Experiments in Probability

In the study of probability, an experiment is a process or investigation from which results are observed or recorded.

An outcome is a possible result of an experiment.

A sample space is the set of all possible outcomes in the experiment. It is usually denoted by the letter S . Sample space can be written using the set notation, { }.

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Experiment 1 : Tossing a coin

Possible outcomes are head or tail.

Sample space, S = {head, tail}.

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Experiment 2: Tossing a die

Possible outcomes are the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6

Sample space, S = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6}.

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Experiment 3: Picking a card

In an experiment, a card is picked from a stack of six cards, which spell the word PASCAL.

Possible outcomes are P, A ₁, S, C, A ₂ and L.

Sample space, S = {P, A ₁, S, C, A ₂ L}. There are 2 cards with the letter ‘A’

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Experiment 4 : Picking 2 marbles, one at a time, from a bag that contains many blue and red marbles.

Possible outcomes are: (Blue, Blue), (Blue, Red), (Red, Blue) and (Red, Red).

Sample space, S = {(B,B), (B,R), (R,B), (R,R)}.

Lesson on Finding Probability and Sample Space