What is the formula for calculating the probability of an event?

• A. Number of total outcomes divided by favorable outcomes
• B. Number of favorable outcomes divided by total outcomes
• C. Favorable outcomes multiplied by total outcomes
• D. Favorable outcomes plus total outcomes

Answer: (B)

The probability of an event quantifies the likelihood of that event occurring, and it is calculated using a specific formula. The correct approach involves determining the ratio of the number of outcomes that would result in the event happening (favorable outcomes) to the total number of possible outcomes that could occur in the situation being considered (total outcomes).

This is why the formula involves taking the number of favorable outcomes and dividing it by the total number of outcomes. This ratio yields a probability value that ranges from 0 to 1, where 0 indicates that the event cannot occur at all, and 1 indicates that the event is certain to occur.

Using the correct formula helps in understanding the concept of probability as it provides a clear and quantifiable measure of the chances of various outcomes in an experiment, which is a foundational concept in statistics and probability theory.