Question
upstudy study bank question image url

7. What is the sum of the probabilities of two complementary events? Explain why your answer makes sense.

Ask by Griffiths Long. in the United States
Feb 03,2025

Real Tutor Solution

Tutor-Verified Answer

Answer

The sum of the probabilities of two complementary events is 1. This makes sense because complementary events cover all possible outcomes without overlapping, so their probabilities together account for the entire probability space.

Solution

The sum of the probabilities of two **complementary events** is **1**. ### **Explanation:** Two events are **complementary** if they are the only two possible outcomes of a particular experiment or situation, and they cannot occur simultaneously. Essentially, one event's occurrence means the other cannot occur, and vice versa. Mathematically, if \( A \) and \( A' \) are complementary events, then: \[ P(A) + P(A') = 1 \] This makes sense because the total probability of all possible outcomes in a probability space must equal 1 (representing certainty). Since complementary events cover all possible outcomes without overlap, their probabilities together account for the entire probability space. **Example:** Consider flipping a fair coin: - Let event \( A \) be getting "Heads". - The complementary event \( A' \) is getting "Tails". Since these are the only two possible outcomes: \[ P(\text{Heads}) + P(\text{Tails}) = 0.5 + 0.5 = 1 \] This demonstrates that the probabilities of complementary events always add up to 1.

Reviewed and approved by the UpStudy tutoring team

error msg
Explain
Simplify this solution

Beyond the Answer

The sum of the probabilities of two complementary events is always 1. This is because complementary events are defined as pairs of events where one event occurs if and only if the other does not. For instance, if you have event A (like it raining) and its complement (not raining), then the probability of it either raining or not raining together accounts for all possible outcomes in a given scenario, thus summing to 100%. This concept makes perfect sense: think of it like flipping a coin—either you get heads or tails. Since those are the only two outcomes possible, the probability of obtaining heads (0.5) plus the probability of obtaining tails (0.5) equals 1 (or 100%). Just like life, you either get one result or the other, and that's that!

Related Questions

Try Premium now!
Try Premium and ask Thoth AI unlimited math questions now!
Maybe later Go Premium
Study can be a real struggle
Why not UpStudy it?
Select your plan below
Premium

You can enjoy

Start now
  • Step-by-step explanations
  • 24/7 expert live tutors
  • Unlimited number of questions
  • No interruptions
  • Full access to Answer and Solution
  • Full Access to PDF Chat, UpStudy Chat, Browsing Chat
Basic

Totally free but limited

  • Limited Solution
Welcome to UpStudy!
Please sign in to continue the Thoth AI Chat journey
Continue with Email
Or continue with
By clicking “Sign in”, you agree to our Terms of Use & Privacy Policy