What is the principle that states the probability of two or more independent events occurring?

• A. Addition rule
• B. Multiplication rule
• C. Product rule
• D. Combination rule

Answer: (C)

The principle that addresses the probability of two or more independent events occurring is fundamentally tied to the concept of multiplying the probabilities of those individual events. This reflects the idea that for independent events, the occurrence of one event does not affect the occurrence of the other. Thus, when calculating the probability of multiple independent events happening together, you multiply their individual probabilities.

The terminology used in many contexts refers to this as the "multiplication rule." This rule is based on the understanding that if you want to find the probability of Event A occurring and Event B occurring, you calculate it as P(A) * P(B) when A and B are independent.

Although terms like "product rule" might be used in specific mathematical contexts to describe similar operations, in the realm of genetics and probability, the standard terminology for this principle is best represented by the multiplication rule. Hence, while the answer provided may reflect a related concept, the widely accepted terminology in genetics education favors the term multiplication rule for clarity and consistency.

Understanding this principle is crucial in genetics, especially in scenarios such as calculating the probabilities of inheritance patterns where different genetic traits are independently assorted.