When two six-sided dice are rolled, Find the probability that the sum is not 4.

Short Answer: 11/12

Step One

How many ways can you throw two dice?

There are 6 faces on a cube. Each cube has a different number. (Opposite sides add up to 7 - - that last fact is not important, but it is interesting).

So the total number of ways you can throw 2 dice is 6 * 6 = 36

Step Two

How many of those 36 will give you 4? To make the problem slightly easier to understand, make 1 dice red, and 1 blue and just list the ways.

Red Blue

1 3

3 1

2 2

That's Three ways that you can throw a four

Step Three

What's the probability of throwing a 4?

3 successful ways 36 total ways.

3 / 36 = 1 / 12

Step Four

What is the probability of not throwing a 4?

1 - P (4) = 1 - 1/12 = 11/12