Basic Concepts in Probability: Union of Events
Experiment - an activity by which an observation To say that the event AᴜB occurred means that on
or measurement can be made. a particular trial of the experiment either A or B
Outcome - result of an experiment occurred (or both did).
Sample space - set all possible outcomes Examples:
Event - subset of a sample space 1. If you roll a die. You get a “5” or an even
Examples: number.
1. Teacher Matt wants to toss a coin and 2. Draw an ace or a club in a standard deck
know if it lands head. of cards?
2. What if they toss it again and find if head 3. Given Event A = {2,4,6,8} and Event B
comes out again? = {1,2,3,4,5}. What is 𝐴 ∪ 𝐵?
Simple Event - an event with a single outcome. Intersection of Events
Example: The intersection of events A and B, denoted
1. Ralph and Aly are playing a BIG SIX a A∩B, is the collection of all outcomes that are
board game that uses one die. Ralph will elements of both of the sets A and B. It
roll the die first, after rolling a die he got corresponds to combining descriptions of the two
“6”. After Ralph’s turn, Aly will roll the events using the word “and”.
die and the number that Aly got after her Examples:
turn is “4”. 1. If the random experiment done is to roll
a die, the event is get an odd number and
Compound Event - an event which consists of less than 4.
more than one possible outcome 2. When a die is rolled. The number rolled
Example: is even and is greater than two.
1. What if the experiment conducted in the 3. Draw an ace and a club in a standard deck
previous example is changed into rolling of cards?
a die but the event need to occur will be 4. Given: Event A = {2,4,6,8} and event B
getting an even number less than 4? = {1,2,3,4,5}, what is A∩B?
Let’s Try: Let’s Try:
1. Drawing a red ace from a standard deck I. Give the union of events.
of card. 1. Event A = {3,6,9,12}
2. Getting 4 in rolling a single die Event B = {1,3,5,7,9}
3. Tossing a coin and it lands tail 2. Event A = {g}
4. Tossing a three coins and getting at least Event B = {b}
two heads 3. Rolling a single die.
5. Drawing an ace of heart from a standard Event A = the number rolled is even
deck of cards. Event B = the number rolled is greater than 2
6. A die is rolled. You get a “3” 4. Rolling a fair die.
7. A candy is picked from a jar containing 6 Event A = odd number turns up
red candies and 2 blue candies. Picking a Event B = the number is divisible by three
blue and a red candy. Event B = even numbers
8. One student is selected to roll a die and II. Write the intersection of each event.
get an odd number. 1. Suppose a die is fair, the number rolled is
9. A toy is selected from a box which both odd and is less than four.
contains 3 balls, 10 puzzle pieces and a 2. Rolling a fair die.
teddy bear. A teddy bear or a puzzle piece
Event A = odd number turns up
is picked.
10. A bag is having 3 red and 5 green ball.
Event B = the number is divisible by three
Picking a ball and getting a red. 3. In a deck of cards, you pick a King and a
heart.
