Leo+DadMade for Leo
Probability of Chance Experiments
Rung 2 of 4 · The method

Actually Working One Out

List what could happen, ring the ones you want, divide. Three moves and a fraction falls out.


PractisePick a generator, read the question, count the brass outcomes, then write P as a fraction and check yourself.
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Every chance-experiment question is the same three moves: list the sample space, count the favourable outcomes, then divide.

The Three Moves

One — list the sample space. That's just every outcome that could happen, written out. For a die it's 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. For two coins it's HH, HT, TH, TT. Each one must be equally likely (more on that next rung).

Two — count the favourable ones. Read the question and tick the outcomes that count as a win. "An even number" on a die ticks 2, 4 and 6 — three of them.

Three — divide. P(event) = favourable ÷ total. Three evens over six faces: 3/6, which tidies to 1/2.

A Worked One

Flip two coins; what's the chance of exactly one head? Sample space: HH, HT, TH, TT — four outcomes. Favourable: HT and TH — two of them. So P = 2/4 = 1/2. Notice we listed all four before counting, so nothing got missed.

Always simplify: 3/6 and 1/2 are the same chance, so write the tidy one. The toy accepts either — but in an exam the simplest form looks sharpest.

Fractions, Decimals or Percentages

The answer is a fraction first, but you can dress it any way: 1/2 = 0.5 = 50%. Same chance, three outfits. Pick whatever the question seems to want.

Us, Thinking Out Loud

Could you teach me the three moves without looking?

Why is listing the whole sample space first such a good habit?