Experiments and Sample Spaces

An experiment is any process or study that results in the collection of data, the consequence of which is unknown or uncertain. The following are examples of experiments: tossing a coin, selecting a defective item from a factory, choosing a card from an ordinary deck of playing cards, and rolling a die.

An outcome of an experiment is a result or a consequence. When you toss a die, a face with 1 dot is a possible outcome. This corresponds to a "1."

A sample space is a set of possible outcomes for a given experiment. It is denoted by the symbol S. Each outcome or element of the sample space is called a sample point.