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Secondary 3 · Mathematics
Probability · Probability

Probability Concepts

Before you start, make sure you know: Random experiments and sample space (Secondary Year 2 (first cycle))

At a baseball game, the umpire flips a coin to decide which team bats first. Will it land on heads? Will it rain tomorrow in Santo Domingo? Will you win the raffle at the corner store? There are situations in which, no matter how much you know, you can't predict the result. Probability doesn't predict the future, but it tells you how likely each thing is. First you need to learn its vocabulary, and then how to measure it.

Random experiments

Sample space of a six-sided die with all its elementary outcomes from 1 to 6. E (sample space of the die)
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Classify the following experiments as random or deterministic, briefly justifying your answer in each case: a) Observing whether the next bus passing the stop in front…

Classify the following experiments as random or deterministic, briefly justifying your answer in each case:

  1. a) Observing whether the next bus passing the stop in front of the school is route 5.
  2. b) Measuring the time it takes for an object to fall to the ground from a height of 2 meters in a vacuum.
  3. c) Predicting the winner of the next lottery draw.
  4. d) Calculating the cost of 3 kg of apples if we know the price is $90 \text{ \text{RD\$}\ /kg}$.
Solve
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We are playing with a spinner divided into eight equal sectors, numbered from 1 to 8. Write the sample space $E$ for this experiment and list the elements of the…

We are playing with a spinner divided into eight equal sectors, numbered from 1 to 8. Write the sample space $E$ for this experiment and list the elements of the following events:

  1. a) $A =$ "Obtaining a number greater than 5".
  2. b) $B =$ "Obtaining an even number".
  3. c) $C =$ "Obtaining a multiple of 3".
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Solve
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On your cell phone you have 3 social media apps, 2 game apps, and 1 music app installed. When you receive a notification, it is equally likely to come from any of these…

On your cell phone you have 3 social media apps, 2 game apps, and 1 music app installed. When you receive a notification, it is equally likely to come from any of these apps.

  1. a) Define the sample space $E$ of this random experiment.
  2. b) Describe the event $A$ = "The notification is not from a social media app".
  3. c) Write an impossible event related to this context.
1 Notification S₁ S₂ S₃ G₁ G₂ M₁ Sample Space (E) Total: 6 apps 3 Social Networks {S₁, S₂, S₃} 2 Games {J₁, J₂} 1 Music {M₁} Event A
Solve

Events

An event is any subset of the sample space: "rolling an even number" $= \{2, 4, 6\}$.

Event What it is Example with a die
Elementary A single outcome "rolling a 3" $= \{3\}$
Compound Two or more outcomes "rolling an even number" $= \{2, 4, 6\}$
Certain Always happens ($= E$) "rolling less than 7"
Impossible Never happens ($= \varnothing$) "rolling an 8"
Complement of $A$ ($A'$ or $A^c$) Happens when $A$ does not happen complement of "even" = "odd" $= \{1, 3, 5\}$
Partition of the sample space into two complementary blocks: the even event and its complement, odd. A = even{2, 4, 6} A' = odd{1, 3, 5} A and its complement split the whole sample space
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We consider the random experiment of choosing a letter at random from the word MATEMATICAS. Define the following concepts associated with this experiment: a) The sample…

We consider the random experiment of choosing a letter at random from the word MATEMATICAS. Define the following concepts associated with this experiment:

  1. a) The sample space $E$.
  2. b) The event $V =$ "Choosing a vowel".
  3. c) The event $C =$ "Choosing a consonant".
  4. d) Check whether $V$ and $C$ are complementary events.
Solve
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In a lottery drum there are balls numbered from 1 to 20. If we draw a ball at random, classify the following events as elementary or compound: a) $S_1 =$ {obtaining the…

In a lottery drum there are balls numbered from 1 to 20. If we draw a ball at random, classify the following events as elementary or compound:

  1. a) $S_1 =$ {obtaining the number 13}.
  2. b) $S_2 =$ {obtaining a prime number less than 10}.
  3. c) $S_3 =$ {obtaining a multiple of 7}.
  4. d) $S_4 =$ {obtaining the largest even number in the bag}.
Solve

Measuring probability: the Laplace rule

The probability of an event is a number between $0$ and $1$ that tells how likely it is. If all the elementary outcomes are equally likely, it is calculated with the Laplace rule:

$$P(A) = \frac{\text{favorable outcomes for } A}{\text{possible outcomes}}$$ Probability scale from 0 (impossible) to 1 (certain), with 0.5 in the middle, and the words unlikely and very likely. 00.51 impossibleunlikelyas likely as notvery likelycertain

To describe an event in words, use this scale:

Probability We say it is
$P = 0$ impossible
close to $0$ (less than $0.5$) unlikely
$P = 0.5$ as likely as not
close to $1$ (more than $0.5$) very likely
$P = 1$ certain

With the spinner numbered 1 to 8: "a number greater than 5" $= \{6, 7, 8\}$, so $P = \dfrac{3}{8} = 0.375$ (unlikely).

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In a sports bag there are 4 red T-shirts, 3 blue ones and 1 white one. If we draw a T-shirt without looking, indicate which of the following options best describes the…

In a sports bag there are 4 red T-shirts, 3 blue ones and 1 white one. If we draw a T-shirt without looking, indicate which of the following options best describes the probability of each event (use the terms: very likely, unlikely, impossible, certain):

  1. a) Drawing a green T-shirt.
  2. b) Drawing a T-shirt that is not white.
  3. c) Drawing a red, blue or white T-shirt.
  4. d) Drawing a blue T-shirt.
Solve
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A die has its faces painted in colors: 3 faces are red, 2 are green and 1 is yellow. If we roll the die: a) What is the probability of "getting red"? Express the result…

A die has its faces painted in colors: 3 faces are red, 2 are green and 1 is yellow. If we roll the die:

  1. a) What is the probability of "getting red"? Express the result as a fraction.
  2. b) What is the probability of "not getting red"?
  3. c) What is the technical term for the event in part b) relative to that in part a)?
Solve
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In a fantasy trading card game, a deck contains the following cards: 8 "Warrior" type, 6 "Wizard" type, 4 "Elf" type and 2 "Dragon" type. If you draw a card at random,…

In a fantasy trading card game, a deck contains the following cards: 8 "Warrior" type, 6 "Wizard" type, 4 "Elf" type and 2 "Dragon" type. If you draw a card at random, calculate the probability that:

  1. a) It is a "Wizard".
  2. b) It is a "Warrior" or an "Elf".
  3. c) It is not a "Dragon".
Solve
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At a tech fair there is a spinner divided into 12 equal sectors numbered from 1 to 12. The game consists of spinning the spinner and observing the winning number. a)…

At a tech fair there is a spinner divided into 12 equal sectors numbered from 1 to 12. The game consists of spinning the spinner and observing the winning number.

  1. a) Find the probability of obtaining a prime number.
  2. b) Find the probability of obtaining a number greater than 4 and less than 9.
  3. c) If we win a prize if a multiple of 3 or an odd number comes up, what is the probability of winning?
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Solve

Union and intersection

Events are combined with set operations, which correspond to the logical connectives:

Operation Symbol Read as Connective
Union $A \cup B$ $A$ or $B$ happens (or both) "or"
Intersection $A \cap B$ $A$ and $B$ both happen at the same time "and"
Complement $A'$ $A$ does not happen "not"

If $A \cap B = \varnothing$, the events are mutually exclusive (they can't happen together); otherwise, they are overlapping. A Venn-Euler diagram draws it: the rectangle is $E$ and each circle is an event.

Venn-Euler diagram representing the intersection and union of the events even and greater than 3. E A = even B = greater than 3 2465 13 Intersection: A ∩ B = {4, 6}

With the die: $A = \{2, 4, 6\}$ (even), $B = \{4, 5, 6\}$ (greater than 3).

  • $A \cup B = \{2, 4, 5, 6\}$

  • $A \cap B = \{4, 6\}$

  • $A' = \{1, 3, 5\}$

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One card is drawn at random from a Spanish deck of 40 cards. Given the events $A =$ "Drawing a King" and $B =$ "Drawing a card of Coins", state: a) Are $A$ and $B$…

One card is drawn at random from a Spanish deck of 40 cards. Given the events $A =$ "Drawing a King" and $B =$ "Drawing a card of Coins", state:

  1. a) Are $A$ and $B$ compatible or incompatible events? Why?
  2. b) What is the intersection event $A \cap B$?
  3. c) Describe in words the union event $A \cup B$.

The figure shows how the deck is organized: 4 suits and 10 cards per suit (numbered from 1 to 7, and the face cards 10 = jack, 11 = knight and 12 = king).

Spanish deck of 40 cards organized in 4 suits (coins, cups, swords and clubs) and 10 cards per suitSpanish deck (40 cards)1234567101112CoinsCupsSwordsClubs
Solve
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A survey is carried out among the 30 students in a class about their streaming preferences. It is known that 18 students watch Netflix ($N$), 12 watch Disney+ ($D$) and…

A survey is carried out among the 30 students in a class about their streaming preferences. It is known that 18 students watch Netflix ($N$), 12 watch Disney+ ($D$) and 5 students watch both platforms. If we choose a student at random:

  1. a) Use a Venn diagram to represent the situation.
  1. b) Calculate the probability that the student watches only Netflix.
  1. c) Calculate the probability that the student watches neither of the two platforms (the complement of the union).
Solve
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We consider the random experiment of rolling two cubic dice and adding their scores. Let the events be: $A$ = "The sum is an even number". $B$ = "The sum is a multiple…

We consider the random experiment of rolling two cubic dice and adding their scores. Let the events be:

  • $A$ = "The sum is an even number".

  • $B$ = "The sum is a multiple of 5".

  1. a) Calculate $P(A)$ and $P(B)$.
  2. b) Are the events $A$ and $B$ mutually exclusive or not? Justify your answer by finding the elements of $A \cap B$.
  3. c) Calculate the probability of the union $P(A \cup B)$.
Solve
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In a high school in Santo Domingo, $60\%$ of 3rd year of secondary school students use the platform Twitch*, $50\%$ use TikTok*, and $20\%$ do not use either of them. If…

In a high school in Santo Domingo, $60\%$ of 3rd year of secondary school students use the platform Twitch, $50\%$ use TikTok, and $20\%$ do not use either of them. If we choose a student at random, calculate the probability of the following events:

  1. a) That they use both platforms.
  1. b) That they use TikTok but not Twitch.
  1. c) Are the events "Using Twitch" and "Using TikTok" mutually exclusive? Justify your answer using the probability values.
Sample space (100%) Twitch 60% TikTok 50% Neither: 20% ? ? ?
Solve

Counting with tree diagrams and tables

When an experiment has several stages (flipping two coins, choosing a shirt and a pair of pants), a tree diagram shows all the outcomes without missing any.

Two-level tree diagram showing the four possible outcomes when flipping two coins. CX CXCX HHHTTHTT 1st coin2nd coin

With two coins, $E = \{HH, HT, TH, TT\}$: 4 outcomes. Notice that $HT$ and $TH$ are different.

For two dice, a $6 \times 6$ two-way table gives the 36 possible outcomes.

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Two coins are tossed into the air and the result of each one is recorded (C for Heads, X for Tails). a) Use a tree diagram to find all the possible outcomes. b) Write…

Two coins are tossed into the air and the result of each one is recorded (C for Heads, X for Tails).

  1. a) Use a tree diagram to find all the possible outcomes.
  2. b) Write the sample space of the experiment.
  3. c) What is the elementary event "getting two heads"?
Solve
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To go to a festival, Lucía has in her wardrobe 3 sweatshirts (black, white and red) and 2 pairs of trousers (jeans and sweatpants). She chooses a sweatshirt and a pair…

To go to a festival, Lucía has in her wardrobe 3 sweatshirts (black, white and red) and 2 pairs of trousers (jeans and sweatpants). She chooses a sweatshirt and a pair of trousers at random, with all options equally likely.

  1. a) Draw the tree diagram that represents all the possible outfit combinations (sweatshirts and trousers).
  2. b) What is the probability that Lucía chooses the red sweatshirt?
  3. c) What is the probability that she does not choose the sweatpants?

You can do it on paper and send a photo with your answer.

Solve
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A group of friends creates a security key for their video game server. The key must have 3 distinct characters chosen from the letters $\{A, B, C\}$ and the numbers…

A group of friends creates a security key for their video game server. The key must have 3 distinct characters chosen from the letters $\{A, B, C\}$ and the numbers $\{1, 2, 3\}$.

  1. a) Describe the sample space $\Omega$ if the first character must be a letter and the last character must be a number.
  1. b) If a key is chosen at random from all possible keys (without the restrictions of the previous part, but keeping the condition that the 3 characters are distinct), what is the probability that the key consists only of numbers?
LETRAS {A,B,C} A B C NÚMEROS {1,2,3} 1 2 3 WITHOUT REPETITION Character 1 Character 2 Character 3 3-character key
Solve

Trees with probabilities

If you write its probability on each branch, the tree computes probabilities for experiments with several stages:

  • Multiply the probabilities along a path: this gives the probability of that outcome.

  • Add the paths that satisfy what you are asked.

In experiments without replacement, the probabilities of the second stage change, because there is already one fewer item. The probability that something happens given that something else already happened is found by reducing the outcomes: if the first card was a physical one and 3 physical and 6 mental ones remain (9 in total), the probability that the second one is mental is $\dfrac{6}{9}$.

Tree with probabilities: two fruits are drawn without replacement from a bag with 3 mangoes and 2 avocados. 3/52/5 MA 2/42/43/41/4 MAMA MM: 3/10MA: 3/10AM: 3/10AA: 1/10
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Two popular streamers, Alba and Brais, are going to do a collaboration. They have an urn with 4 physical challenge cards and 6 mental challenge cards. They decide to…

Two popular streamers, Alba and Brais, are going to do a collaboration. They have an urn with 4 physical challenge cards and 6 mental challenge cards. They decide to draw two cards successively without replacement.

  1. a) Draw a tree diagram representing all the possibilities and assign the probability to each branch.
  1. b) Calculate the probability that the second card drawn is a mental challenge, knowing that the first was physical.
  1. c) What is the probability that they perform one challenge of each type?

You can do it on paper and send a photo with your answer.

Solve
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A board game consists of flipping a fair coin (heads and tails are equally likely) and, depending on the result, doing the following: If it lands heads, a fair 4-sided…

A board game consists of flipping a fair coin (heads and tails are equally likely) and, depending on the result, doing the following:

  • If it lands heads, a fair 4-sided die (numbered from 1 to 4) is rolled.

  • If it lands tails, a ball is drawn from an urn containing 2 red balls and 3 green balls.

  1. a) Represent the experiment using a tree diagram, indicating the probability of each branch.
  1. b) Calculate the probability of getting an even number on the die if the coin landed heads.
  1. c) What is the total probability that the final result of the experiment is a red ball?
Solve
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In a tennis tournament final between Carlos and Rafa, the first one to win 3 sets wins. The tournament is interrupted by rain when Carlos is leading 2 sets to 1. Knowing…

In a tennis tournament final between Carlos and Rafa, the first one to win 3 sets wins. The tournament is interrupted by rain when Carlos is leading 2 sets to 1. Knowing that both have the same probability of winning each remaining set:

  1. a) Use a tree diagram to calculate each player's probability of winning the tournament had play continued.
  1. b) If the total prize is $12,000$ pesos, how should it be fairly divided according to each player's probability of winning at the moment of the interruption?
Solve

Contingency tables

A contingency table classifies a group according to two characteristics at once. The row and column totals let you calculate probabilities quickly.

Guagua (bus) Motoconcho (motorbike taxi) Total
Morning shift 12 8 20
Afternoon shift 10 20 30
Total 22 28 50

A student is chosen at random from the 50:

  • $P(\text{motoconcho}) = \dfrac{28}{50} = 0.56$.

  • $P(\text{afternoon and guagua}) = \dfrac{10}{50} = 0.2$ (the intersection cell).

  • Given that the student uses a motoconcho, is the student from the afternoon shift? You only look at the motoconcho column: $\dfrac{20}{28} = \dfrac{5}{7}$. The column total becomes the possible outcomes.

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At a gaming convention, 200 attendees were classified according to their age and preferred console, obtaining the following contingency table: | | Under 14 years old |…

At a gaming convention, 200 attendees were classified according to their age and preferred console, obtaining the following contingency table:

Under 14 years old Over 14 years old Total
PlayStation 45 55 100
Nintendo 60 40 100
Total 105 95 200

If we select an attendee at random, find the probability that they:

  1. a) Prefer Nintendo.
  2. b) Are over 14 years old.
  3. c) Are under 14 years old and prefer PlayStation.
  4. d) Are under 14 years old, given that they prefer Nintendo.
Solve
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In an esports tournament, the peripherals used by 120 participants are analysed. It is known that 75 use a mechanical keyboard and the rest use a membrane keyboard. Of…

In an esports tournament, the peripherals used by 120 participants are analysed. It is known that 75 use a mechanical keyboard and the rest use a membrane keyboard. Of those using a mechanical keyboard, 45 also use a wireless mouse. In total, 65 participants use a wireless mouse.

  1. a) Organise these data in a contingency table.
  1. b) If we choose a participant at random, what is the probability that they use a membrane keyboard and a wired mouse?
  1. c) If we know that a participant uses a wireless mouse, what is the probability that their keyboard is a membrane keyboard?
Mouse Keyboard Wireless Wired Total Mechanical Membrane Total 45 75 65 120 - - - - -
Solve

Relative frequency and geometric probability

What if the die is loaded and you can't count outcomes? Then you experiment. If an event happens $n$ times in $N$ repetitions, its relative frequency is

$$f = \frac{n}{N}$$

When you repeat many times, the relative frequency settles around a number: this is the law of large numbers. That value is the probability of the event.

Example: a coin flipped 200 times gave 108 heads: $f = \dfrac{108}{200} = 0.54$. With more flips it would get closer to $0.5$. Try it with the simulator:

Geometric probability

If the outcome is a random point in a region (a dart, a drone landing), every point is equally likely and you compare areas:

$$P(A) = \frac{\text{favorable area}}{\text{total area}}$$ Rectangular plot of land measuring 10 by 6 meters with a 2-meter square in the center as the favorable zone. 2 × 2 10 m 6 m

A plot of land of $10 \times 6 = 60\ \text{m}^2$ and a favorable zone of $2 \times 2 = 4\ \text{m}^2$: $P = \dfrac{4}{60} = \dfrac{1}{15}$. Remember the area of a circle, $\pi r^2$, with $\pi \approx 3.14$.

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A content creator has rolled an 8-sided die (octahedron) 500 times to check whether it is loaded. The results obtained for the face with the number "8" are shown in the…

A content creator has rolled an 8-sided die (octahedron) 500 times to check whether it is loaded. The results obtained for the face with the number "8" are shown in the following table:

Number of rolls ($N$) 100 200 300 400 500
Absolute frequency ($n$) 12 26 39 51 63
  1. a) Calculate the relative frequencies for each stage of the experiment.
  1. b) What value does the probability of getting an "8" seem to stabilise around?
  1. c) If the die were perfect (fair), what should its theoretical probability be according to Laplace's rule?
Octahedral die with the number 8 on one of its faces8
Solve
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We roll a six-sided die that we suspect is loaded. After rolling it 500 times, we have obtained the following frequencies: the number 6 came up 125 times, the number 1…

We roll a six-sided die that we suspect is loaded. After rolling it 500 times, we have obtained the following frequencies: the number 6 came up 125 times, the number 1 came up 35 times, and the numbers 2, 3, 4, and 5 came up with equal frequency among themselves.

  1. a) Calculate the relative frequency of the event "Rolling a 6".
  1. b) According to the Law of Large Numbers, what probability would you assign to the event "Rolling a number less than 6"?
  1. c) If the die were fair, what would be the theoretical probability of rolling a 6? Compare both results.
Solve
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A delivery drone must land on a square plot of land with side length $10$ meters. Inside the plot there is a circular safety zone (where it must not land) with a radius…

A delivery drone must land on a square plot of land with side length $10$ meters. Inside the plot there is a circular safety zone (where it must not land) with a radius of $2$ meters, and an optimal landing zone which is a small central square with side length $1$ meter.

Assuming that the drone lands at any point on the plot with equal probability:

  1. a) What is the probability that the drone lands in the optimal landing zone?
  1. b) What is the probability that it lands outside the circular safety zone? (Use $\pi \approx 3.14$).
r = 2 m 1 m 10 m 10 m
Solve

Back to the beginning: you can't know for certain whether a coin will land on heads or whether it will rain tomorrow, but now you can describe all the scenarios with the sample space and events, and measure how likely each one is: with Laplace, with tables, with trees, or with frequencies.

Summary

See all the exercises in this section