Quest mutually exclusive events?

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In summary, events A and B cannot be mutually exclusive because P(A) and P(B) are not equal to 0, and P(AuB) would be greater than 1, which violates the probability function. Additionally, using the proof by contradiction method, it can be shown that P(A and B) would be 0.9125 and P(A or B) would be 1.4, which contradicts the known values of P(A) and P(B). Therefore, events A and B cannot be mutually exclusive.
  • #1
kingyof2thejring
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I've got a question here asking me to explain why events A and B cannot be mutually exclusive events.
P(A)=0.75
P(B)=0.65
And then to comment about P(AuB) and P(AuB)

I've started of by assuming that they are mutually exclusive
and used the addition formula
P(AuB) = P(A) + P(B)
to get an answer greater than 1 therefore cannot be probability function
but I haven't exactly proved that the events A and B are not mutually exclusive events.
Could someone please point me to the right direction.
Thanks in advance
 
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  • #2
Do you know what a "Proof by contradiction" is?
 
  • #3
If A and B were mutually exclusive, what would P(A and B) be?
What would P(A or B) be?
 
  • #4
P(A and B) 0.9125
P(A or B) =1.4

Proof by contradiction
State the opposite of what you are trying to prove

Try to draw a conclusion that you know is false or that contradicts something that is true

If that is false, what you are trying to prove must be true. And so you have proved it.
 
  • #5
So haven't you done all the steps of a proof by contradiction?

You stated the opposite of what you're trying to prove, and derived something known to be false!
 

What are mutually exclusive events?

Mutually exclusive events are events that cannot occur at the same time. This means that if one event happens, the other cannot occur.

How do you determine if events are mutually exclusive?

To determine if events are mutually exclusive, you can use the addition rule. If the probability of both events happening together is equal to 0, then the events are mutually exclusive.

Can mutually exclusive events be dependent?

No, mutually exclusive events are by definition independent. This means that the occurrence of one event does not affect the probability of the other event occurring.

What is the difference between mutually exclusive and independent events?

The main difference between mutually exclusive and independent events is that mutually exclusive events cannot occur at the same time, while independent events can occur together.

How do you calculate the probability of mutually exclusive events?

The probability of mutually exclusive events can be calculated by adding the probabilities of each event. For example, if two events A and B are mutually exclusive, the probability of either event occurring is P(A) + P(B).

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