In an experiment, events A and B are mutually exclusive. If P(A) = 0.6, then the probability of B
A)cannot be larger than 0.4
B)can be any value greater than 0.6
C)can be any value between 0 to 1
D)cannot be determined with the information given

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

If events A and B are mutually exclusive, they cannot occur at the same time. Therefore, P(B) is equal to 1 - P(A). If P(A) is 0.6, then P(B) must be no larger than 0.4 because the sum of probabilities of all possible outcomes must be 1. Thus, we can eliminate options B and C. Option D cannot be chosen since we have enough information to determine that P(B) cannot be greater than 0.4. Therefore, the best choice is A.

In an Experiment, Events a and B Are Mutually Exclusive