Question

Determine whether the following events are mutually exclusive. Choosing a student who is a mathematics major or a chemistry major from a nearby university to participate in a research study. (Assume that each student only has one major.)

Answer 1

The events are mutually exclusive.

Explanation:

Mutually exclusive event is simply event where the occurrence of one prevents the occurrence of the other. Better put - a disjointed event.

From the illustration, we have been given an assumption, which is, each student has only one major. As such, we have two independent events:

1. A student who only majors in Mathematics

2. A student who only majors in Chemistry.

The implication is that any student chosen could only possess one major and from the illustration, we could only choose one. It therefore follows that choosing one student major prevents the opportunity to field another student major.

Hence, we say such events are mutually exclusive.