Final answer:
Distinguishing between independent and dependent entities is an analytical process, important in the context of probability and statistics. Two events are independent if one does not affect the probability of the other, and they are dependent if one event's outcome affects the other's probability.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the context of probability and statistics, two events A and B are said to be independent if the occurrence of A does not affect the probability of B occurring, and vice versa. For example, flipping a coin and rolling a die at the same time are independent events because the outcome of one does not influence the outcome of the other.
On the other hand, events are dependent if the outcome of one event affects the probability of the other event occurring. If it is not known whether A and B are independent or dependent, it is safer to assume they are dependent until you can show otherwise through analysis and evidence.
For instance, if picking a card from a deck and then picking a second one without replacing the first, the events are dependent because the first pick changes the probabilities for the second pick.