subject: Probability Of An Event [print this page] Probability in simple terms means the chances that a particular event will take place. Probability is expressed out of 1. The maximum probability value of any outcome is 1 and its minimum value is 0
Introduction to Probability of an event.
.In probability an experiment is defined as the random process that we perform, and sample/event is defined as the outcomes of that experiment. For example, throwing a dice is an experiment and getting any particular number on it is an event. Similarly throwing a coin is an event and getting head or a tail are the 2 possible events of that experiment.
So a probability of 1 means that the event is sure to happen. For example the probability that Monday will come after Sunday is 1, as this particular event is sure to happen.
The probability of an impossible event is 0, which means it can never occur, even if a particular experiment is repeated several times. Example the probability of getting 8 when a dice is thrown is 0, as it can never happen even if the dice is thrown several times as the dice has nos. from 1 to 6.
Neither any other event which is not a sure event nor an impossible event (example getting 4 when a dice is thrown) will have a probability between 0 and 1, (both not inclusive).
Probability (P) is found out by the formula:
P = number of events favouring the particular event/the total number of events in that particular experiment.
Example Problems on Probability of an Event
Example 1
Suppose we need to find probability of getting 4 when a dice is thrown, only getting 4 favours this particular case(ie only in 1 way this can be satisfied) and when we throw the dice, the total number of events are 6(any number from 1 to 6 can appear on the dice) therefore P(of getting 4)=1/6
Probability in simple terms means the chances that a particular event will take place.
Probability is expressed out of 1.
The maximum probability value of any outcome is 1 and its minimum value is 0
Example 2
Suppose we need to find probability of getting 4 when a dice is thrown,
only getting 4 favours this particular case(ie only in 1 way this can be satisfied)
and when we throw the dice, the total number of events are 6(any number from 1 to 6 can appear on the dice)
so therefore P(of getting 4)=1/6
Solved Problem on Probability of an Event
Example 3:
Suppose we need to find probability of getting even number when a dice is thrown,
Getting 2,4 or 6 favours this particular case(ie in 3 ways this can be satisfied)
and when we throw the dice, the total number of events are 6(any number from 1 to 6 can appear on the dice)
so therefore P(of getting even number)=3/6 = 1/2
Suppose we need to find probability of getting even number when a dice is thrown,
Getting 2,4 or 6 favours this particular case(ie in 3 ways this can be satisfied)
and when we throw the dice, the total number of events are 6(any number from 1 to 6 can appear on the dice)
