Identify the sample space of the probability experiment and determine the number of outcomes in the sample space.

Question

Identify the sample space of the probability experiment and determine the number of outcomes in the sample space.               rolling dice

Answer 1

I'll have to assume that you're rolling a pair of dice and that the sample space is ordered pairs, and their totals.

 

(1,1) is the lowest possible outcome, and it can only happen in this one way, i.e. both first & second dies show 1 up (assume that the two dies are different colors, for identifying 1st & 2nd).

 

Other outcomes are (1,2) (1,3) ... (1,6); these six outcomes can be put in a list, beneath which 

are put (2,1), (2,2) ... (2,6) ⇐ outcomes for rolling 2 first, & all possible 2nd die outcomes, etc.

---

down through last row of outcomes,

(6,1) (6,2) ... (6,6).

 

As you can see, there are 36 entries in this square array of ordered pairs.

The following totals are possible, with the # of ways each possible total can occur listed below:

2   1

3   2

4   3

5   4

6   5

7   6

8   5

9   4

10 3

11 2

12 1

and thus, for example, P(rolling a total of 8 = 5/36.