What is experimental probability?

• A. The probability calculated from theoretical possibilities without experiments.
• B. The probability derived from the outcomes of an actual experiment or trial.
• C. The ratio of favorable outcomes to the total number of outcomes.
• D. The space of all possible events in a given situation.

Answer: (B)

Experimental probability is the probability obtained from the results of actual experiments or trials. To find it, you run the experiment many times, count how often the event occurs, and divide by the total number of trials. For example, if you flip a coin 50 times and get heads 27 times, the experimental probability of heads is 27/50. This differs from theoretical probability, which you determine from the possible outcomes without performing experiments. The ratio of favorable outcomes to the total number of outcomes describes probability in general, but experimental probability specifically uses data from real trials. The space of all possible outcomes, or sample space, helps you reason about probabilities, but experimental probability relies on observed results. As you increase the number of trials, the experimental probability tends to the theoretical probability (Law of Large Numbers).