Two events are mutually exclusive if they cannot occur at the same time. ... If two events are mutually exclusive, then the probability of either occurring is the sum of the probabilities of each occurring.

How do you know if probabilities are mutually exclusive?

A and B are mutually exclusive events if they cannot occur at the same time. This means that A and B do not share any outcomes and P(A AND B) = 0.

What makes something mutually exclusive in probability?

In statistics and probability theory, two events are mutually exclusive if they cannot occur at the same time. The simplest example of mutually exclusive events is a coin toss. A tossed coin outcome can be either head or tails, but both outcomes cannot occur simultaneously.