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If P(AUB) = 1 and P(An B) = 0, then which statement is true?

A) A and B are both empty events.
B) A and B are reciprocal events.
C) A and B are supplementary events.
D) A and B are complementary events.

1 Answer

6 votes

Final answer:

The correct statement is D) A and B are complementary events. This is because P(A ∪ B) = 1 signifies that either A or B or both must occur, whereas P(A ∩ B) = 0 means A and B cannot occur simultaneously, making them complementary.

Step-by-step explanation:

If P(A ∪ B) = 1 and P(A ∩ B) = 0, we are dealing with some fundamental probability concepts associated with a sample space. The expressions refer to the probability of either event A or B occurring (the OR event), denoted by P(A ∪ B), and the probability of both events A and B occurring together (the AND event), denoted by P(A ∩ B). In our case, P(A ∪ B) = 1 indicates that event A or event B or both will certainly occur. In contrast, P(A ∩ B) = 0 indicates that events A and B cannot occur at the same time. These two events are therefore mutually exclusive and complementary. The correct answer is D) A and B are complementary events.

When A and B are mutually exclusive, it means they have no outcomes in common, which aligns with P(A ∩ B) = 0. Events are complementary when they cover all possible outcomes in the sample space without overlapping, which aligns with P(A ∪ B) = 1.

Thus, the notion that these events are complementary is the true statement reflecting the relationship between events A and B given P(A ∪ B) = 1 and P(A ∩ B) = 0.

User Cary Champlin
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