Pearson Algebra 1 Common Core, 2011
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Pearson Algebra 1 Common Core, 2011 View details
7. Theoretical and Experimental Probability
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Exercise 13 Page 773

The sum of the probability of an event and the probability of its complement is 1.

2/3

Practice makes perfect

We have a spinner that is divided into six equal parts, numbered from 1 to 6. We want to find the theoretical probability of the spinner landing on a number which is not less than 3.

Recall that when calculating a probability, we compare the number of favorable outcomes to the number of possible outcomes. P(Event)= Favorable Outcomes/Possible OutcomesNote that the spinner landing on a number not less than 3 is the complement of the spinner landing on a number less than 3. The sum of the probability of an event and the probability of its complement is 1. P(Event)+P(Not event)=1 Let's start by finding the probability of the spinner landing on a number less than 3. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 The number of favorable outcomes is 2, and the number of possible outcomes is the total number of sections, which is 6. P(Less than3)= Number of parts less than3/Number of parts ⇓ P(Less than3)=2/6 The theoretical probability of the spinner landing on a number less than 3 is 26. Let's now find the probability of its complement.
P(Less than3)+P(Not less than 3)=1
2/6+P(Not less than3)=1
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Solve for P(Not less than3)
P(Not less than3)=1-2/6
P(Not green)=6/6-2/6
P(Not less than3)=4/6
P(Not less than3)=2/3
We found that the probability of the spinner landing on a number less than 3 is 23.