Talking about probability When we make predictions, we say how probable a thing is. Probability is saying how likely (probable) something is to happen (the outcome). Probability can be used to predict the result when throwing a die or tossing a coin. We can say we think it is likely or unlikely to rain tomorrow. We can say impossible for pigs to fly. We can say we are certain to pass an exam. it is But there is a problem. Words like unlikely and probable can mean different things to different people. Their meaning is not fixed. We might not be sure of what the person means. So, we need to be clearer when we talk about an outcome. Mathematicians wanted to make how we talk about probability more scientific. They used numbers. They decided that the probability of an outcome can be between 0 (impossible) and 1 (certain). It can be a fraction, decimal or percentage. So an even chance can be expressed as ½, 0.5 or 50%.



5 Read the text again and answer the questions.

1 When we make a prediction, are we always certain about the outcome?

2 How did scientists make talking about probability more scientific?

3 In what ways can mathematicians express probability? ​