whats a probability?

Question

...?

Answer 1

A distributed set of possibilities. On one end you have impossibility and at the other end of the distribution you have a sure thing. You can determine by certain mathematical exercises the probability of certain events. Simple example; tossing a coin fairly. 50% of the time it comes up heads and 50% of the time it comes up tails, on average and over many tosses. This is a type of probability test that is the same chance on every toss, not influnced by the previous tosses.

Answer 2

Probability is a quantification of the chances that a certain event will take place and is expressed either as a decimal or a percentage. Using a standard convention, the certainly that an event will occur or happen is designated as 1 or 100%.

Therefore, the chances or "probability" that an event will happen will be a range of from 0 (nothing, or will not happen) to 1 or 100% (meaning it will surely happen).

Take the example of a coin. If you toss it, the probability that it will land "heads" will be 50%; the probability that it will land "tails" is also 50%. That is because -granting the coin is fair and not loaded or predisposed to land a certain way - there are only two possibilities of the coin landing: as heads or tails, and each probability is equal to each other, and therefore rated 50%.

Or take the example of four contestants being drawn a winner in a drawing of tickets where there are only four tickets in a bucket (or hat), and the drawing person is fair. Each of contestants A, B, C, and D will have equal chances of winning, with a probability of 1/4 each, or 0.25, or 25%.

I hope my examples and description of probability is simple or down-to-earth enough for you to understand.

CHANCES are they are!. There you go, there is the term again.

Answer 3

It is possible for any adult native born American (exceptions allowed) to hold the office of President, but the probability, based on past experience, is that the office will be held by a white male with more charm than sense, (assuming he's been selected by the other party) and undoubtedly the ability to get others to spend their money on his behalf

A probability then, must be expected, and realisable

Answer 4

Its the chance of something happening as measured in percentage.

Ex: A toss of a coin can be either head or tail. So each has an equal probability(aka chance) of happening.

Results-{Head,Tail}

Chance of a Head = 1/[# of options] = 1/2 = 50%

Same with the rolling of a dice.

Results-{1,2,3,4,5,6}

Chance of a '1' = 1/[# of options] = 1/6 = 16.66%

Answer 5

Probability 1) : the ratio of the number of outcomes in an exhaustive set of equally likely outcomes that produce a given event to the total number of possible outcomes (2) : the chance that a given event will occur.
http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/probability

An example is printed on lottery tickets. The probablity of you winning a $1000000 is one out of 4350000000. Slim huh

Answer 6

Probability is the likelihood that something is the case or will happen.