AP Stat

Chapter 6
Probability: The study of Randomness
By Andrew Staniforth
Random Phenomena – outcomes we cant predict but nonetheless have a regular distribution in very
many repetitions
Probability – is the proportion of items the event occurs in many repeated trials of a random
phenomenon
Probability model – for random phenomenon consists of a sample space S and an assignment of
probabilities P
Sample Space S – set of all possible outcomes of the random phenomenon
Assignment of Probability – assigned a number P(A) to an event A as its probability
Complement (Ac ) of an event A consists of exactly the outcomes that are not in A.
Disjoint – if A and B have no outcomes in common
Independent – if one event occurring does not change the probability we would assign to the other
event
Event – an outcome or a set of outcomes of a random phenomenon. That is, an event is a subset of
the sample space.
Tree Diagram

Rules for Assignment

0<=P(A)<=1 for any event A
P(S)=1
Complement rule: For any event A, P(Ac)=1-P(A)
Addition Rule – If events A and B are disjoint, then P(A or B) = P(A) + P(B)
Multiplication rule – If events A and B are independent, then P(A and B) = P(A)P(B)

General Addition Rule for Unions of Two Events - P(A or B) = P(A) + P(B) – P(A and B)
General Multiplication rule – P (A and B) = P(A)∙P (B│A)
Conditional Probability – P (B│A) = P (A and B) / P(A)
Disjoint – P (A and B) = 0
Independent: P (A) = P(A│B)
Venn Diagram:
Tree Diagram: