Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Probability Basics
Probability is a measure of the likelihood that an event will occur, expressed as a number between 0 and 1. A probability of 0 indicates an impossible event, while a probability of 1 indicates a certain event. In this context, the probability of a flood occurring in a given year is 0.2, meaning there is a 20% chance of a flood happening.
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Independent Events
Two events are considered independent if the occurrence of one does not affect the occurrence of the other. In this scenario, the probability of a flood in one year does not influence the probability of a flood in the following year. Therefore, to find the probability of two independent events both occurring, we multiply their individual probabilities.
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Multiplication Rule of Probability
The multiplication rule states that for two independent events A and B, the probability of both A and B occurring is P(A) * P(B). In this case, to find the probability of a flood occurring in two consecutive years, we calculate 0.2 (the probability of a flood in the first year) multiplied by 0.2 (the probability of a flood in the second year), resulting in a combined probability of 0.04 or 4%.
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