Independent and Dependent

Events

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 Independent Events
• For independent events, the outcome of
one event does not affect the other event.
• The probability of two independent events
can be found by multiplying the probability
of the first event by the probability of the
second event.
P(A and B) = P(A)  P(B)

2
 Dependent Events
• If the outcome of one event affects the
outcome of another event, the compound
events are called dependent events.
• If two events, A and B, are dependent, then
the probability of both events occurring is the
product of the probability of A and the
probability of B after A occurs.
P(A and B) = P(A)  P(B following A)
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 Independent Event Example
Two number cubes, one red and one blue, are
rolled. What is the probability that the outcome
of the red number cube is even and he
outcome of a blue number cube is 5?
P(red number cube is even)

P(blue number cube is a 5)

P(red number cube is even and blue number cube is a 5)

The probability of rolling the red number cube and getting an even
number and the blue number cube and getting a 5 is 4
 Dependent Event Example
There are 6 black socks and 4 white socks
in a drawer. If one sock is taken out without
looking and then a second one is taken out,
what is the probability that they both will be
black?
P(first sock is black) =

P(second sock is black)=

P(two black socks)=

The probability of picking two black socks is

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 Practice Problems
A card is drawn from a deck of 10 cards
numbered 1 through 10 and a number cube is
rolled. Find the probability of each below.

1.P(10 and 3) 2. P(two even numbers)

3. P(two numbers less than 4)

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 Practice Problems
There are 4 red, 6 green, and 5 yellow pencils
in a jar. Once a pencil is selected, it is not
replaced. Find the probability of each below.

4. P(red then yellow) 5. P(two green)

6. P(green then yellow) 7. P(red then green)