What is theoretical probability, relative frequency, and the probability scale?
In this post, we understand and use the concepts and language associated with theoretical probability, relative frequency, and the probability scale, as a part of the Prelim Maths Advanced course under the topic Statistical Analysis and sub-part Probability and Venn diagrams.
A theoretical probability is a method to express the chance that something will occur, calculated by dividing the number of favourable outcomes by the total possible outcomes. Relative frequency is calculated by dividing the number of times something occurs by the total possible outcomes, not to be confused with theoretical probability, as the relative frequency is based on how many an event has already occurred not theoretically. A probability scale is a way to represent the likelihood of an event occurring on a scale, starting from impossible to certain.
The following two videos talk about the probability of events occurring using a probability scale, with a large range of examples. The first video also introduces and defines a few new terms, and the second talks about the difference between theoretical probability and experimental probability, also known as relative frequency.
Part 1
Part 2
What is the notation used in probability?
This video goes over how we set out our working out in statistical analysis and the recommended notation used.
