Teaching Pack – Venn diagrams

Lesson 3 – Formal notation used with Venn diagrams (Extension)

Cambridge IGCSE™
Mathematics 0580

Version 1.0
Lesson objective

Understand more complex notation associated with Venn diagrams,

the empty set and subsets.
 Try this!

E E
F = {x: x is a factor of 20}
6 3 E = {y: y is an even number}
M = {z: z is a multiple of 5}
Can you place a number in each
4 30 section of the Venn diagram?
10
2 One possible solution.
5 25

F M
 Empty set

E M
O = {x: x is an odd number}
E = {y: y is an even number}
M = {z: z is a multiple of 4}
x
Which sections of the Venn diagram can
x x you place a number in?
You can only put numbers in the
O E marked sections.
Why can’t you place a number in every section?
No number are both odd and even numbers so the intersection of O and E is
empty.
We say that O E is =
The symbol, denotes the empty set, the set that contains no elements.
 Subset

E M
O = {x: x is an odd number}
E = {y: y is an even number}
M = {z: z is a multiple of 4}

Since every multiple of 4 is an even

number, the set M is entirely contained
within set E.

We say that M is a subset of E or

O E
M E
Let’s redraw the Venn diagram to better reflect these two properties.

E
M E so M lies entirely within E.

O E is = so O and E do not overlap.

M Sets that can be drawn like this are said
to be mutually exclusive.

Odd E

O = {x: x is an odd number}

E = {y: y is an even number}
M = {z: z is a multiple of 4}
If A is a set such that every element of A is also an element of B then A is a subset of
B or A B.

Using this definition every set is a subset of itself!

If we exclude this special case and insist that set A must have at least one element
less than set B then set A is a proper subset of B or A B.
Try this!

Which choice describes the shaded region?

E C
A

a) b) c) d)
 Try this!

Which choice describes the shaded region?

E C
A

a) b) c) d)
Try this!

Which choice describes the shaded region?

E C
A

a) b) c) d)
 Try this!

Which choice describes the shaded region?

E C
A

a) C b) c) d)
 Try this!

Which choice describes the shaded region?

E C
A

a) C b) c)
Try this!

Which choice describes the shaded region?

E C
A

a) C b) B′ c)
 Try this!

In this diagram, how might you describe the set B?

E
A C

a) b) c) d)
Try this!

If A = {x: x is an odd number}

B = {y: y is an even number}

Which of these can be represented by ?

a) b) c) B d) A′ U B′
 Try this!

A and B are two distinct sets with at least one element in common.

Which of these is not true?

a) A b) B c) d) A′ U B′ B