Final answer:
The event of choosing a senior and a male student is likely dependent if from the same group, while winning the lottery and getting a college degree are independent events as one does not affect the likelihood of the other.
Step-by-step explanation:
The classification of events as dependent or independent is based on whether the occurrence of one event affects the probability of the other event occurring. In the question provided:
- a) The event of choosing a student who is a senior and choosing a student who is a male are dependent events if the selection is from the same group because choosing a senior will affect the chances of that student being male or not.
- b) The event of winning the lottery and the event of getting a college degree are typically considered independent events, because the occurrence of one does not influence the probability of the other happening.
Understanding the difference between independent and dependent events is fundamental in probability and helps to predict outcomes in various situations.