LESSON: The Multiplication Rule

Introduction to the Multiplication Rule

The Multiplication Rule for Independent Events

In this lesson book you will learn how to find the probabilities for two events occurring in a sequence. For example, you'll be able to answer questions like: what's the probability of flipping tails on a coin and then rolling a 6 on a die? Or, what's the probability of selecting two Kings from a deck of cards in a row?

In the upcoming video you will be introduced to the Multiplication Rule. This is the rule we follow to find the probability of two events occurring in a sequence. 

But remember, there are two types of events: Independent and Dependent. For now, we will learn how to apply the multiplication rule to independent events.

The Multiplication Rule for Dependent Events

We've seen a few examples of how to use the multiplication rule for independent events. It's pretty straight forward. We simply multiply the two individual probabilities together!

Now we will focus on dependent events. Remember that two events are dependent when the occurrence of the first event affects the probability of the next event. This means the the probability of the second event changes based on what happened first. For this reason, we will use a slightly different formula for the multiplication rule. 

Watch the following video to learn more:

Homework Examples

The lesson video on this page will be helpful for you as you approach your upcoming assignment. Watch this video and pay close attention to how I think through the problem, the steps that I follow and the calculations. I will also provide some helpful tips at the end.