Conditional probability problem

In summary, 0.23 of the population is said to for a certain political block A at an election. 10 people are sampled.
  • #1
MathMan2022
12
1
Homework Statement
45% of the population is said to for a certain political block A at an election. 10 people are sampled.

a) Whats the prob that 5 of them vote block A?

b) What the prob that none of them vote block A?
Relevant Equations
P(A and B) = P(A) * P(B)
P(Not B) = 1 - P(B)
A) P(A and B) = 0.45 * 5/10
B P(Not B) = 1 - ( 0.45 * 5/10)

Is it like this?
 
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  • #2
MathMan2022 said:
Homework Statement:: 45% of the population is said to for a certain political block A at an election. 10 people are sampled.

a) Whats the prob that 5 of them vote block A?

b) What the prob that none of them vote block A?
Relevant Equations:: P(A and B) = P(A) * P(B)
P(Not B) = 1 - P(B)

A) P(A and B) = 0.45 * 5/10
B P(Not B) = 1 - ( 0.45 * 5/10)

Is it like this?
It's nothing like that. What have you learned about probability theory so far? Have you heard the term binomial coefficients?
 
  • #3
PeroK said:
It's nothing like that. What have you learned about probability theory so far? Have you heard the term binomial coefficients?
Oh its like that? Yes I have heard of that.

P(X = r) = K(n,r)*p^r*(1-p)^(n-r) right?
 
  • #4
So
a) P(X = 5) = K(10, 5)*0.45^5*(1 - 0.45)^(10 - 5)= 0.23
b) P(X = no votes) = 1- P(X=5) = 1-0.23
 
  • #5
MathMan2022 said:
So
a) P(X = 5) = K(10, 5)*0.45^5*(1 - 0.45)^(10 - 5)= 0.23
That looks a lot better.
MathMan2022 said:
b) P(X = no votes) = 1- P(X=5) = 1-0.23
Why would no votes be the complement of 5 votes? That's the probability of any number of votes except 5.
 
  • #6
If 45% is sampled to vote for block A. Then 55 % must non voters for block A?
 
  • #7
MathMan2022 said:
If 45% is sampled to vote for block A. Then 55 % must non voters for block A?
No, it means that 55% don't vote for block A.
 
  • #8
MathMan2022 said:
If 45% is sampled to vote for block A. Then 55 % must non voters for block A?
Look at it this way, suppose you change part a) to calculate ##P(X = 4)##. Would your answer to part b) change to ##P(X = 0) = 1 - P(X = 4)##?
 
  • #9
PeroK said:
Look at it this way, suppose you change part a) to calculate ##P(X = 4)##. Would your answer to part b) change to ##1 - P(X = 4)##?
That would that is the prob that 4 people or less voted for block A?
 
  • #10
MathMan2022 said:
That would that is the prob that 4 people or less voted for block A?
No, that would be the probablity that 0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10 people vote for block A. Any number but ##4##. Note that we have:
$$\sum_{n = 0}^{10} P(X = n) = 1$$
 
  • #11
PeroK said:
No, that would be the probablity that 0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10 people vote for block A. Any number but ##4##. Note that we have:
$$\sum_{n = 0}^{10} P(X = n) = 1$$
Then that would be P(X=0) I am searching for? Because that would be the prob that non of the 10 voted for block A.
 
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  • #12
MathMan2022 said:
Then that would be P(X=0) I am searching for? Because that would be the prob that non of the 10 voted for block A.
Yes, exactly.
 
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  • #13
Here's a tip. The Excel spreadsheet has a binomial distribution function (and other useful statistical things). For example, if you type:

=BINOMDIST(5, 10, 0.45, FALSE)

Then, you'll get the answer ##0.23##.

See the Excel help pages for more information.
 
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  • #14
You can do the exact same thing for 0 people that you did for 5 people.
 
  • #15
This is not conditional probability. It's plain ordinary probability.
 
  • #16
Although you don’t need binomial for zero, it’s analogous to flipping heads ten times in a row (as there is only one combination)
 

FAQ: Conditional probability problem

What is conditional probability?

Conditional probability is the likelihood of an event occurring given that another event has already occurred. It is calculated by dividing the probability of both events occurring by the probability of the first event occurring.

How is conditional probability different from regular probability?

Regular probability calculates the likelihood of an event occurring without considering any other events. Conditional probability takes into account the occurrence of a previous event.

What is the formula for calculating conditional probability?

The formula for conditional probability is P(A|B) = P(A and B) / P(B), where P(A|B) is the probability of event A occurring given that event B has occurred, P(A and B) is the probability of both events occurring, and P(B) is the probability of event B occurring.

How can conditional probability be applied in real life?

Conditional probability can be used in real life to make predictions and decisions based on previous events. For example, a doctor may use conditional probability to determine the likelihood of a patient having a certain disease based on their symptoms and medical history.

Can conditional probability be greater than 1?

No, conditional probability cannot be greater than 1. This is because the probability of an event occurring cannot be greater than the probability of both events occurring together.

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