Addition Rules of

Probability……
OBJECTIVE
Recognize Mutually
Exclusive Events

Use the Addition Rule

of Probability
RELEVANCE
To find the likelihood
of an event occurring
by observing the long-
term proportion in
which a certain
outcome is observed.
Card Facts……

1. 52 cards in the deck

2. 4 suits
3. 13 cards in each suit (diamond,
hearts, clubs, spades)
4. Face cards – jack, queen, king
5. 26 red cards; 26 black cards
Mutually Exclusive Events……
 Events that cannot occur at the
same time.

 For example:
Being a junior and being a senior
are mutually exclusive.
Determine which events are mutually
exclusive when a single die is rolled…..

1. Getting a 4 and a 6 1. Mutually Exclusive

2. Getting an odd # and 2. Mutually Exclusive
an even #
3. Getting an odd# and 3. Not M.E.
a # less than 4
4. Getting a # greater
4. Mutually Exclusive
than 4 and a # less
than 4
5. Getting a 3 and an 5. Not M.E.
odd #
You Try…Which are mutually exclusive
when a single card is drawn from a
deck?......

1. Getting a 7 and J 1. M.E

2. Getting a club 2. Not M.E.
and king
3. Getting a face 3. M.E.
card and an ace
4. Getting a face
4. Not M.E.
card and a spade
Addition Rule – M.E. Events……
 When 2 events are mutually
exclusive, the probability that A or
B will occur is

P( A or B)  P( A)  P( B)
Example……
 A box contains 3 glazed, 4 jelly, and
5 chocolate doughnuts. If a person
selects one doughnut at random,
find the probability that it is either
glazed or chocolate.
 Answer……
 Sample Space = 3+4+5 = 12
doughnuts

 P(glazed or choc) = P(glazed) + P(chocolate)

3 5 8 2
P( glazed or choc)    
12 12 12 3
Example……
 At a political rally, there are 20
republicans, 13 democrats, and 6
independents. If a person is
selected at random, find the
probability that he or she is either a
democrat or an independent.
Answer……
 Sample Space = 20+13+6=39

 P(dem or ind) = P(dem)+P(ind)

13 6 19
P(dem or ind )   
39 39 39
Example……
 A day of the week is selected at
random. Find the probability that it
is a day of the weekend.
Answer……
 Sample Space = 7 days in a week

P(Sat or Sun)= P(Sat) + P(Sun)

1 1 2
P ( Sat or Sun)   
7 7 7
Addition Rule – NOT Mutually
Exclusive……

 When 2 events are NOT mutually

exclusive, the probability that A or B
will occur is

 The Formal Addition Rule

P( A or B)  P( A)  P( B)  P( A and B)
Example……
 A single card is drawn from a deck.
Find the probability that it is a king
or club.

P(king or c lub)  P(king )  P(c lub)  P(king and c lub)

4 13 1 16 4
P (king or c lub)     
52 52 52 52 13
Example……
 In a hospital unit there are 8 nurses
and 5 doctors. 7 nurses and 3
doctors are female. If a staff
person is selected, find the
probability that the subject is a
nurse or a male.
 Suggestion: Make a contingency
table.
Find the P(nurse or male)
 Let n = nurse and m
= male
 P(n or m) =
Females Males Total
P(nurse) + P(m) –
P(nurse and male)
Nurse 7 1 8
8 3 1
P(n or m)   
Doctors 3 2 5
13 13 13

10
Total 10 3 13 P ( n or m) 
13
Example……
 On New Year’s Eve, the probability
of a person driving while intoxicated
is 0.32, the prob. of a person
having an accident is .09, and the
prob. of a person having an
accident while intoxicated is .06.
What is the probability of a person
driving while intoxicated or having
an accident?
Answer……
 P(intox or acc) =
P(intox) + P(acc) – P(intox and acc)

P (in or acc)  0.32  .09  .06  0.35