How is theoretical probability generally calculated?

Theoretical probability is calculated using the principle that probability is a measure of how likely an event is to occur based on a defined set of possible outcomes. The formula for theoretical probability is the number of favorable outcomes divided by the total number of outcomes possible. This approach assumes that all outcomes are equally likely.

For example, if you were rolling a fair six-sided die and wanted to find the probability of rolling a 3, you would identify that there is one favorable outcome (rolling a 3) and a total of six possible outcomes (1 through 6). Thus, the theoretical probability would be calculated as 1 divided by 6, which equals approximately 0.1667.

This method relies on the assumption of equal likelihood and is applicable in scenarios where the possible outcomes are known and can be clearly defined, making it a foundational concept in probability theory.