EXPERIMENTAL PROBABILITY
12-7
VOCABULARY
Experimental probability – probability based on
experimental data
Simulation – a model used to find experimental
probability
EXPERIMENTAL PROBABILITY
P(event) = number of times an event occurs
number of times experiment is done
*Note – experimental probability is mostly
expressed in percents.
EXAMPLE
A medical study tests a new medicine on 3,500
people. It is effective for 3,010 people. Find the
experimental probability that the medicine is
effective.
P(event) = number of times an event occurs
number of times experiment is done
= 3,010
3,500
= 0.86, or 86%
Example 2
Another medicine is effective for 1,183 of 2,275
people. Find the experimental probability that
the medicine is effective.
SIMULATION
A simulation is a model used to find experimental
probability.
Example: simulate the correct guessing of truefalse answers.
Toss a coin to simulate each guess. Heads represents a
correct guess. Here are the results of 50 trials.
HHTTT
THTHT
THHTT THTHH HTTTH TTHTT
HHTTT HTHHH THTHT THTHT
P(heads) = number of heads
= 22
= 11
number of tosses
50
25