Understand the idea.
What could happen?
An outcome is a result that could happen in a chance action. Before rolling an ordinary six-sided die, inspect its faces: the possible number outcomes are , , , , and .
The result is the outcome that actually happens on a trial. After rolling a four, all six faces remain on the die. Four can happen again, and each of the other face numbers is still possible.
Choose what to record
Decide what you are recording before making a list. If you record the colour of a chosen counter, list each different colour once. Several red counters still give only one colour name: red.
Inspect the whole setup so you leave nothing out and add nothing unavailable. For a spinner labelled A, B and C, recording the letter gives those three outcomes, even if the sections also have colours.
See the method in action.
A complete list
An ordinary six-sided die is rolled once. Could the result be 8?
Worked solution
- 1
List the die's face numbers.
An ordinary six-sided die has these six labels, so these are its possible number results.
- 2
Check whether eight is on the list.
There is no face labelled eight. The result cannot be eight on this die.
No. Its possible numbers are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6.
Colours, not counters
Use the pictured bag. Choose one counter without looking. List the possible colours.
Worked solution
- 1
Inspect every colour in the pictured bag.
The picture shows red and blue counters, with no counters of another colour.
- 2
List each colour once.
We record colour rather than the individual counter, so the possible outcomes are red or blue.
- 3
Check that each listed colour is available.
At least one counter of each colour is present, so either listed colour could be chosen.
Red or blue.
Try it yourself.
Check your understanding
A bag contains only red and green counters. Could a blue counter be chosen?
Show answer & reasoning
No.
Only colours present in the bag can be chosen. The bag contains red and green counters, so there is no blue counter to choose.
Keep practising
6 worksheet questions
Read the questions online
- List the possible outcomes when an ordinary coin lands on one of its flat faces.
- List the possible numbers on an ordinary six-sided die.
- A box has cards labelled A, A, B and C. List the possible letters when one is chosen.
- A die roll gives 2. Is 5 still possible on the next roll? Explain.
- A bag holds 3 yellow counters and 1 purple counter. List the possible colours.
- A spinner has sections labelled . Sam lists as possible results. What is missing?
Read the worked solutions
- List the possible outcomes when an ordinary coin lands on one of its flat faces.
These are its two flat-face labels.
Heads or tails. - List the possible numbers on an ordinary six-sided die.
List every face once.
. - A box has cards labelled A, A, B and C. List the possible letters when one is chosen.
A is listed once because we record letters, not individual cards.
A, B and C. - A die roll gives 2. Is 5 still possible on the next roll? Explain.
An earlier result does not change its faces.
Yes. The die still has a face labelled 5. - A bag holds 3 yellow counters and 1 purple counter. List the possible colours.
Only those two colours are present.
Yellow and purple. - A spinner has sections labelled . Sam lists as possible results. What is missing?
Every labelled section must be included.
3.
Curriculum reference & lesson scope
Australian Curriculum v9 / South Australian Curriculum
Possible outcomes; likely/unlikely/certain/impossible; repeated experiments; variation.
Official curriculum source ↗