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Probability

Question

What are two events that cannot happen at the same time called?

2 years ago

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76 Replies

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7641 views

B

Benny Auer


76 Answers

B
Benedict Vitai

Such events are called "mutually exclusive".

M
Mani

Mutually Exclusive is the answer. The probability of A or B will equal the sum of Probability of A and the Probability of B for mutually exclusive events.

N
Nicholas Mannan

These are called Mutually exclusive events and an example of this would be if perhaps your considering the probability of a car turning left or right; both cannot happen at the same time.

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These events are mutually exclusive

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K
Kaushal Apte

Mutually exclusive events

D
Dhanush Vydyam

They are said to be mutually exclusive.

J
Julian C

Two, or more, events are called "mutually exclusive" if one event excludes the other.


An example I give is noting the result of tossing a fair coin and recording which face is uppermost when it comes to rest on a horizontal surface.


There are four "mutually exclusive" outcomes, denoted by 'H', 'T', 'E' and 'O'. 'H' stands for the head-side uppermost; similarly for event 'T' for tails-uppermost. The probabilities for each of these events are so close to 0.5 that they can be considered to be one half. 'E' represents the coin settling on an edge; 'O' is the event that the coin doesn't land but goes off into orbit. Both these last events are so rare that their probabilities can be considered to be zero.


These four outcomes cannot happen at the same time and are so called "mutually exclusive".

M
Manav Chitkara

Mutually exclusive events

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Ruqaiya J Verified Sherpa Tutor ✓

I'm a PhD Psychology student with online tuition experience.

It is called Mutually Exclusive Events. A good way to remember this is to think of two events that are happening at the same time and you can only attend one or the other as its not possible to be in two places at once.

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T
Tang Hoi Ho

These two events are called mutually exclusive.

A
Adam

Mutually Exclusive events

R
Rohan Gogna

Mutually Exclusive

A
Angie Tsz Wai Cheung

itis called mutually exclusive

H
Hanker Uwadiae

Mutually Exclusive events

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mutually exclusive

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