What is a sample space? 1.2 2006/02/25 01:36:34 US/Central 2006/03/04 04:00:02.090 US/Central Christopher Chikalimba-Gama chris.gama@poynting.co.za Christopher Chikalimba-Gama chris.gama@poynting.co.za sample sample space space This module defines what a sample space is and its examples. A sample space is a set or collection of outcome of a particular random experiment. For example, imagine a dart board. You are trying to find the probability of getting a bullseye. The dart board is the sample space. The probability of a dart hitting the dart board is 1.0. For another example, imagine rolling a six sided die. The sample space is {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6}. The following list consists of sample spaces of examples of random experiments and their respective outcomes. The tossing of a coin, sample space is {Heads, Tails} The roll of a die, sample space is {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6} The selection of a numbered ball (1-50) in an urn, sample space is {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, ...., 50} Percentage of calls dropped due to errors over a particular time period, sample space is {2%, 14%, 23%, ......} The time difference between two messages arriving at a message centre, sample space is {0, ...., infinity} The time difference between two different voice calls over a particular network, sample space is {0, ...., infinity} What is the sample space of the buttered toast random experiment? The sample space of the buttered toast example will be: {Buttered side up, Buttered side down}

Reference Ali M. Probalistic system analyses: Part I. University of the witwatersrand, 2000. http://www.atsweb.neu.edu/chance/book/basic_definitions.html Co-Author: Brandon Hodgson