Question

Tell whether the following is certain to happen, impossible or not certain.
The next traffic light seen will be green

Answer 1

Hint:We know that an event is certain if its probability of happening is \[1\] i.e. we know that the event will happen under any circumstances, an event is impossible if its probability of happening is \[0\] i.e. we know that the given event will not happen and an event is uncertain if its probability of happening is anywhere between \[0\] and \[1\] excluding both which implies that the given event may or may not happen. General formula of probability of an event E is given as \[P(E)=\dfrac{\text{No}\text{. of favourable cases}}{\text{No}\text{. of total cases}}\].

Complete step by step answer:
We know probability as a science of uncertainty that is it is a science of measurement of the uncertainty of an event and visualized with the help of mathematics.
Probability is how likely something is to happen. If something has a low probability it implies that it is unlikely to happen. If something has a high probability then we infer it is likely to happen.
Probabilities are most commonly shown as fractions. The probability of getting 'tails' when you toss a coin is a \[\text{1 in 2}\] chance, or \[\dfrac{1}{2}\] i.e. there is \[50-50\] chance you get ahead or tail, probabilities can also be shown as decimals or percentages. A probability of \[\dfrac{1}{2}\] can also be shown as \[0.50\] or \[50%\].
Now, we try to find the probability of seeing a green light,
\[\text{favourable cases = }\!\!\{\!\!\text{ green }\!\!\}\!\!\text{ }\]
\[\text{total cases = }\!\!\{\!\!\text{ green , red , yellow }\!\!\}\!\!\text{ }\]
\[P(E)=\dfrac{\text{No}\text{. of favourable cases}}{\text{No}\text{. of total cases}}\]
\[\text{P(Green light)=}\dfrac{1}{3}\]
Since the probability obtained by us is in between \[0\] and \[1\] then we can deduce that the given event is uncertain.

Note:
The student must be aware of the concept of probability and the formula used in finding it and the condition under which an event is called uncertain, certain or impossible. The common mistakes committed by students are the inability to form the list of total outcomes and favorable outcomes also forgetting the fundamental probability formula.