Vocabulary

Independent events - The outcome of one event does not affect the outcome of the other event. 
For example, when you flip two coins, if the first coin lands in heads, that does not influence which side the other coin lands on.

Dependent events – The outcome of one event affects the outcome of another event. 
For example, if one person chooses a candy to eat that candy cannot be chosen by another person.

Concepts

Determining the number and types of events.

Rules

1. Read the problem and identify how many separate events there are.
2. Determine whether the events are dependent or independent. 
3. Choose the answer with the correct number and type of events.

Example

Does this situation represent dependent events or independent events? Select the correct answer for the number and type of events.

Out of a bowl of colored candies, you choose one candy at random and eat it, and then you choose another candy. 

Solution

Two different candies are chosen, so there are 2 events. Since the first candy is not replaced, the choice of the second candy is affected by the first event, so the events are dependent.

Pre-requisite Skills

Write probability as percentage, fraction, and decimals (6.9.1)

Probability of a Compound Event (6.9.3)

Probability of Simple Events (7.10.1)

Theoretical and Experimental Probability (7.10.2)

Probability of Compound Events (7.10.3)