Probability
experiment
• Toss two coins
• Toss three coins
• Roll two dice
Activity 1: An Experiment with 2 coins
WE TOSS TWO COINS
When we toss two coins at the same time,
the “possible outcomes” are:
(two Heads) or (one head and one Tail) or
(one Tail and one Head) or (two Tails);
in short : HH HT TH TT respectively;
where H is denoted for Head and T is denoted for Tail.
Therefore:
the number of the possible outcomes are:
2*2 = 22 = 4
We toss two coins*
this experiment involves two parts,
'the first toss of the coin' and
'the second toss of the coin’:
experiments that have two parts
can be represented in two ways
Tree diagramm
Tabular form
*It notes that:
“tossing two different coins “ or
“tossing the same coin two times”
is the same experiment!
We toss two coins
TREE DIAGRAM TABULAR FORM
the following table uses
rows to represent
'the first toss of the coin'
and columns to represent
'the second toss of the coin'.
the sample space is given by S = { HH, HT, TH, TT}
TRY IT YOURSELF
Two different coins are tossed randomly.
Find the probability of getting:
two Heads
1 Head and 1 Tail ( HT or TH)
only one Head
Now… be careful !
never Head ( not Head) *
at least once Head
* It notes that:
the event "at least once Head" and the event ”never Head”
are Complementary events
Two different coins are tossed randomly.
Find the probability of getting:
P(HH)= ¼
P(HT or TH)= 2/4
P(only one H)= 2/4
P(Never Head) = ¼ Complementary Events !
P(AT LEAST once Head) =3/4
Remember this important rule:
P(at least once E) = 1- P(Never E)
Almeno una volta E MAI E
Activity 2: An Experiment with 3 coins
TRY IT YOURSELF
Three different coins are tossed randomly.
Find the probability of getting:
Three Heads
1 Head and 2 Tails
only one Tail
Not Head ( never Head)
at least once Head
counsel to represent the situation with a tree diagram !
e rs
An sw
Three different coins
are tossed randomly
P(HHH)= 1/8
P(1 Head and 2 Tails)=
P(HTT, THT, TTH)= 3/8
P(only one Tail) =
P(THH, HTH, HHT) = 3/8
P(not Head) = P(TTT) = 1/8
P(at least once Head)=1-P(not H)=1-1/8 = 7/8
Activity 3: An Experiment with 2 dice *
Let's roll two dice
and add the scores
*Interesting point: the plural is dice, but the singular is die: 1 die, 2 dice.
You roll two dice
and add the scores
When rolling two dice*,
distinguish between them in some way:
a first one and second one,
a left and a right, a red and a green, etc.
Experiments that have two parts
can be represented in two ways:
with tree diagram
or in tabular form
ROLLING
TWO DICE:
TREE DIAGRAM
and
DICE SUM
situation
ROLLING TWO DICE : TABULAR FORM
the following table uses
rows to represent 'the scores of the first die'
and columns to represent 'the scores of the second die'
Sample space diagram for total scores of two dice
you roll two dice and add the scores ...
You can see: there is only 1 way to get 2,
there are 2 ways to get 3,
there are 3 ways to get 4, and so on….
Can you see the Symmetry in this table?
2 and 12 have the same number of ways = 1 each
3 and 11 have the same number of ways = 2 each
4 and 10 have the same number of ways = 3 each
5 and 9 have the same number of ways = 4 each
6 and 8 have the same number of ways = 5 each
TRY IT YOURSELF
you roll two dice and add the scores
If you roll 2 dice together and add the two
scores:
1. What is the least possible total score?
2. What is the greatest possible total score?
3. What do you think is the most likely total
score?
you roll two dice and add the scores ...
Most likely
The least
The greatest
The first two questions are quite easy to answer:
1. The least possible total score must be 1 + 1 = 2
2. The greatest possible total score must be 6 + 6 = 12
3. What is the most likely total score?
7 has the highest bar, so 7 is the most likely total score.
TRY IT YOURSELF
You roll two dice and add the scores :
1. Which is Probability of a total score of 4 ?
2. Which is Probability of a total score of 6 ?
3. Which is Probability of a total score of 7 ?
You roll two dice and add the scores ...
1) Which is Probability of a total score of 4 ?
We know there are 36 possible outcomes.
And there is only 3 way to get a total score of 4.
So the probability of getting 4 is:
Probability (of a 4) = P(4)= 3/36
2) P(of a 6)= 5/36
3) P(of a 7)= 6/36
TRY IT YOURSELF
Esercises :
Calculating the probabilities of each score
TRY IT YOURSELF
Rolling a Die and tossing a Coin
If you roll a die and toss a coin:
a) which is the number of the possible outcomes?
b) represent the situation with the tree diagram
and then with the tabular form
What is the probability of obtaining:
c) five and a Head
d) five or Head
e) an even number and Tail
