document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=481138>Question 481138</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> Sam has a bucket of blocks. He has 3 yellow blocks, 10 blue blocks, 6 green blocks, 8 red  blocks, and 3 purple blocks.  \r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "What is the probability he picks a red block?<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #329491 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=bucky><B>bucky(2189)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-13.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=bucky><IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/aboutme-small.gif BORDER=0 alt=\"About Me\" VALIGN=MIDDLE></A>&nbsp;<IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/nopicture.jpg><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=329491\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> The total population of the blocks in the bucket is the sum of the numbers of blocks of each color.  In other words, the total population is:<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "3 yellow + 10 blue + 6 green + 8 red + 3 purple = 30 blocks<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "The 8 red blocks represent the number of chances to pick a red block from the total. Therefore, if Sam cannot see the color of the blocks, in one pick he has an 8 in 30 chance of drawing a red block from the 30 possible choices.<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "That is the answer to this problem.  The probability of selecting a red block is 8 in 30. It may also be expressed in fractional form as:<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=8%2F30 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"8%2F30\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
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document.write( "and because the both the numerator and denominator are divisible by 2, this fraction can be reduced to the equivalent form of:<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=4%2F15 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"4%2F15\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" ><BR>\n" );
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document.write( "This means that Sam has a 4 in 15 chance of drawing a red block.<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "And in still another way of expressing this, by dividing the denominators of these two fractions into their respective numerators you can change the fractions <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=8%2F30 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"8%2F30\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > and <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=/cgi-bin/plot-formula.mpl?expression=4%2F15 ALIGN=MIDDLE  ALT=\"4%2F15\"   DISABLED_style= \"max-width:90%; height:auto;\" > to their common decimal form of 0.266667. Then you can say that the probability of drawing a red block is 0.266667. You can also convert this to percent by moving the decimal point two places to the right so you can say that there is a 26.6667% probability of drawing a red block in one one random pick from the 30 blocks.<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Hope this helps you to understand the problem.<BR>\n" );
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