Random Experiment
A random experiment is an action or process in probability where the exact outcome cannot be predicted with certainty beforehand, even though all possible outcomes are known. It forms the foundational basis for calculating theoretical probability.
Key Concepts
An experiment is considered random only if it has more than one possible outcome.
The exact result of any single trial of the experiment cannot be predicted in advance.
The complete collection of all possible outcomes of a random experiment is known as the sample space.
Real World Applications
Tossing a fair coin is a random experiment because the outcome can be either heads or tails, but we cannot predict which one will appear on a specific toss.
Drawing a single card from a well-shuffled playing card deck is a random experiment because you know it will be one of 52 cards, but you cannot predict exactly which one.