Sample Spaces and Probability

Learning Goal: (S-CP.A.1)

I can describe events as subsets of a sample space using characteristics of the outcomes or as unions,
intersections or complements of other events.

Essential Question: How are sample spaces used to find probabilities of events?

Group Warm-Up List the possible outcomes of the following probability experiments.

1. Three coins are flipped.

2. One six-sided die is rolled.

3. Two six-sided dice are rolled.

Possible outcomes in the sample space of each probability experiment

HHH, HHT, HTH, 1, 2, 3 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, 1-4, 1-5, 1-6, 2-1, 2-2,2-3, 2-
HTT, THH, THT, 4, 5, 6 4, 2-5, 2-6, 3-1, 3-2, 3-3, 3-4, 3-5, 3-6, 4-1,
TTH, TTT 4-2, 4-3, 4-4, 4-5, 4-6, 5-1, 5-2, 5-3, 5-4, 5-
5, 5-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-3, 6-4, 6-5, 6-6

Probability Experiment: An action, or trial, that has varying results.

Outcomes: Possible results of a probability experiment.
Sample Space: The set of all possible outcomes.
Event: A collection of one or more outcomes.
Finding a Sample Space

Example:

You spin this spinner and flip a coin. How many possible oucomes are in the sample space? List the
possible outcomes.
Theoretical Probability

Probability of an Event: a measure of the likelihood, or chance, that the event will occur.

Probability is a number from 0 to 1, including 0 and 1, and can be expressed as a decimal, fraction or
percent.

Favorable Outcomes: Outcomes for a specified event.

Theoretical Probability: All outcomes are equally likely to occur.

Number of favorable outcomes

Theoretical Probability =
Total number of outcomes

The probability of A is written as P(A).

Find the following probabilities:

What is the probability of exactly two heads being tossed?

HHH, HHT, HTH, P(exactly two heads) =

HTT, THH, THT,
TTH, TTT
2. P(at least one tail) =

3. P(even number) =

1, 2, 3 4. P (divisible by 3)
4, 5, 6
5. A student taking a quiz randomly guesses the answers to four true-false questions. What is the
probability of the student guessing exactly two correct answers?

Step 1: Find the number of outcomes in the sample space. Let C represent a correct response
and I represent an incorrect response.

Number Correct Outcomes

0
1
2
3
4

Step 2: Find the number of favorable outcomes and the total number of outcomes.

Step 3: Find the probability of the student guessing exactly two correct answers.

P(exactly two correct answers) =

Example:
How many ways can you spin a 1? 2? 3? 4? 5?

List the sample space.

Find P(1), P(2), P(3), P(4) and P(5).

Find the sum of the probabilities.

The sum of the probabilities of all outcomes in a

sample space is 1.

Find the probability of not spinning a 1.

How could you find this if you only knew the P(1)?

Complement of Event A: Consists of all of the outcomes that are

not in A.

Notation for Complement: A

Probability of the Complement of an Event

P( A) = 1 - P(A)

Example:

When two six-sided dice are rolled, there

are 36 possible outcomes, as shown. Find
the probability of each event.
a. The sum is not 6.
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, 5-1, 5-2, 5-3, 5-4, 5-
5, 5-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-3, 6-4, 6-5, 6-6

P(sum not 6) = 1 - P(sum 6) =

b. The sum is less than or equal to 9.

P(sum is ≤ 9) = 1 - P(sum is > 9) =

Experimental Probability

Experimental Probability: based on repeated trials of a

probability experiment.

Success: each trial that has a favorable outcome

Number of successes
Experimental Probability =
Number of trials

Example: Each section of the spinner shown has the same area. The
spinner was spun 20 times. The table shows the results.

For which color is the experimental probability of stopping on

the color the same as the theoretical probability?
Example:

In the United States, a survey of 2184 adults ages 18 and over found that 1328 of them have at least one
pet. Thetypes of pets these adults have are shown in the figure. What is the probability that a pet-
owning adult chosen at random has a dog?

P(pet-owning adult has dog) =

P(pet-owning adult does not own a fish) =

Exit Question:
How are sample spaces used to find probabilities of events?

Practice to Strengthen Understanding

Hmwk # 14 BI p542 #5-11 odd, 15-19 odd