problem solving involving sets using venn diagrams

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15 Venn Diagram Questions And Practice Problems (Middle & High School): Exam Style Questions Included

Beki Christian

Venn diagram questions involve visual representations of the relationship between two or more different groups of things. Venn diagrams are first covered in elementary school and their complexity and uses progress through middle and high school.

This article will look at the types of Venn diagram questions that might be encountered at middle school and high school, with a focus on exam style example questions and preparing for standardized tests. We will also cover problem-solving questions. Each question is followed by a worked solution.

How to solve Venn diagram questions

Venn diagram questions 6th grade, venn diagram questions 7th grade, venn diagram questions 8th grade, lower ability venn diagram questions, middle ability high school venn diagram questions.

• Looking for more Venn diagram math questions for middle and high school students?

In middle school, sets and set notation are introduced when working with Venn diagrams. A set is a collection of objects. We identify a set using braces. For example, if set A contains the odd numbers between 1 and 10, then we can write this as: 

A = {1, 3, 5, 7, 9}

Venn diagrams sort objects, called elements, into two or more sets.

This diagram shows the set of elements 

{1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10} sorted into the following sets.

Set A= factors of 10 

Set B= even numbers

The numbers in the overlap (intersection) belong to both sets. Those that are not in set A or set B are shown outside of the circles.

Different sections of a Venn diagram are denoted in different ways.

ξ represents the whole set, called the universal set.

∅ represents the empty set, a set containing no elements.

Venn Diagrams Check for Understanding Quiz

Wondering if your students have fully grasped Venn diagrams? Use this quiz to check their understanding across 10 questions with answers covering all things Venn diagrams!

Let’s check out some other set notation examples!

In middle school and high school, we often use Venn diagrams to establish probabilities.

We do this by reading information from the Venn diagram and applying the following formula.

For Venn diagrams we can say

Middle School Venn diagram questions

In middle school, students learn to use set notation with Venn diagrams and start to find probabilities using Venn diagrams. The questions below are examples of questions that students may encounter in 6th, 7th and 8th grade.

1. This Venn diagram shows information about the number of people who have brown hair and the number of people who wear glasses.

How many people have brown hair and glasses?

The intersection, where the Venn diagrams overlap, is the part of the Venn diagram which represents brown hair AND glasses. There are 4 people in the intersection.

2. Which set of objects is represented by the Venn diagram below?

We can see from the Venn diagram that there are two green triangles, one triangle that is not green, three green shapes that are not triangles and two shapes that are not green or triangles. These shapes belong to set D.

3. Max asks 40 people whether they own a cat or a dog. 17 people own a dog, 14 people own a cat and 7 people own a cat and a dog. Choose the correct representation of this information on a Venn diagram.

There are 7 people who own a cat and a dog. Therefore, there must be 7 more people who own a cat, to make a total of 14 who own a cat, and 10 more people who own a dog, to make a total of 17 who own a dog.

Once we put this information on the Venn diagram, we can see that there are 7+7+10=24 people who own a cat, a dog or both.

40-24=16 , so there are 16 people who own neither.

4. The following Venn diagrams each show two sets, set A and set B . On which Venn diagram has A ′ been shaded?

\mathrm{A}^{\prime} means not in \mathrm{A} . This is shown in diagram \mathrm{B.}

5. Place these values onto the following Venn diagram and use your diagram to find the number of elements in the set \text{S} \cup \text{O}.

\xi = \{1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10\} \text{S} = square numbers \text{O} = odd numbers

\text{S} \cup \text{O} is the union of \text{S} or \text{O} , so it includes any element in \text{S} , \text{O} or both. The total number of elements in \text{S} , \text{O} or both is 6.

6. The Venn diagram below shows a set of numbers that have been sorted into prime numbers and even numbers.

A number is chosen at random. Find the probability that the number is prime and not even.

The section of the Venn diagram representing prime and not even is shown below.

There are 3 numbers in the relevant section out of a possible 10 numbers altogether. The probability, as a fraction, is \frac{3}{10}.

7. Some people visit the theater. The Venn diagram shows the number of people who bought ice cream and drinks in the interval.

Ice cream is sold for $3 and drinks are sold for $ 2. A total of £262 is spent. How many people bought both a drink and an ice cream?

Money spent on drinks: 32 \times \$2 = \$64

Money spent on ice cream: 16 \times \$3 = \$48

\$64+\$48=\$112 , so the information already on the Venn diagram represents \$112 worth of sales.

\$262-\$112 = \$150 , so another \$150 has been spent.

If someone bought a drink and an ice cream, they would have spent \$2+\$3 = \$5.

\$150 \div \$5=30 , so 30 people bought a drink and an ice cream.

High school Venn diagram questions

In high school, students are expected to be able to take information from word problems and put it onto a Venn diagram involving two or three sets. The use of set notation is extended and the probabilities become more complex.

In advanced math classes, Venn diagrams are used to calculate conditional probability.

8. 50 people are asked whether they have been to France or Spain.

18 people have been to France. 23 people have been to Spain. 6 people have been to both.

By representing this information on a Venn diagram, find the probability that a person chosen at random has not been to Spain or France.

6 people have been to both France and Spain. This means 17 more have been to Spain to make 23  altogether, and 12 more have been to France to make 18 altogether. This makes 35 who have been to France, Spain or both and therefore 15 who have been to neither.

The probability that a person chosen at random has not been to France or Spain is \frac{15}{50}.

9. Some people were asked whether they like running, cycling or swimming. The results are shown in the Venn diagram below.

One person is chosen at random. What is the probability that the person likes running and cycling?

9 people like running and cycling (we include those who also like swimming) out of 80 people altogether. The probability that a person chosen at random likes running and cycling is \frac{9}{80}.

10. ξ = \{1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16\}

\text{A} = \{ even numbers \}

\text{B} = \{ multiples of 3 \}

By completing the following Venn diagram, find \text{P}(\text{A} \cup \text{B}^{\prime}).

\text{A} \cup \text{B}^{\prime} means \text{A} or not \text{B} . We need to include everything that is in \text{A} or is not in \text{B} . There are 13 elements in \text{A} or not in \text{B} out of a total of 16 elements.

Therefore \text{P}(\text{A} \cup \text{B}^{\prime}) = \frac{13}{16}.

11. ξ = \{1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12\}

A = \{ multiples of 2 \}

By putting this information onto the following Venn diagram, list all the elements of B.

We can start by placing the elements in \text{A} \cap \text{B} , which is the intersection.

We can then add any other multiples of 2 to set \text{A}.

Next, we can add any unused elements from \text{A} \cup \text{B} to \text{B}.

Finally, any other elements can be added to the outside of the Venn diagram.

The elements of \text{B} are \{1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 12\}.

12. Some people were asked whether they like strawberry ice cream or chocolate ice cream. 82% said they like strawberry ice cream and 70% said they like chocolate ice cream. 4% said they like neither.

By putting this information onto a Venn diagram, find the percentage of people who like both strawberry and chocolate ice cream.

Here, the percentages add up to 156\%. This is 56\% too much. In this total, those who like chocolate and strawberry have been counted twice and so 56\% is equal to the number who like both chocolate and strawberry. We can place 56\% in the intersection, \text{C} \cap \text{S}

We know that the total percentage who like chocolate is 70\%, so 70-56 = 14\%-14\% like just chocolate. Similarly, 82\% like strawberry, so 82-56 = 26\%-26\% like just strawberry.

13. The Venn diagram below shows some information about the height and gender of 40 students.

A student is chosen at random. Find the probability that the student is female given that they are over 1.2 m .

We are told the student is over 1.2m. There are 20 students who are over 1.2m and 9 of them are female. Therefore the probability that the student is female given they are over 1.2m is   \frac{9}{20}.

14. The Venn diagram below shows information about the number of students who study history and geography.

H = history

G = geography

Work out the probability that a student chosen at random studies only history.

We are told that there are 100 students in total. Therefore:

x = 12 or x = -3 (not valid) If x = 12, then the number of students who study only history is 12, and the number who study only geography is 24. The probability that a student chosen at random studies only history is \frac{12}{100}.

15. 50 people were asked whether they like camping, holiday home or hotel holidays.

18\% of people said they like all three. 7 like camping and holiday homes but not hotels. 11 like camping and hotels. \frac{13}{25} like camping.

Of the 27 who like holiday homes, all but 1 like at least one other type of holiday. 7 people do not like any of these types of holiday.

By representing this information on a Venn diagram, find the probability that a person chosen at random likes hotels given that they like holiday homes.

Put this information onto a Venn diagram.

We are told that the person likes holiday homes. There are 27 people who like holiday homes. 19 of these also like hotels. Therefore, the probability that the person likes hotels given that they like holiday homes is \frac{19}{27}.

Looking for more Venn diagram math questions for middle and high school students ?

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• Pythagorean theorem questions

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The content in this article was originally written by secondary teacher Beki Christian and has since been revised and adapted for US schools by elementary math teacher Katie Keeton.

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How to Solve Problems Using Venn Diagrams

Venn diagrams are visual tools often used to organize and understand sets and the relationships between them. They're named after John Venn, a British philosopher, and logician who introduced them in the 1880s. Venn diagrams are frequently used in various fields, including mathematics, statistics, logic, computer science, etc. They're handy for solving problems involving sets and subsets, intersections, unions, and complements.

A Step-by-step Guide to Solving Problems Using Venn Diagrams

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to solve problems using Venn diagrams:

Step 1: Understand the Problem

As with any problem-solving method, the first step is to understand the problem. What sets are involved? How are they related? What are you being asked to find?

Step 2: Draw the Diagram

Draw a rectangle to represent the universal set, which includes all possible elements. Each set within the universal set is represented by a circle. If there are two sets, draw two overlapping circles. If there are three sets, draw three overlapping circles, and so forth. Each section in the overlapping circles represents different intersections of the sets.

Step 3: Label the Diagram

Each circle (set) should be labeled appropriately. If you’re dealing with sets of different types of fruits, for example, one might be labeled “Apples” and another “Oranges”.

Step 4: Fill in the Values

Start filling in the values from the innermost part of the diagram (where all sets overlap) to the outer parts. This helps to avoid double-counting elements that belong to more than one set. Information provided in the problem usually tells you how many elements are in each set or section.

Step 5: Solve the Problem

Now, you can use the diagram to answer the question. This might involve counting the number of elements in a particular set or section of the diagram, or it might involve noticing patterns or relationships between the sets.

Step 6: Check Your Answer

Make sure your answer makes sense in the context of the problem and that you’ve accounted for all elements in the diagram.

by: Effortless Math Team about 10 months ago (category: Articles )

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WORD PROBLEMS ON SETS AND VENN DIAGRAMS

Basic stuff.

To understand, how to solve Venn diagram word problems with 3 circles, we have to know the following basic stuff.  

u ----> union (or)

n ----> intersection (and)

Addition Theorem on Sets

Theorem 1 :

n(AuB) = n(A) + n(B) - n(AnB)

Theorem 2 :

=n(A) + n(B) + n(C) - n(AnB) - n(BnC) - n(AnC) + n(AnBnC)

Explanation :

Let us come to know about the following terms in details.

n(AuB) = Total number of elements related to any of the two events A & B.

n(AuBuC) = Total number of elements related to any of the three events A, B & C.

n(A) = Total number of elements related to A

n(B) = Total number of elements related to B

n(C) = Total number of elements related to C

For  three events A, B & C, we have

n(A) - [n(AnB) + n(AnC) - n(AnBnC)] :

Total number of elements related to A only

n(B) - [n(AnB) + n(BnC) - n(AnBnC)] :

Total number of elements related to B only

n(C) - [n(BnC) + n(AnC) + n(AnBnC)] :

Total number of elements related to C only

Total number of elements related to both A & B

n(AnB) - n(AnBnC) :

Total number of elements related to both (A & B) only

Total number of elements related to both B & C

n(BnC) - n(AnBnC) :

Total number of elements related to both (B & C) only

Total number of elements related to both A & C

n(AnC) - n(AnBnC) :

Total number of elements related to both (A & C) only

For  two events A & B, we have

n(A) - n(AnB) :

n(B) - n(AnB) :

Solved Problems

Problem 1 :

In a survey of university students, 64 had taken mathematics course, 94 had taken chemistry course, 58 had taken physics course, 28 had taken mathematics and physics, 26 had taken mathematics and chemistry, 22 had taken chemistry and physics course, and 14 had taken all the three courses. Find how many had taken one course only.

Let M, C, P represent sets of students who had taken mathematics, chemistry and physics respectively.

From the given information, we have

n(M) = 64, n(C) = 94, n(P) = 58,

n(MnP) = 28, n(MnC) = 26, n(CnP) = 22

n(MnCnP) = 14

From the basic stuff, we have

Number of students who had taken only Math

= n(M) - [n(MnP) + n(MnC) - n(MnCnP)]

= 64 - [28 + 26 - 14]

Number of students who had taken only Chemistry :

= n(C) - [n(MnC) + n(CnP) - n(MnCnP)]

= 94 - [26+22-14]

Number of students who had taken only Physics :

= n(P) - [n(MnP) + n(CnP) - n(MnCnP)]

= 58 - [28 + 22 - 14]

Total n umber of students who had taken only one course :

= 24 + 60 + 22

Hence, the total number of students who had taken only one course is 106.

Alternative Method (Using venn diagram) :

Venn diagram related to the information given in the question:

From the venn diagram above, we have

Number of students who had taken only math = 24

Number of students who had taken only chemistry = 60

Number of students who had taken only physics = 22

Total  Number of students who had taken only one course :

Problem 2 :

In a group of students, 65 play foot ball, 45 play hockey, 42 play cricket, 20 play foot ball and hockey, 25 play foot ball and cricket, 15 play hockey and cricket and 8 play all the three games. Find the total number of students in the group  (Assume that each student in the group plays at least one game).

Let F, H and C represent the set of students who play foot ball, hockey and cricket respectively.

n(F) = 65, n(H) = 45, n(C) = 42,

n(FnH) = 20, n(FnC) = 25, n(HnC) = 15

n(FnHnC) = 8

Total number of students in the group is  n(FuHuC).

n(FuHuC) is equal to

= n(F) + n(H) + n(C) - n(FnH) - n(FnC) - n(HnC) + n(FnHnC)

n(FuHuC) = 65 + 45 + 42 -20 - 25 - 15 + 8

n(FuHuC) = 100

Hence, the total number of students in the group is 100.

Alternative Method (Using Venn diagram) :

Venn diagram related to the information given in the question :

Total number of students in the group :

= 28 + 12 + 18 + 7 + 10 + 17 + 8

So, the total number of students in the group is 100.

Problem 3 :

In a college, 60 students enrolled in chemistry,40 in physics, 30 in biology, 15 in chemistry and physics,10 in physics and biology, 5 in biology and chemistry. No one enrolled in all the three. Find how many are enrolled in at least one of the subjects.

Let C, P and B represents the subjects Chemistry, Physics  and Biology respectively.

Number of students enrolled in Chemistry :

Number of students enrolled in Physics :

Number of students enrolled in Biology :

Number of students enrolled in Chemistry and Physics :

n(CnP) = 15

Number of students enrolled in Physics and Biology :

n(PnB) = 10

Number of students enrolled in Biology and Chemistry :

No one enrolled in all the three.  So, we have

n(CnPnB) = 0

The above information can be put in a Venn diagram as shown below.

From, the above Venn diagram, number of students enrolled in at least one of the subjects :

= 40 + 15 + 15 + 15 + 5 + 10 + 0

So, the number of students  enrolled in at least one of the subjects is 100.

Problem 4 :

In a town 85% of the people speak Tamil, 40% speak English and 20% speak Hindi. Also 32% speak Tamil and English, 13% speak Tamil and Hindi and 10% speak English and Hindi, find the percentage of people who can speak all the three languages.

Let T, E and H represent the people who speak Tamil, English and Hindi respectively.

Percentage of people who speak Tamil :

Percentage of people who speak English :

Percentage of people who speak Hindi :

n(H)  =  20

Percentage of people who speak English and Tamil :

n(TnE) = 32

Percentage of people who speak Tamil and Hindi :

n(TnH) = 13

Percentage of people who speak English and Hindi :

n(EnH) = 10

Let x be the percentage of people who speak all the three language.

From the above Venn diagram, we can have 

100 = 40 + x + 32 – x + x + 13 – x + 10 – x – 2 + x – 3 + x

100 = 40 + 32 + 13 + 10 – 2 – 3 + x 

100 = 95 – 5 + x

100 = 90 + x

x = 100 - 90

x = 10% 

So, the percentage of people who speak all the three languages is 10%.

Problem 5 :

An advertising agency finds that, of its 170 clients, 115 use Television, 110 use Radio and 130 use Magazines. Also 85 use Television and Magazines, 75 use Television and Radio, 95 use Radio and Magazines, 70 use all the three. Draw Venn diagram to represent these data. Find 

(i) how many use only Radio?

(ii) how many use only Television?

(iii) how many use Television and Magazine but not radio?

Let T, R and M represent the people who use Television, Radio and Magazines respectively.

Number of people who use Television :

Number of people who use Radio :

Number of people who use Magazine :

Number of people who use Television and Magazines

n (TnM) = 85

Number of people who use Television and Radio :

n(TnR) = 75

Number of people who use Radio and Magazine :

n(RnM) = 95

Number of people who use all the three :

n(TnRnM) = 70

From the above Venn diagram, we have

(i) Number of people who use only Radio is 10.

(ii) Number of people who use only Television is 25.

(iii) Number of people who use Television and Magazine but not radio is 15.

Problem 6 :

In a class of 60 students, 40 students like math, 36 like science, 24 like both the subjects. Find the number of students who like

(i) Math only, (ii) Science only  (iii) Either Math or Science (iv) Neither Math nor science.

Let M and S represent the set of students who like math and science respectively.

From the information given in the question, we have

n(M) = 40, n(S) = 36, n(MnS) = 24

Answer (i) :

Number  of students who like math only :

= n(M) - n(MnS)

Answer (ii) :

Number  of students who like science only :

= n(S) - n(MnS)

=   12

Answer (iii) :

Number  of students who like either math or science :

= n(M or S) 

= n(MuS) 

= n(M) + n(S) - n(MnS)

= 40 + 36 - 24

Answer (iv) :

Total n umber  students who like Math or Science subjects :

n(MuS) = 52

Number  of students who like neither math nor science

Problem 7 :

At a certain conference of 100 people there are 29 Indian women and 23 Indian men. Out of these Indian people 4 are doctors and 24 are either men or doctors. There are no foreign doctors. Find the number of women doctors attending the conference.

Let M and D represent the set of Indian men and Doctors respectively.

n(M) = 23, n(D) = 4, n(MuD) = 24

n(MuD) = n(M) + n(D) - n(MnD)

24 = 23 + 4 - n(MnD)

n(MnD) = 3 

n(Indian Men and Doctors) = 3

So, out of the 4 Indian doctors,  there are 3 men.

And the remaining 1 is Indian women doctor.

So, the number women doctors attending the conference is 1.

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Venn Diagram Word Problems

Related Pages Venn Diagrams Intersection Of Two Sets Intersection Of Three Sets More Lessons On Sets More GCSE/IGCSE Maths Lessons

In these lessons, we will learn how to solve word problems using Venn Diagrams that involve two sets or three sets. Examples and step-by-step solutions are included in the video lessons.

What Are Venn Diagrams?

Venn diagrams are the principal way of showing sets in a diagrammatic form. The method consists primarily of entering the elements of a set into a circle or ovals.

Before we look at word problems, see the following diagrams to recall how to use Venn Diagrams to represent Union, Intersection and Complement.

How To Solve Problems Using Venn Diagrams?

This video solves two problems using Venn Diagrams. One with two sets and one with three sets.

Problem 1: 150 college freshmen were interviewed. 85 were registered for a Math class, 70 were registered for an English class, 50 were registered for both Math and English.

a) How many signed up only for a Math Class? b) How many signed up only for an English Class? c) How many signed up for Math or English? d) How many signed up neither for Math nor English?

Problem 2: 100 students were interviewed. 28 took PE, 31 took BIO, 42 took ENG, 9 took PE and BIO, 10 took PE and ENG, 6 took BIO and ENG, 4 took all three subjects.

a) How many students took none of the three subjects? b) How many students took PE but not BIO or ENG? c) How many students took BIO and PE but not ENG?

How And When To Use Venn Diagrams To Solve Word Problems?

Problem: At a breakfast buffet, 93 people chose coffee and 47 people chose juice. 25 people chose both coffee and juice. If each person chose at least one of these beverages, how many people visited the buffet?

How To Use Venn Diagrams To Help Solve Counting Word Problems?

Problem: In a class of 30 students, 19 are studying French, 12 are studying Spanish and 7 are studying both French and Spanish. How many students are not taking any foreign languages?

Probability, Venn Diagrams And Conditional Probability

This video shows how to construct a simple Venn diagram and then calculate a simple conditional probability.

Problem: In a class, P(male)= 0.3, P(brown hair) = 0.5, P (male and brown hair) = 0.2 Find (i) P(female) (ii) P(male| brown hair) (iii) P(female| not brown hair)

Venn Diagrams With Three Categories

Example: A group of 62 students were surveyed, and it was found that each of the students surveyed liked at least one of the following three fruits: apricots, bananas, and cantaloupes.

34 liked apricots. 30 liked bananas. 33 liked cantaloupes. 11 liked apricots and bananas. 15 liked bananas and cantaloupes. 17 liked apricots and cantaloupes. 19 liked exactly two of the following fruits: apricots, bananas, and cantaloupes.

a. How many students liked apricots, but not bananas or cantaloupes? b. How many students liked cantaloupes, but not bananas or apricots? c. How many students liked all of the following three fruits: apricots, bananas, and cantaloupes? d. How many students liked apricots and cantaloupes, but not bananas?

Venn Diagram Word Problem

Here is an example on how to solve a Venn diagram word problem that involves three intersecting sets.

Problem: 90 students went to a school carnival. 3 had a hamburger, soft drink and ice-cream. 24 had hamburgers. 5 had a hamburger and a soft drink. 33 had soft drinks. 10 had a soft drink and ice-cream. 38 had ice-cream. 8 had a hamburger and ice-cream. How many had nothing? (Errata in video: 90 - (14 + 2 + 3 + 5 + 21 + 7 + 23) = 90 - 75 = 15)

Venn Diagrams With Two Categories

This video introduces 2-circle Venn diagrams, and using subtraction as a counting technique.

How To Use 3-Circle Venn Diagrams As A Counting Technique?

Learn about Venn diagrams with two subsets using regions.

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Venn Diagram Examples, Problems and Solutions

On this page:

• What is Venn diagram? Definition and meaning.
• Venn diagram formula with an explanation.
• Examples of 2 and 3 sets Venn diagrams: practice problems with solutions, questions, and answers.
• Simple 4 circles Venn diagram with word problems.
• Compare and contrast Venn diagram example.

Let’s define it:

A Venn Diagram is an illustration that shows logical relationships between two or more sets (grouping items). Venn diagram uses circles (both overlapping and nonoverlapping) or other shapes.

Commonly, Venn diagrams show how given items are similar and different.

Despite Venn diagram with 2 or 3 circles are the most common type, there are also many diagrams with a larger number of circles (5,6,7,8,10…). Theoretically, they can have unlimited circles.

Venn Diagram General Formula

n(A ∪ B) = n(A) + n(B) – n(A ∩ B)

Don’t worry, there is no need to remember this formula, once you grasp the meaning. Let’s see the explanation with an example.

This is a very simple Venn diagram example that shows the relationship between two overlapping sets X, Y.

X – the number of items that belong to set A Y – the number of items that belong to set B Z – the number of items that belong to set A and B both

From the above Venn diagram, it is quite clear that

n(A) = x + z n(B) = y + z n(A ∩ B) = z n(A ∪ B) = x +y+ z.

Now, let’s move forward and think about Venn Diagrams with 3 circles.

Following the same logic, we can write the formula for 3 circles Venn diagram :

n(A ∪ B ∪ C) = n(A) + n(B) + n(C) – n(A ∩ B) – n(B ∩ C) – n(C ∩ A) + n(A ∩ B ∩ C)

Venn Diagram Examples (Problems with Solutions)

As we already know how the Venn diagram works, we are going to give some practical examples (problems with solutions) from the real life.

2 Circle Venn Diagram Examples (word problems):

Suppose that in a town, 800 people are selected by random types of sampling methods . 280 go to work by car only, 220 go to work by bicycle only and 140 use both ways – sometimes go with a car and sometimes with a bicycle.

Here are some important questions we will find the answers:

• How many people go to work by car only?
• How many people go to work by bicycle only?
• How many people go by neither car nor bicycle?
• How many people use at least one of both transportation types?
• How many people use only one of car or bicycle?

The following Venn diagram represents the data above:

Now, we are going to answer our questions:

• Number of people who go to work by car only = 280
• Number of people who go to work by bicycle only = 220
• Number of people who go by neither car nor bicycle = 160
• Number of people who use at least one of both transportation types = n(only car) + n(only bicycle) + n(both car and bicycle) = 280 + 220 + 140 = 640
• Number of people who use only one of car or bicycle = 280 + 220 = 500

Note: The number of people who go by neither car nor bicycle (160) is illustrated outside of the circles. It is a common practice the number of items that belong to none of the studied sets, to be illustrated outside of the diagram circles.

We will deep further with a more complicated triple Venn diagram example.

3 Circle Venn Diagram Examples:

For the purposes of a marketing research , a survey of 1000 women is conducted in a town. The results show that 52 % liked watching comedies, 45% liked watching fantasy movies and 60% liked watching romantic movies. In addition, 25% liked watching comedy and fantasy both, 28% liked watching romantic and fantasy both and 30% liked watching comedy and romantic movies both. 6% liked watching none of these movie genres.

Here are our questions we should find the answer:

• How many women like watching all the three movie genres?
• Find the number of women who like watching only one of the three genres.
• Find the number of women who like watching at least two of the given genres.

Let’s represent the data above in a more digestible way using the Venn diagram formula elements:

• n(C) = percentage of women who like watching comedy = 52%
• n(F ) = percentage of women who like watching fantasy = 45%
• n(R) = percentage of women who like watching romantic movies= 60%
• n(C∩F) = 25%; n(F∩R) = 28%; n(C∩R) = 30%
• Since 6% like watching none of the given genres so, n (C ∪ F ∪ R) = 94%.

Now, we are going to apply the Venn diagram formula for 3 circles. 

94% = 52% + 45% + 60% – 25% – 28% – 30% + n (C ∩ F ∩ R)

Solving this simple math equation, lead us to:

n (C ∩ F ∩ R)  = 20%

It is a great time to make our Venn diagram related to the above situation (problem):

See, the Venn diagram makes our situation much more clear!

From the Venn diagram example, we can answer our questions with ease.

• The number of women who like watching all the three genres = 20% of 1000 = 200.
• Number of women who like watching only one of the three genres = (17% + 12% + 22%) of 1000 = 510
• The number of women who like watching at least two of the given genres = (number of women who like watching only two of the genres) +(number of women who like watching all the three genres) = (10 + 5 + 8 + 20)% i.e. 43% of 1000 = 430.

As we mentioned above 2 and 3 circle diagrams are much more common for problem-solving in many areas such as business, statistics, data science and etc. However, 4 circle Venn diagram also has its place.

4 Circles Venn Diagram Example:

A set of students were asked to tell which sports they played in school.

The options are: Football, Hockey, Basketball, and Netball.

Here is the list of the results:

The next step is to draw a Venn diagram to show the data sets we have.

It is very clear who plays which sports. As you see the diagram also include the student who does not play any sports (Dorothy) by putting her name outside of the 4 circles.

From the above Venn diagram examples, it is obvious that this graphical tool can help you a lot in representing a variety of data sets. Venn diagram also is among the most popular types of graphs for identifying similarities and differences .

Compare and Contrast Venn Diagram Example:

The following compare and contrast example of Venn diagram compares the features of birds and bats:

Tools for creating Venn diagrams

It is quite easy to create Venn diagrams, especially when you have the right tool. Nowadays, one of the most popular way to create them is with the help of paid or free graphing software tools such as:

You can use Microsoft products such as:

Some free mind mapping tools are also a good solution. Finally, you can simply use a sheet of paper or a whiteboard.

Conclusion:

A Venn diagram is a simple but powerful way to represent the relationships between datasets. It makes understanding math, different types of data analysis , set theory and business information easier and more fun for you.

Besides of using Venn diagram examples for problem-solving and comparing, you can use them to present passion, talent, feelings, funny moments and etc.

Be it data science or real-world situations, Venn diagrams are a great weapon in your hand to deal with almost any kind of information.

If you need more chart examples, our posts fishbone diagram examples and what does scatter plot show might be of help.

About The Author

Silvia Valcheva

Silvia Valcheva is a digital marketer with over a decade of experience creating content for the tech industry. She has a strong passion for writing about emerging software and technologies such as big data, AI (Artificial Intelligence), IoT (Internet of Things), process automation, etc.

Well explained I hope more on this one

WELL STRUCTURED CONTENT AND ENLIGHTNING AS WELL

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Venn Diagram Examples for Problem Solving

Updated on: 13 September 2022

What is a Venn Diagram?

Venn diagrams define all the possible relationships between collections of sets. The most basic Venn diagrams simply consist of multiple circular boundaries describing the range of sets.

The overlapping areas between the two boundaries describe the elements which are common between the two, while the areas that aren’t overlapping house the elements that are different. Venn diagrams are used often in math that people tend to assume they are used only to solve math problems. But as the 3 circle Venn diagram below shows it can be used to solve many other problems.

Though the above diagram may look complicated, it is actually very easy to understand. Although Venn diagrams can look complex when solving business processes understanding of the meaning of the boundaries and what they stand for can simplify the process to a great extent. Let us have a look at a few examples which demonstrate how Venn diagrams can make problem solving much easier.

Example 1: Company’s Hiring Process

The first Venn diagram example demonstrates a company’s employee shortlisting process. The Human Resources department looks for several factors when short-listing candidates for a position, such as experience, professional skills and leadership competence. Now, all of these qualities are different from each other, and may or may not be present in some candidates. However, the best candidates would be those that would have all of these qualities combined.

The candidate who has all three qualities is the perfect match for your organization. So by using simple Venn Diagrams like the one above, a company can easily demonstrate its hiring processes and make the selection process much easier.

A colorful and precise Venn diagram like the above can be easily created using our Venn diagram software and we have professionally designed Venn diagram templates for you to get started fast too.

Example 2: Investing in a Location

The second Venn diagram example takes things a step further and takes a look at how a company can use a Venn diagram to decide a suitable office location. The decision will be based on economic, social and environmental factors.

In a perfect scenario you’ll find a location that has all the above factors in equal measure. But if you fail to find such a location then you can decide which factor is most important to you. Whatever the priority because you already have listed down the locations making the decision becomes easier.

Example 3: Choosing a Dream Job

The last example will reflect on how one of the life’s most complicated questions can be easily answered using a Venn diagram. Choosing a dream job is something that has stumped most college graduates, but with a single Venn diagram, this thought process can be simplified to a great extent.

First, single out the factors which matter in choosing a dream job, such as things that you love to do, things you’re good at, and finally, earning potential. Though most of us dream of being a celebrity and coming on TV, not everyone is gifted with acting skills, and that career path may not be the most viable. Instead, choosing something that you are good at, that you love to do along with something that has a good earning potential would be the most practical choice.

A job which includes all of these three criteria would, therefore, be the dream job for someone. The three criteria need not necessarily be the same, and can be changed according to the individual’s requirements.

So you see, even the most complicated processes can be simplified by using these simple Venn diagrams.

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Great article, and all true, but.. I hate venn diagrams! I don’t know why, they’ve just never seemed to work for me. Frustrating!

Hey thanks for writing. It helped me in many ways Thanks again 🙂

Hi Nishadha,

Nice article! I love Venn Diagrams because nothing comes to close to expressing the logical relationships between different sets of elements that well. With Microsoft Word 2003 you can create fantastic looking and colorful Venn Diagrams on the fly, with as many elements and colors as you need.

Hi Worli, Yes, Venn diagrams are a good way to solve problems, it’s a shame that it’s sort of restricted to the mathematics subject. MS Word do provides some nice options to create Venn diagrams, although it’s not the cheapest thing around.

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Sets and Venn Diagrams

A set is a collection of things.

For example, the items you wear is a set: these include hat, shirt, jacket, pants, and so on.

You write sets inside curly brackets like this:

{hat, shirt, jacket, pants, ...}

You can also have sets of numbers:

• Set of whole numbers : {0, 1, 2, 3, ...}
• Set of prime numbers : {2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, ...}

Ten Best Friends

You could have a set made up of your ten best friends:

• {alex, blair, casey, drew, erin, francis, glen, hunter, ira, jade}

Each friend is an "element" (or "member") of the set. It is normal to use lowercase letters for them.

Now let's say that alex, casey, drew and hunter play Soccer :

Soccer = {alex, casey, drew, hunter}

(It says the Set "Soccer" is made up of the elements alex, casey, drew and hunter.)

And casey, drew and jade play Tennis :

Tennis = {casey, drew, jade}

We can put their names in two separate circles:

You can now list your friends that play Soccer OR Tennis .

This is called a "Union" of sets and has the special symbol ∪ :

Soccer ∪ Tennis = {alex, casey, drew, hunter, jade}

Not everyone is in that set ... only your friends that play Soccer or Tennis (or both).

In other words we combine the elements of the two sets.

We can show that in a "Venn Diagram":

A Venn Diagram is clever because it shows lots of information:

• Do you see that alex, casey, drew and hunter are in the "Soccer" set?
• And that casey, drew and jade are in the "Tennis" set?
• And here is the clever thing: casey and drew are in BOTH sets!

All that in one small diagram.

Intersection

"Intersection" is when you must be in BOTH sets.

In our case that means they play both Soccer AND Tennis ... which is casey and drew.

The special symbol for Intersection is an upside down "U" like this: ∩

And this is how we write it:

Soccer ∩ Tennis = {casey, drew}

In a Venn Diagram:

Which Way Does That "U" Go?

Think of them as "cups": ∪ holds more water than ∩ , right?

So Union ∪ is the one with more elements than Intersection ∩

You can also "subtract" one set from another.

For example, taking Soccer and subtracting Tennis means people that play Soccer but NOT Tennis ... which is alex and hunter.

Soccer − Tennis = {alex, hunter}

Summary So Far

• ∪ is Union: is in either set or both sets
• ∩ is Intersection: only in both sets
• − is Difference: in one set but not the other

You can also use Venn Diagrams for 3 sets.

Let us say the third set is "Volleyball", which drew, glen and jade play:

Volleyball = {drew, glen, jade}

But let's be more "mathematical" and use a Capital Letter for each set:

• S means the set of Soccer players
• T means the set of Tennis players
• V means the set of Volleyball players

The Venn Diagram is now like this:

Union of 3 Sets: S ∪ T ∪ V

You can see (for example) that:

• drew plays Soccer, Tennis and Volleyball
• jade plays Tennis and Volleyball
• alex and hunter play Soccer, but don't play Tennis or Volleyball
• no-one plays only Tennis

We can now have some fun with Unions and Intersections ...

S = {alex, casey, drew, hunter}

T ∪ V = {casey, drew, jade, glen}

S ∩ V = {drew}

And how about this ...

• take the previous set S ∩ V
• then subtract T :

(S ∩ V) − T = {}

Hey, there is nothing there!

That is OK, it is just the "Empty Set". It is still a set, so we use the curly brackets with nothing inside: {}

The Empty Set has no elements: {}

Universal Set

The Universal Set is the set that has everything. Well, not exactly everything. Everything that we are interested in now.

Sadly, the symbol is the letter "U" ... which is easy to confuse with the ∪ for Union. You just have to be careful, OK?

In our case the Universal Set is our Ten Best Friends.

U = {alex, blair, casey, drew, erin, francis, glen, hunter, ira, jade}

We can show the Universal Set in a Venn Diagram by putting a box around the whole thing:

Now you can see ALL your ten best friends, neatly sorted into what sport they play (or not!).

And then we can do interesting things like take the whole set and subtract the ones who play Soccer :

We write it this way:

U − S = {blair, erin, francis, glen, ira, jade}

Which says "The Universal Set minus the Soccer Set is the Set {blair, erin, francis, glen, ira, jade}"

In other words "everyone who does not play Soccer".

And there is a special way of saying "everything that is not ", and it is called "complement" .

We show it by writing a little "C" like this:

Which means "everything that is NOT in S", like this:

S c = {blair, erin, francis, glen, ira, jade} (exactly the same as the U − S example from above)

• A c is the Complement of A: everything that is not in A
• Empty Set: the set with no elements. Shown by {}
• Universal Set: all things we are interested in

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7: Sets and Venn Diagrams

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It is natural for us to classify items into groups, or sets, and consider how those sets overlap with each other. We can use these sets understand relationships between groups, and to analyze survey data.

• 7.1: Basics of Sets
• 7.2: Union, Intersection, and Complement Commonly sets interact. For example, you and a new roommate decide to have a house party, and you both invite your circle of friends. At this party, two sets are being combined, though it might turn out that there are some friends that were in both sets.
• 7.3: Venn Diagrams
• 7.4: Cardinality
• 7.5: Exercises

via Wikipedia ).

Mathematics 7 Quarter 1 – Module 2: Problems Involving Sets

This module was designed and written with you in mind. It is here to help you master your skills in solving mathematical problems involving sets. The scope of this module permits it to be used in many different learning situations. The language used recognizes the diverse vocabulary level of students. The lessons are arranged to follow the standard sequence of the course. But the order in which you read them can be changed to correspond with the textbook you are now using.

The module is all about Solving Problems Involving Sets.

After going through this module, you are expected to:

1. solve problems involving sets using Venn diagram;

2. apply set operations to solve a variety of word problems.

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