Solved Examples and Worksheet for Likelihood of an Event

Q1A teacher choosing one boy from a class of 19 girls is _________ event.

A. a possible
B. a certain
C. an impossible
D. none of these

Step: 1
Since all the students in the class are girls, it is impossible for the teacher to choose a boy.
Step: 2
An event that is impossible to occur is called an impossible event.
Step: 3
So, the event of the teacher choosing one boy from a class of 19 girls is an impossible event.
Correct Answer is :   an impossible
Q2The circle graph shows the number of toys Rachel has. A toy is picked at random. Which toy is the most likely to be picked?

A. Barbie dolls
B. Airplanes
C. Teddies
D. Cars

Step: 1
The blue colored sector has the maximum area.
Step: 2
The blue colored sector represents the number of airplanes.
Step: 3
So, an airplane is most likely to be picked.
Correct Answer is :   Airplanes
Q3Choose whether the event is likely, unlikely or equally likely to occur. "Your hair would grow 3 inches longer by tomorrow."
A. a likely event
B. an unlikely event
C. an equally likely event
D. a certain event

Step: 1
The event will not happen.
Step: 2
So, it is an unlikely event.
Correct Answer is :   an unlikely event
Q4Dolly, a school teacher asked her students how much money each of them had in their pocket? The data obtained is shown in the table. Represent the data using a stem and leaf plot. Which stem has the maximum number of leaves?
Name of the studentJimTonyPaulBradLauraWilmaKatieEmilyCarol
Amount ($)8122561320181416



A. Plot 2; 2
B. Plot 1; 1
C. Plot 4; 1 or 2
D. Plot 3; 2

Step: 1
To draw a stem and leaf plot for the amount data, make use of the ten's digits as the stems and one's digits of the amount as the leaves.
Step: 2
Use 0, 1 and 2 as stems to prepare the stem and leaf plot.
  [All the amounts in the table are less than $30.]
Step: 3
The leaves are the one's digits of the corresponding amounts written in increasing order.
Step: 4
List all the unique stems and the corresponding leaves of each stem in the increasing order.
Step: 5
So, plot 1 is the stem and leaf plot for the data in the table.
Step: 6
The number of leaves for the stems 0, 1 and 2 are 2, 5 and 2.
Step: 7
So, the maximum number of leaves is for stem 1.
Correct Answer is :   Plot 1; 1
Q510 black marbles, and 10 white marbles are placed in a bag. Mary picked a marble from the bag. Which one is most likely to be picked?

A. white marble
B. black marble
C. both have equal chances of being picked
D. I don′t know.

Step: 1
Number of black marbles in the bag = 10.
Step: 2
Number of white marbles in the bag = 10.
Step: 3
Number of ways of picking black marble from the bag = 10
Step: 4
Number of ways of picking white marble from the bag = 10
Step: 5
Amongst the choices, both have equal chances of being picked.
Correct Answer is :   both have equal chances of being picked
Q6Which sections have equal chances of winning?


A. All the sections have equal chances of winning.
B. Section 1 and Section 2
C. Section 2 and Section 3
D. Section 1 and Section 3

Step: 1
In the figure, section 2 and section 3 have equal portions.
Step: 2
So, section 2 and section 3 have equal chances of winning.
Correct Answer is :   Section 2 and Section 3
Q7Choose whether the event is likely, unlikely or equally likely to occur. "To organizing a get-together tonight."
A. An impossible event
B. An equally likely event
C. A likely event
D. An unlikely event

Step: 1
The event is just as likely to happen as not to happen.
Step: 2
So, it is an equally likely event.
Correct Answer is :   An equally likely event
Q8Choose whether the event is likely, unlikely or equally likely to occur. "Having a bath daily."
A. A likely event
B. An unlikely event
C. An equally likely event
D. None of the above

Step: 1
The event is likely to occur.
Step: 2
So, it is a likely event.
Correct Answer is :   A likely event
Q9You will eat tomorrow is __________ event.
A. a certain
B. an impossible
C. a possible

Step: 1
An event that is certain to occur is called a certain event.
Step: 2
People should eat every day, so it's a certain event.
Correct Answer is :   a certain
Q10All the eight teachers in a school were men. If you need to choose one of them, then, choosing a woman is _________ event.
A. a possible
B. an impossible
C. a certain
D. none of these

Step: 1
It is impossible to choose a woman since the school does not have any female teacher.
Step: 2
So, this is an impossible event.
Correct Answer is :   an impossible
Q11Choose whether the event is likely, unlikely or equally likely to occur. "Ashley will go to ice cream parlour in the evening."
A. A likely event
B. An equally likely event
C. An unlikely event
D. An impossible event

Step: 1
The event is just as likely to happen as not to happen.
Step: 2
So, it is an equally likely event.
Correct Answer is :   A likely event
Q12The table shows information about the different flavors of ice cream in a fridge. If Mathew takes one ice cream from the fridge without looking, which 2 flavors does he have an equally likely chance of getting?
FlavorNumber of ice creams
Strawberry6
Chocolate chip3
Vanilla6
Black current8


A. Strawberry and Chocolate chip
B. Strawberry and Black current
C. Black current and Chocolate chip
D. Strawberry and Vanilla

Step: 1
In the table, the Ice creams flavour in fridge shows same number of ice creams on Vanilla & Strawberry.
Step: 2
Among the choices Vanilla or Strawberry have more likely chances of Mathews to take.
Correct Answer is :   Strawberry and Vanilla
Q13A bag of buttons contains 8 blue, 8 red, 4 yellow, and 12 white buttons. If Sue picks one button without looking from the bag, which colors have an equally likely chance of getting?

A. yellow and white
B. blue and red
C. blue and white
D. blue, red, and white

Step: 1
In probability, when there are the same chances of more than one event to happen, the events are equally likely to occur.
Step: 2
Number of blue buttons = 8
Step: 3
Number of red buttons = 8
Step: 4
Number of yellow buttons = 4
Step: 5
Number of white buttons = 12
Step: 6
As the number of blue buttons is same as the number of red buttons, blue and red buttons have an equally likely chance of getting.
Correct Answer is :   blue and red
Q14Lauren has a collection of 4 French novels, 3 English novels, 4 American magazines and 3 German magazines. If she picks one of them without opening her eyes, what are the equally likely outcomes?
A. Selecting a German magazine or an American magazine.
B. Selecting an English novel or a German magazine.
C. Selecting a French novel or an English novel.
D. Selecting an English novel or an American magazine.

Step: 1
In probability, when there are the same chances of more than one event to happen, the events are equally likely to occur.
Step: 2
As Lauren has equal number of French novels and American magazines in her collection, selecting a French novel or American magazine are equally likely outcomes.
Step: 3
As the number of English novels and German magazines are the same in Lauren′ s collection, selecting an English novel or German magazine are equally likely outcomes.
Step: 4
So, among the choices, selecting an English novel or a German magazine are equally likely outcomes.
Correct Answer is :   Selecting an English novel or a German magazine.
Q15Choose whether the event is likely, unlikely or equally likely to occur. "Your mother prepares your lunch."
A. A likely event
B. An unlikely event
C. An equally likely event

Step: 1
The event will most probably happen.
Step: 2
So, it is a likely event.
Correct Answer is :   A likely event