SAMPLE SPACE

"PROBABILITY THEORY IS NOTHING BUT COMMON SENSE REDUCED TO CALCULATION." - P.S. LAPLACE

SAMPLE SPACE

Definition of Terms
An outcome is the result of a single trial of a probability experiment.
A sample space is the set of all possible outcomes of a probability experiment.
Sample space can also be represented using a Venn Diagram or Tree Diagram.

A Venn Diagram is a picture that shortages all possible outcomes for an experiment.
A Tree Diagram is a device consisting of line segments emanating from a starting point and in its

outcome point and determines all possible outcomes of a probability experiment.

"PROBABILITY THEORY IS NOTHING BUT COMMON SENSE REDUCED TO CALCULATION." - P.S. LAPLACE

SAMPLE SPACE
Experiment

Outcomes

Sample Space

Toss a coin once

Head, Tail

S = {Head, Tail}

Toss a coin twice

HH, HT, TH, TT

S = {HH, HT, TH, TT}

Get 4 different suits of Jack

Jack of Spades, Jack of Clubs,

Jack of Hearts, Jack of
Diamond

S = {Spades, Clubs, Hearts,

Diamond}

Roll a die

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

S = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6}

Exam Result

Pass, Fail

S = {Pass, Fail}

Game Result

Win, Lose

S = {Win, Lose}

"PROBABILITY THEORY IS NOTHING BUT COMMON SENSE REDUCED TO CALCULATION." - P.S. LAPLACE

SAMPLE SPACE
Die
1

Die 2
1

(1,
1)

(1,
2)

(1,
3)

(1,
4)

(1,
5)

(1,
6)

(2,
1)

(2,
2)

(2,
3)

(2,
4)

(2,
5)

(2,
6)

(3,
1)

(3,
2)

(3,
3)

(3,
4)

(3,
5)

(3,
6)

(4,
1)

(4,
2)

(4,
3)

(4,
4)

(4,
5)

(4,
6)

5
"PROBABILITY THEORY IS NOTHING BUT COMMON SENSE REDUCED TO CALCULATION." - P.S. LAPLACE

(5,
1)

(5,
2)

(5,
3)

(5,
4)

(5,
5)

(5,
6)

(6,

(6,

(6,

(6,

(6,

(6,

Example
Determine the sample space for rolling two

dice.

Solution
Given that each die can land in 6 different

ways, and two dice (or a pair of dice) are

rolled, the same space can be presented by
an array.
S = { (1, 1), (1, 2), , (6, 6) }

SAMPLE SPACE

Example

Card

Suits

Determine
space
for
card from
Acethe sample
2
3
4 drawing
5 one 6
7 an ordinary
8
9deck of10cards.
Jack

Solution

Quee
n

King

(D,1)there
(D,2)
(D,4) (D,5)
(D,6)
(D,7)
(D,8) (D,9)
(D,10)
(D,11)
(D,13)
Diamond
Given that
are 4(D,3)
suits (diamonds,
clubs,
hearts,
and spades)
and 13
for each
suit (D,12)
(ace through
king), there are 52 outcomes in the sample space for an ordinary deck of cards.
(C,1) (C,2) (C,3) (C,4) (C,5) (C,6) (C,7) (C,8) (C,9) (C,10) (C,11) (C,12) (C,13)
Clubs
S = {(D,1),(D,2),(D,3),(D,4),(D,5),(D,6),(D,7),(D,8),(D,9),(D,10),(D,11),(D,12),(D,13),(C,1),(C,2),(C,3),
(C,4),(C,5),(C,6),(C,7),(C,8),(C,9),(C,10),(C,11),(C,12),(C,13),(H,1),(H,2),(H,3),(H,4),(H,5),(H,6),(H,7),
(H,1) (H,2) (H,3) (H,4) (H,5) (H,6) (H,7) (H,8) (H,9) (H,10) (H,11) (H,12) (H,13)
Hearts
(H,8),(H,9),(H,10),(H,11),(H,12),(H,13),(S,1),(S,2),(S,3),(S,4),(S,5),(S,6),(S,7),(S,8),(S,9),(S,10),(S,11),
(S,12),(S,13)}
(S,1) (S,2) (S,3) (S,4) (S,5) (S,6) (S,7) (S,8) (S,9) (S,10) (S,11) (S,12) (S,13)
Spades

"PROBABILITY THEORY IS NOTHING BUT COMMON SENSE REDUCED TO CALCULATION." - P.S. LAPLACE

SAMPLE SPACE

Star
t

1
Tru
Fals
Determine the sample space for the three True or False quiz. Use tree diagram to represent the Question
e
e
sample space.

Example

st

Solution

Tru
Fals
Tru
Fals
There are two possible outcomes, True or False, and each question could either be True or False.
e are eight possibilities.e
e
e
Hence there

2nd
Question

Tru
e

3rd
Question

Fals
e

Tru
e

Fals
e

Tru
e

Fals
e

Tru
e

"PROBABILITY THEORY IS NOTHING BUT COMMON SENSE REDUCED TO CALCULATION." - P.S. LAPLACE

S = {(TTT), (TTF), (TFT), (TFF), (FTT), (FTF), (FFT), (FFF)}

Fals
e

SIMPLE AND COMPOUND EVENTS

"PROBABILITY THEORY IS NOTHING BUT COMMON SENSE REDUCED TO CALCULATION." - P.S. LAPLACE

SIMPLE AND COMPOUND EVENTS

Definition of Terms
An Event is a collection of one or more outcomes of an experiment, it maybe a simple event or a

compound event.
A Simple Event is an event that includes one and only one of the outcomes for an experiment and

is denoted by E, it is also called as Elementary Event.

A Compound Event is a collection of more than one outcome for an experiment; it is also called a

Composite Event.

"PROBABILITY THEORY IS NOTHING BUT COMMON SENSE REDUCED TO CALCULATION." - P.S. LAPLACE

SIMPLE AND COMPOUND EVENTS

Example
In a group of Catholic Christian, some are in favor of death penalty as major punishment for heinous crimes and others are against it. Three

persons are selected at random and asked whether they are in favor of or against death penalty. How many distinct outcomes are possible?
List all the outcomes included in each of the following events and mention whether they are simple or compound events?
All three persons are in favor of death penalty.
At least one person is in favor of death penalty.
Exactly one person is against death penalty.

Solution
Let
F = a person whos in favor of death penalty as major punishment for heinous crimes.
A = a person whos against death penalty as major punishment for heinous crimes.

"PROBABILITY THEORY IS NOTHING BUT COMMON SENSE REDUCED TO CALCULATION." - P.S. LAPLACE

SIMPLE AND COMPOUND EVENTS

Example
In a group of Catholic Christian, some are in favor of death penalty as major punishment for heinous

crimes and others are against it. Three persons are selected at random and asked whether they are
in favor of or against death penalty. How many distinct outcomes are possible? List all the outcomes
included in each of the following events and mention whether they are simple or compound events?
All three persons are in favor of death penalty.
At least one person is in favor of death penalty.
Exactly one person is against death penalty.

Solution
This experiment has the following 8 outcomes FFF, FFA, FAF, AFF, FAA, AFA, AAF, AAA.

"PROBABILITY THEORY IS NOTHING BUT COMMON SENSE REDUCED TO CALCULATION." - P.S. LAPLACE

SIMPLE AND COMPOUND EVENTS

Example
In a group of Catholic Christian, some are in favor of death penalty as major punishment for heinous

crimes and others are against it. Three persons are selected at random and asked whether they are in
favor of or against death penalty. How many distinct outcomes are possible? List all the outcomes
included in each of the following events and mention whether they are simple or compound events?
All three persons are in favor of death penalty.
At least one person is in favor of death penalty.
Exactly one person is against death penalty.

Solution
This experiment has the following 8 outcomes FFF, FFA, FAF, AFF, FAA, AFA, AAF, AAA.
The event all three persons are in favor of death penalty will occur if FFF is obtained. Thus,
All three persons are in favor of death penalty = {FFF}
Because this event includes only one of the eight outcomes, it is a simple event.
"PROBABILITY THEORY IS NOTHING BUT COMMON SENSE REDUCED TO CALCULATION." - P.S. LAPLACE

SIMPLE AND COMPOUND EVENTS

Example
In a group of Catholic Christian, some are in favor of death penalty as major punishment for heinous crimes and

others are against it. Three persons are selected at random and asked whether they are in favor of or against
death penalty. How many distinct outcomes are possible? List all the outcomes included in each of the following
events and mention whether they are simple or compound events?
All three persons are in favor of death penalty.
At least one person is in favor of death penalty.
Exactly one person is against death penalty.

Solution
This experiment has the following 8 outcomes FFF, FFA, FAF, AFF, FAA, AFA, AAF, AAA.
The event at least one person is in favor of death penalty will occur if one of the person is in favor, or two of

the persons are in favor, or three of the persons are in favor. Thus,
At least one of the person is in favor of death penalty = {FAA, FFA, FAF, AFF, FAA, AFA, AAF}
Because this event includes more than one outcome, it is a compound event.
"PROBABILITY THEORY IS NOTHING BUT COMMON SENSE REDUCED TO CALCULATION." - P.S. LAPLACE

SIMPLE AND COMPOUND EVENTS

Example
In a group of Catholic Christian, some are in favor of death penalty as major punishment for heinous crimes and

others are against it. Three persons are selected at random and asked whether they are in favor of or against
death penalty. How many distinct outcomes are possible? List all the outcomes included in each of the following
events and mention whether they are simple or compound events?
All three persons are in favor of death penalty.
At least one person is in favor of death penalty.
Exactly one person is against death penalty.

Solution
This experiment has the following 8 outcomes FFF, FFA, FAF, AFF, FAA, AFA, AAF, AAA.
The event exactly one person is against death penalty will occur if one of the three persons selected are

against death penalty. Thus,

Exactly one person is against death penalty = {FFA, FAF, AFF}
Because this event includes more than one outcome, it is a compound event.
"PROBABILITY THEORY IS NOTHING BUT COMMON SENSE REDUCED TO CALCULATION." - P.S. LAPLACE