Transcript Slide 1

The Fundamental
Counting Principle
9.5
Pre-Algebra
Warm Up
An experiment consists of rolling a fair
number cube with faces numbered 2, 4, 6, 8,
10, and 12. Find each probability.
1. P(rolling an even number) 1
2. P(rolling a prime number) 1
3. P(rolling a number > 7)
6
1
2
Learn to find the number of possible outcomes
in an experiment.
Vocabulary
Fundamental Counting Principal
tree diagram
Example: Using the Fundamental Counting Principal
License plates are being produced that have a
single letter followed by three digits. All
license plates are equally likely.
A. Find the number of possible license plates.
Use the Fundamental Counting Principal.
letter
first digit
second digit
third digit
26 choices 10 choices 10 choices 10 choices
26  10  10  10 = 26,000
The number of possible 1-letter, 3-digit license
plates is 26,000.
Example: Using the Fundamental Counting Principal
B. Find the probability that a license plate
has the letter Q.
P(Q
)= 1

1
10  10  10
 0.038
=
26,000
26
Example: Using the Fundamental Counting Principle
C. Find the probability that a license plate does
not contain a 3.
First use the Fundamental Counting Principle to
find the number of license plates that do not
contain a 3.
26  9  9  9 = 18,954 possible license plates
without a 3
There are 9 choices for any
digit except 3.
P(no 3) = 18,954 = 0.729
26,000
Try This
Social Security numbers contain 9 digits. All
social security numbers are equally likely.
A. Find the number of possible Social Security
numbers.
Use the Fundamental Counting Principal.
Digit
1
Choices 10
2
10
3
4
10 10
5
10
6
7
10 10
8
9
10
10
10  10  10  10  10  10  10  10  10 =
10,000,000,000
The number of Social Security numbers is
10,000,000,000.
Try This
B. Find the probability that the Social Security
number contains a 7.
P(7 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _) = 1 • 10 • 10 • 10 • 10 • 10 • 10 • 10 • 10
10,000,000,000
=
1 = 0.01
100
Try This
C. Find the probability that a Social Security
number does not contain a 7.
First use the Fundamental Counting Principle to find
the number of Social Security numbers that do not
contain a 7.
P(no 7 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _) = 9 • 9 • 9 • 9 • 9 • 9 • 9 • 9 • 9
10,000,000,000
P(no 7) =
387,420,489 ≈ 0.04
10,000,000,000
The Fundamental Counting Principle tells you
only the number of outcomes in some
experiments, not what the outcomes are. A tree
diagram is a way to show all of the possible
outcomes.
Example: Using a Tree Diagram
You have a photo that you want to mat and
frame. You can choose from a blue, purple, red,
or green mat and a metal or wood frame.
Describe all of the ways you could frame this
photo with one mat and one frame.
You can find all of the possible outcomes by
making a tree diagram.
There should be 4
frame the photo.

2 = 8 different ways to
Example Continued
Each “branch” of the tree
diagram represents a
different way to frame the
photo. The ways shown in
the branches could be
written as (blue, metal),
(blue, wood), (purple,
metal), (purple, wood),
(red, metal), (red, wood),
(green, metal), and (green,
wood).
Try This
A baker can make yellow or white cakes
with a choice of chocolate, strawberry, or
vanilla icing. Describe all of the possible
combinations of cakes.
You can find all of the possible outcomes by
making a tree diagram.
There should be 2
available.

3 = 6 different cakes
Try This
yellow cake
vanilla icing
chocolate
icing
strawberry
icing
white cake
vanilla icing
chocolate
icing
strawberry
icing
The different cake
possibilities are
(yellow, chocolate),
(yellow, strawberry),
(yellow, vanilla),
(white, chocolate),
(white, strawberry),
and (white, vanilla).
Lesson Quiz
Personal identification numbers (PINs)
contain 2 letters followed by 4 digits.
Assume that all codes are equally likely.
1. Find the number of possible PINs.6,760,000
2. Find the probability that a PIN does not contain
a 6. 0.6561
3. For lunch a student can choose one sandwich,
one bowl of soup, and one piece of fruit. The
choices include grilled cheese, peanut butter, or
turkey sandwich, chicken soup or clam chowder,
and an apple, banana, or orange. How many
different lunches are possible? 18