Understanding Outcomes

• An outcome is what you get from a probability experiment.
  For example, if you roll a die, the different outcomes are: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.

Sample Space

• The sample space is just a fancy name for all the possible outcomes.
  So, for a die, the sample space looks like this:
  [ S = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6} ]

Calculating Probability

• Probability (we often say P) tells us how likely something is to happen.
  You can find the probability using this formula:
  [ P(A) = \frac{\text{Number of good outcomes}}{\text{Total number of outcomes}} ]

• For example, if you want to know the probability of rolling a 3:
  [ P(3) = \frac{1}{6} \approx 0.1667 \text{ or } 16.67% ]

Likelihood

• We can also think about events in terms of how likely they are.
  Here are the categories:
  • Certain: 100% chance it will happen
  • Likely: More than 50% chance
  • Unlikely: Less than 50% chance
  • Impossible: 0% chance it will happen

By understanding these ideas, Year 8 students can get better at figuring out probabilities!