When we roll a die, we are showing a basic idea in probability called equal likelihood.

A standard die has six sides, each numbered from 1 to 6.

Here’s what happens when we roll this die:

• Each number has the same chance of coming up.
• There are no tricks or hidden weights; every side has the same chance.

So, when we roll a die, we can look at the chances of each number showing up in a simple way. For each of the six numbers (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6), the chance is:

$P(\text{any number}) = \frac{1}{6}$

This shows us the idea of equal likelihood. In simple terms, every result has the same chance of happening.

Let’s try a fun experiment to understand better. If we roll the die 60 times and write down what we get, we should see the results spread out equally over the six sides. Ideally, we might find:

• 10 rolls showing a 1
• 10 rolls showing a 2
• 10 rolls showing a 3
• 10 rolls showing a 4
• 10 rolls showing a 5
• 10 rolls showing a 6

But sometimes, we might not get a perfect balance because of random luck in smaller sets of rolls. This surprise is part of what makes probability interesting. However, if we roll the die many times, the results tend to even out.

In summary, rolling a die is a great example of equal likelihood in probability. Each side has the same chance of landing face up, showing the fairness and randomness of this classic game.

Understanding this idea will help Year 8 students enjoy both the theory and practice of probability.