Experimental Probability
Experimental Probability is a Grade 7-8 statistics skill where students calculate the probability of an event based on actual experimental outcomes rather than theoretical predictions. The experimental probability equals the number of times an event occurred divided by the total number of trials.
Key Concepts
Property Experimental probability is the ratio of the number of times an event occurs to the number of trials. $$ \text{experimental probability} = \frac{\text{number of times an event occurs}}{\text{number of trials}} $$.
Examples A basketball player makes 85 free throws in 100 attempts. The experimental probability of making a shot is $\frac{85}{100}$ or $\frac{17}{20}$. Since she added a veggie burger to the menu, 40 out of 160 customers have ordered it. The probability that the next customer will order one is $\frac{40}{160}$ or $\frac{1}{4}$. If a YouTuber gets 100 likes on a video with 1000 views, the probability that a viewer will like a video is $\frac{100}{1000}$ or $0.1$.
Explanation Think of this as probability in the real world! It’s not about what should happen, but what actually happened when you tried it. Like a batting average, it’s based on past performance, not just theory.
Common Questions
What is experimental probability?
Experimental probability is calculated from actual trials or experiments: P(event) = number of times event occurred divided by total number of trials.
How is experimental probability different from theoretical probability?
Theoretical probability is based on equally likely outcomes in theory; experimental probability is based on observed results from actual trials.
Why might experimental and theoretical probability differ?
Random chance means results in a small number of trials may vary from the theoretical value. As you increase the number of trials, experimental probability gets closer to theoretical probability.
How do you calculate experimental probability?
Count how many times the event happened in your experiment, then divide by the total number of trials. For example, if you flip a coin 20 times and get heads 11 times, experimental probability = 11/20 = 0.55.
What grade covers experimental probability?
Experimental probability is taught in Grade 7 and Grade 8 statistics.