One common mistake is not being sure if two events are independent or dependent.
Independent Events: Events A and B are independent if one happening doesn’t change the chance of the other happening. For example, flipping a coin and rolling a die are independent events.
Dependent Events: Events A and B are dependent if one event affects the other. For example, if you draw a card from a deck and don’t put it back, the chance of drawing another card changes.
It's important to use the right formulas when figuring out probabilities:
For independent events, you multiply the chances of each event happening.
For dependent events, you need to consider the chance of one event given that the other has happened. For example, if you know that event A happened, you can find the chance of event B by using the formula: Probability of both A and B = Probability of A × Probability of B after A.
When looking at several events, it is important to use the Law of Total Probability. This means you should think about every possible outcome to get the correct answer.
Always clearly define what the sample space is. The sample space is all the possible outcomes.
For tricky problems, like drawing cards from a deck, remember that the sample space changes after each card is drawn when the events are dependent.
By avoiding these mistakes, you'll get better at calculating probabilities for both independent and dependent events!
One common mistake is not being sure if two events are independent or dependent.
Independent Events: Events A and B are independent if one happening doesn’t change the chance of the other happening. For example, flipping a coin and rolling a die are independent events.
Dependent Events: Events A and B are dependent if one event affects the other. For example, if you draw a card from a deck and don’t put it back, the chance of drawing another card changes.
It's important to use the right formulas when figuring out probabilities:
For independent events, you multiply the chances of each event happening.
For dependent events, you need to consider the chance of one event given that the other has happened. For example, if you know that event A happened, you can find the chance of event B by using the formula: Probability of both A and B = Probability of A × Probability of B after A.
When looking at several events, it is important to use the Law of Total Probability. This means you should think about every possible outcome to get the correct answer.
Always clearly define what the sample space is. The sample space is all the possible outcomes.
For tricky problems, like drawing cards from a deck, remember that the sample space changes after each card is drawn when the events are dependent.
By avoiding these mistakes, you'll get better at calculating probabilities for both independent and dependent events!