Probability Formulas for Independent Events
P(A and B) = P(A) × P(B)
P(A or B) = P(A) + P(B) − P(A and B)
What "Independent Events" Means
Two events are independent when the outcome of one doesn't affect the probability of the other — like flipping a coin and rolling a die. This calculator assumes independence; for dependent events (where one outcome affects the other), different formulas involving conditional probability would apply.
Why We Subtract P(A and B) for "OR"
Simply adding P(A) + P(B) would double-count the overlap where both events happen — subtracting P(A and B) corrects for this overlap, ensuring the combined probability doesn't exceed 100%.