Biostatistics (Laboratory)

Module 1
Lesson 2.1: Basic Concepts of Probability

Learning Activity
Perform as indicated.
1. Suppose a wealthy businessman who has a passion for animals is considering putting
up a veterinary clinic in the provinces located in the Visayas, Philippines. We define
the following events:
𝐶 = event of putting up a veterinary clinic in Central Visayas
𝐸 = event of putting up a veterinary clinic in Eastern Visayas
𝑊 = event of putting up a veterinary clinic in Western Visayas
Create the following events through the union and intersection of the above events:
a) Event of putting up a veterinary clinic both in Central and Eastern Visayas
• C∩E
b) Event of putting up at least one veterinary clinic in the Visayas
• C∪E∪W
c) Event of putting up a veterinary clinic in Eastern Visayas only and not in Central
nor West Visayas
• E ∩ C’ ∩ W’

2. A die is loaded so that all the numbers (i.e., 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6) have the same chances
of coming up except for the number 6 which has three times the chance of any other
number coming up. Let 𝐸𝑖 = {𝑖}, event that the number 𝑖 comes up in a single toss of
this die.
Find the probabilities of the following events:
a) Even that a 6 comes up
• E1= {1}, E2= {2}, E3= {3}, E4= {4}, E5= {5}, E5= {5}, E6= {6}
E6 = 3/6

b) Event of observing an even number

• E2,4,6 = 3/6

Lesson 2.2: Approaches to Assigning Probabilities

Learning Activity
Perform as indicated.
1. Consider the experiment of tossing a fair coin three times. Let 𝐻 denote head and 𝑇
denote tail. (Use a tree diagram to systematically list all possible outcomes.)

a) Give the sample space.

• (S = {𝐻𝐻𝐻, 𝐻𝐻𝑇, 𝐻𝑇𝐻, 𝐻𝑇𝑇, 𝑇𝐻𝐻, 𝑇𝐻𝑇, 𝑇𝑇𝐻, 𝑇𝑇𝑇})
b) Assign a priori probabilities to the sample points.
 • Let Ei, I = 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8
Be the simple events
𝟏
P(Ei) = 𝟖 = 0.125

c) Find the probability of getting exactly one head.

• Let A = [One H] = {HTT, THT, TTH}
𝟑
P(A) = 𝟖 = 0.375

2. Refer to the day of birth data in the first example given under relative frequency
probability. Assuming conditions are the same today in the United States, estimate
the probability that a baby will be born during a weekday. That is, not on Saturday or
Sunday.

3. Based on your personal assessment, give the likelihood that you will get a midterm
grade of 2.0 in this course. Justify your answer.
• The possibility that I will get a midterm grade of 2.0 is 50% which will entirely
depend on my performance in this subject. As we have reached half of the lessons
of the midterm, considering my scores in the activities and having been able to get
passing marks in the exam in the first half, it is also possible that my performance
rate for the second half will decrease.