Your Learning Goals for This Lesson
You will be able to:
- Interpret
as "probability of given " - Calculate
- Read
from a table's row or column - Distinguish
from ; explain why - Use a conditional probability to find an unknown count
Warm-Up: Probability from All 300
| Full-time | Part-time | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Satisfied | 120 | 50 | 170 |
| Not satisfied | 60 | 70 | 130 |
| Total | 180 | 120 | 300 |
A random employee works full-time?
Knowing Something Changes the Question
"Suppose it rained today. What is the probability you brought an umbrella?" is not the same as "...on any random day?"
Notation:
The sample space shrinks to the outcomes where
Reading Conditional Probability from Tables
Recall: of the 120 part-time,
Rule: "Given that..." → find that group's total → use as denominator.
Two Examples with Different Given Groups
Formula Check: Grand Totals Cancel
The 300s cancel: the formula and the restricted column agree.
vs : Different Denominators
The same numerator (120) — but different denominators (180 and 170):
Language Cues for Conditional Probability
These phrases signal a conditional question:
- "given that..." → classic conditional notation
- "among those who..." → restricts to subgroup
- "of the [group]..." → e.g., "of the part-time workers"
- "if a [group member] is selected..." → restricts
Strategy: Underline the phrase. That group = denominator.
Why Order Matters: A Screening Test
| Condition | Positive | Negative | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Present | 19 | 1 | 20 |
| Absent | 99 | 1,881 | 1,980 |
| Total | 118 | 1,882 | 2,000 |
SAT Problem 1: Which Fraction?
On the employee table, one employee is chosen at random from the full-time employees. What is the probability that the employee is satisfied?
A)
Answer: C,
. D is . A is . B is .
SAT Problem 2: Hidden Conditional Language
"Of the part-time employees, what fraction are not satisfied?"
- "Of the part-time employees" → denominator = 120
- Not satisfied and part-time → 70
Trap: A Condition Inside a Long Sentence
"If an employee who reported not being satisfied is chosen at random, what is the probability the employee works full-time?" →
Contrast: a random employee is a satisfied part-time worker? No "given" → grand total:
Working Backward: Find a Missing Count
The part-time column totals
The given group's total times the conditional probability gives the count.
Description Only: No Table Given
A club has 40 members, 25 of them juniors. Of the juniors, 10 play chess.
A junior is chosen:
Key Takeaways: Conditional Probability Rules
- ✓
: given B → denominator = B's total - ✓ "Given that," "among," "of the" = conditional signal
- ✓
— order matters
Never use grand total for conditional P
Underline the given phrase to find the denominator
What Comes Next: Compound Events
Next topic in the sequence: Compound events (and, or, complement)
- You have already used the complement and addition rules
- Same habit: find the group first
Today's skill carries over: name the denominator group before you compute.