 1
Two fair spinners each have four sectors numbered 1 to 4. The two spinners are spun
together and the sum of the numbers indicated on each spinner is recorded.
Find the probability of the spinners indicating a sum of
(a) exactly 5 (b) more than 5
1
Example 2
The table shows the times taken, in minutes, for a group of students to complete a
number puzzle.
Time, t (min) 5 ≤ t<7 7 ≤ t< 9 9 ≤ t<11 11≤ t<13 13 ≤ t<15
Frequency 6 13 12 5 4
A student is chosen at random. Find the probability for a group of students to complete a
number puzzle
(a) In under 9 minutes (b) in over 10.5 minutes.
5.2 Venn Diagrams
The following notation is used in relation to calculating probabilities:
P( A) -
P( A ∪ B) -
P( A ∩ B) -
P( A ’) -
P( A∨B) –
2
Venn Diagrams
Venn Diagrams help us find probabilities involving two different events. It is important to
understand what each region in a Venn Diagram represents
S S
A B A B
S S
A B A B
Example 3
Given that P( A)=0.6 and P( A ∪ B)=0.85, find the probability of:
a) P( A ' ∩ B)
b) P( A ∪ B)'
3
Example 3
A vet surveys 100 of her clients. She finds that:
25 own dogs, 15 own dogs and cats, 11 own dogs and tropical fish, 53 own cats, 10 own
cats and tropical fish, 7 own dogs, cats and tropical fish, 40 own tropical fish.
a) 𝑃(𝑜𝑤𝑛𝑠 𝑑𝑜𝑔 𝑜𝑛𝑙𝑦)
Fill in this Venn Diagram, and hence answer the following questions:
b) 𝑃(𝑑𝑜𝑒𝑠 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑜𝑤𝑛 𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑝𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑓𝑖𝑠ℎ)
c) 𝑃(𝑑𝑜𝑒𝑠 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑜𝑤𝑛 𝑑𝑜𝑔𝑠, 𝑐𝑎𝑡𝑠, 𝑜𝑟 𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑝𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑓𝑖𝑠ℎ)
4
5.3 Mutually Exclusive and Independent Events
Mutually Exclusive Events
Independent Events
Example 5
Events 𝐴 and 𝐵 are mutually exclusive and P( A)=0.2 and P(B)=0.4 .
a) Find P( A ∪ B)
b) Find P( A ∩ B ')
c) Find P( A ∪ B)'
5
Example 6
Events 𝐴 and 𝐵 are independent and P( A)= and P(B)= .
1 1
3 5
Find P( A ∩ B).
Example 7
The Venn diagram shows the number of students in a particular class who watch any of
three popular TV programmes.
a) Find the probability that a student chosen at random watches 𝐵 or 𝐶 or both.
b) Determine whether watching 𝐴 and watching 𝐵 are statistically independent.
6
5.4 Tree Diagrams
At GCSE we saw that tree diagrams were an effective way of showing the outcome of two
events which happen in succession.
Example 8
There are 3 yellow and 2 green counters in a bag. I take two counters at random.
Determine the probability that:
a) They are different colours.
b) Neither counter is green.
