PROBABILITY:
ADDITIVE RULES
Gregorio P. Agatep, Jr.
Math Department
INNHS
Additive Rules Solution:
If the probability of some events are Let J = the event that Jim wins President
known, we can find the probability of some other of the Student Council
events using these known probabilities. A = the event that Ace wins Vice
If A and B are two events, then President of the Student Council
P(AB) = P(A) + P(B) – P(AB) P(J) = P(A) = P(JA) =
Now,
(Formula 2)
Note: Formula 2 can also be written P(JA) = P(J) + P(A) - P(JA)
=
P(A or B) = P(A) + P(B) – P(A and =
B)
Example 6: The probability that Jim wins = 0.6536
President of the Student Council is . The Therefore, there is 0.6536 probability for either
probability that Ace wins Vice President is . The Jim or Ace to hold office.
probability that both of them wins is . What is the
probability that either of them wins an office?
Example 7: The probability that Matt passes the board exam is 82%. The probability that he enrolls in the
master’s program is 38%. The probability that he passes the board exam or enrolling in the master’s
program is 52%. What is the probability that he passes the board exam and enrolls in the master’s
program?
Solution:
Let B = the event that Matt passes the board exam
M = the event that Matt enrolls in the master’s program
= 82% = 0.82
P(B)
= 38% = 0.38
P(M)
P(BM)= 52% = 0.52
Now, using Formula 2, we have
P(BM) = P(B) + P(M) – P(BM)
P(BM)= P(B) + P(M) – P(BM)
= 0.82 + 0.38 – 0.52
= 0.68
Therefore, the probability that Matt passes the board exam and enrolls in the master’s program is 68%.
Example 8: In an ordinary deck of cards, a card is drawn. What is the probability that it is (a) an ace or a
red card? (b) a face card or a diamond?
Solution:
Let A = the event that the card is an ace R = the event that the card is a red card
F = the event that the card is a face card D = the event that the card is a diamond
= (There are 4 aces in the deck of 52 cards)
a) P(A)
= (There are 13 hearts and 13 diamonds all of which are red cards)
P(R)
=
P(AR) (There are 2 red aces in the
deck)
P(AR) = P(A) + P(R) - P(AR)
= =
b) P(F)
=
(There are 12 face cards)
=
P(D)
(There are 13 diamond cards)
P(FD)
=
(There are 3 face cards which are diamond in the deck)
P(F) = P(F) + P(D) - P(FD)
= =
Formula 2 states that if A and B are two Example 9: Two dice are thrown
events, we add the respective probabilities of simultaneously. What is the probability that
the two events then subtract the possibility the sum is 5 or a 9?
that these two events can happen Solution:
simultaneously. Let A = the event that the sum is 5
However, there are instances that the two B = the event that the sum is 9
events cannot happen together, i.e., = (There are only 4 cases where
P(A)
the sum is 5: 1,4; 4,1; 2,3; 3,2)
P(AB) = 0. =
P(B) (There are only 4 cases where
The events, A and B, are said to be the sum is 9: 5,4; 4,5; 6,3; 3,6)
mutually exclusive. Hence Formula 2 The events are mutually exclusive. There is
becomes NO way the sum can be 5 and at the same
P(AB) = P(A) + P(B) time 9. Hence, using Formula 3,
(Formula 3) P(AB) = P(A) + P(B)
==
Example 10: The probability that Flor will spend the weekend at home is 0.48. The
probability that she will spend the weekend visiting her grandparents is 0.39. What is the
probability that she will spend the weekend at home or visiting her grandparents?
Solution:
Let H = the event that Flor stays at home during the weekend
V = the event that Flor visits her grandparents during the weekend
P(H) = 0.48 P(V) = 0.39
It is to be noted that Flor cannot be in two places at the same time. So the events
are mutually exclusive. Thus,
P(HV) = P(H) + P(V)
= 0.48 + 0.39
= 0.87
Therefore, the probability that Flor will either be at home or visiting her grandparents is
0.87.
Sometimes, there are cases where solving Now,
for the probability of the complement of an event is P(AB) + P((AB)’) = 1
easier than solving directly the problem. The next P((AB)’) = 1 - P(AB)
formula shows this. =1- =
Therefore, the probability of not getting a
Let events A and A’ be complements. Then, sum of 5 nor 9 is .
P(A) + P(A’) = 1 (Formula
4)
Example 11. Two dice are thrown simultaneously.
What is the probability that the sum is neither a 5
nor a 9?
Solution:
Here we are interested in the event that is
the complement of the event AB if we let
A = the event that the sum is 5
B = the event that the sum is 9
P(A) = P(B) =
P(AB) = P(A) + P(B) = =
Method 2 (Without using the complement) Example 12: In Example 10, what is the probability
that Flor will not spend the weekend at home nor
If the sum is not 5 nor 9, then the sum
visit her grandparents?
would be 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, or 12 which are
all mutually exclusive. If we let Solution:
= the event that the sum is(21 case) We are interested with P((HV)’). So, using
= the event that the sum is(32 cases) Formula 4, we have
= the event that the sum is(43 cases)
= the event that the sum is(65 cases) P(HV) + P((HV)’) = 1
= the event that the sum is(76 cases) P((HV)’) = 1 - P(HV)
= the event that the sum is(85 cases)
3 cases) = 1 – 0.87
G = the event that the sum is (10
H = the event that the sum is (112 cases) = 0.13
I = the event that the sum is (121 case) Therefore, the probability that Flor will not
P() stay at home nor visit her grandparents is 0.13
= P() + P() + P() + P() + P() + P() +P(G)
+ P(H) + P(I)
=
Example 13: In a survey of 30 students about Let F = event that the favorite food is fried chicken
their favorite food, 20 choose spaghetti and 15 S = event that the favorite food is spaghetti
choose fried chicken. Ten choose spaghetti and a) P(FS) =
fried chicken. A student is picked at random. What
b) P((FS)’) = 1 – P(FS)
is the probability that
P(FS) =
a) his favorite food is spaghetti or fried
chicken? =1– ¿ 1
P((FS)’) 6
b) his favorite food is neither spaghetti nor c) P(F’) = 1 – P(F)
fried chicken? P(F) =
c) his favorite food is not fried chicken? P(F’) = 1 –
Solution:
Let us construct a Venn diagram first.
F
S
5 10 10