Virginia SOL 7.PS.1.b
The Standard
Given the results of a statistical investigation, determine the experimental probability of an event.
Virginia Standards of Learning for Mathematics · The student will use statistical investigation to determine the probability of an event and investigate and describe the difference between the experimental and theoretical probability.
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students use recorded results from an investigation to find how often a chosen event occurred. They divide that count by the total number of trials.
What Mastery Looks Like
- Students correctly identify the number of times the event occurred and the total number of trials. They calculate the ratio and express it as a fraction, decimal, or percent.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may divide by the number of desired outcomes instead of the total number of trials. They may use possible outcomes rather than observed results. Some confuse experimental probability with a guaranteed result for the next trial.
How to Assess It
- Exit ticket: A spinner landed on blue 18 times in 50 spins. Find the experimental probability of blue as a fraction, decimal, and percent.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Roll two number cubes 30 times, record each sum, and calculate the experimental probability of rolling a sum greater than seven.
Ask students to explain why two groups can get different experimental probabilities when they conduct the same investigation.
Play a card-draw game where teams predict, test, and calculate the experimental probability of drawing each color.
Use a week of weather records to calculate the experimental probability of rain based on the number of rainy days observed.
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Printable 7.PS.1.b Worksheet
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Related Standards
- 8.PS.1
The student will use statistical investigation to determine the probability of independent and dependent events, including those in context.
- 7.PS.1.d
Investigate and describe the difference between the probability of an event found through experiment or simulation versus the theoretical probability of that sa...
- 7.PS.1
The student will use statistical investigation to determine the probability of an event and investigate and describe the difference between the experimental and...
- 7.PS.1.a
Determine the theoretical probability of an event.
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