CONDITIONAL PROBABILITY -

VENN DIAGRAMS
Grade 8
Venn Diagrams If you’ve got a complete Venn diagram for your events, then
it’s really easy to find the (conditional) probability of one event given another:

You can think of this as the probability of getting something from A when
randomly picking from all the things in B (ignoring all the things that aren’t in
B).

The Venn diagram shows the number of males

(M) x and the number of people who are
drinking coffee (C) at a cafe.
What is the probability that a randomly selected
person at the cafe is male, given that they are
drinking coffee?
The Venn diagram shows the number of males
(M) x and the number of people who are
drinking coffee (C) at a cafe.
What is the probability that a randomly selected
person at the cafe is male, given that they are
drinking coffee?

Use the formula — divide the number of people

that are both males and drinking coffee by the
total number of people drinking coffee.
Let's look at this Second Example, A survey was taken at a hotel in a ski resort
which asked 274 people if they could ski and if they could snowboard. The
results are shown in the Venn diagram on the right. What is the probability
that a randomly chosen hotel guest:
a) can ski?
b) can snowboard?
c) can ski and can snowboard?
d) can ski given that they can snowboard?
e) can’t snowboard given that they can’t ski?
Let's look at this Second Example, A survey was taken at a hotel in a ski resort
which asked 274 people if they could ski and if they could snowboard. The
results are shown in the Venn diagram on the right. What is the probability
that a randomly chosen hotel guest:
d) can ski given that they can snowboard?
e) can’t snowboard given that they can’t ski?
A VARIATION OF VENN DIAGRAM PROBLEM
50 people were asked which fruits they liked from apples, bananas and oranges.
11 people like all three fruits.
33 people like apples.
6 like apples and bananas but not oranges.
15 like bananas and oranges.
5 of the people do not like any of the fruits.
All 25 people who like oranges like at least one other fruit.

Two of the 50 people are chosen at random.

Work out the probability that they both like bananas.
A VARIATION OF VENN DIAGRAM PROBLEM
50 people were asked which fruits they liked from apples, bananas and oranges.
11 people like all three fruits.
33 people like apples.
6 like apples and bananas but not oranges.
15 like bananas and oranges.
5 of the people do not like any of the fruits.
All 25 people who like oranges like at least one other fruit.

Two of the 50 people are chosen at random.

Work out the probability that they both like bananas.
TEST YOUR UNDERSTANDING
The Venn diagram below shows the number of members in a drama group who
can act (A), dance (D) and sing (S). Each member of the group can do at least
one of these.

What is the probability that a randomly chosen member:

a) can act given that they can dance?
b) can sing given that they can’t dance?
c) can’t dance given that they can act?
d) can’t act given that they can’t sing?
e) can act and dance given that they can sing?
f) can sing and act given that they can’t dance?
g) can act or dance given that they can’t sing?
TEST YOUR UNDERSTANDING
The Venn diagram below shows the number of members in a drama group who
can act (A), dance (D) and sing (S). Each member of the group can do at least
one of these.

What is the probability that a randomly chosen member:

a) can act given that they can dance?
b) can sing given that they can’t dance?
c) can’t dance given that they can act?
d) can’t act given that they can’t sing?
e) can act and dance given that they can sing?
f) can sing and act given that they can’t dance?
g) can act or dance given that they can’t sing?
TEST YOUR UNDERSTANDING
50 people were asked if they like tea, coffee and hot chocolate. Every person liked
at least one of the drinks.
17 of the people like all three drinks.
31 of the people like hot chocolate
34 of the people like tea.
21 of the people like tea and coffee.

7 of the people like tea and hot chocolate but not coffee
2 of the people like coffee and hot chocolate but not tea

Two of the 50 people are chosen at random.

Work out the probability that they both like coffee.
TEST YOUR UNDERSTANDING
50 people were asked if they like tea, coffee and hot chocolate. Every person liked
at least one of the drinks.
17 of the people like all three drinks.
31 of the people like hot chocolate
34 of the people like tea.
21 of the people like tea and coffee.

7 of the people like tea and hot chocolate but not coffee
2 of the people like coffee and hot chocolate but not tea

Two of the 50 people are chosen at random.

Work out the probability that they both like coffee.