Venn Diagrams

This lesson covers the use of Venn diagrams in probability, including set notation, as required by the AQA GCSE Mathematics specification. Venn diagrams are a powerful visual tool for organising data and calculating probabilities, especially when events overlap.

---

What Is a Venn Diagram?

A Venn diagram uses overlapping circles inside a rectangle to represent sets (groups) and their relationships. The rectangle represents the universal set (all items being considered).

graph TD
    subgraph Universal Set
        subgraph Set A
            A1[A only]
            AB[A and B]
        end
        subgraph Set B
            AB
            B1[B only]
        end
        N[Neither A nor B]
    end

Each region of the Venn diagram represents a different group:

Region	Meaning
A only (not in B)	Items in set A but not in set B
B only (not in A)	Items in set B but not in set A
A and B (overlap)	Items in both set A and set B
Outside both circles	Items in neither set A nor set B

---

Set Notation

The AQA specification requires you to understand and use set notation.