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What principle underlies the law of probability regarding random selection?

  1. All outcomes are equal

  2. Some outcomes are preferable

  3. Only certain choices affect results

  4. Each choice is independent of past events

The correct answer is: Each choice is independent of past events

The principle that underlies the law of probability regarding random selection is that each choice is independent of past events. This means that the outcome of a random event does not depend on previous outcomes. In a truly random selection process, every individual outcome has the same likelihood of occurring, regardless of the results of prior selections. This is fundamental to understanding probability, as it emphasizes that past occurrences do not influence future ones, which is known as the independence of events. For example, when flipping a fair coin, the result of the last flip (heads or tails) does not affect the result of the next flip; each flip is independent. This independence is crucial in many applications, from statistics to various fields where predictions are based on random selection and probability distributions.