document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=1141573>Question 1141573</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> Leo’s pencil case contains 8 black pens, 6 blue pens and 2 red pens. He loses 4 pens, 2 of which are blue. If he then picks one pen out of the pencil case at random, what is the probability that it will be blue?<BR>\n" );
document.write( "A) 1/3<BR>\n" );
document.write( "B)1/4<BR>\n" );
document.write( "C)1/6<BR>\n" );
document.write( "D)1/8 </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #762160 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=jim_thompson5910><B>jim_thompson5910(35256)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-13.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=jim_thompson5910><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=762160\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> <font face=\"times\" color=\"black\" size=\"3\"><BR>\n" );
document.write( "Answer: <font color=red size=4>choice A) 1/3</font>\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "=============================================================<BR>\n" );
document.write( "Explanation:\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "The information that \"Leo’s pencil case contains 8 black pens, 6 blue pens and 2 red pens\" means we have 8+6+2 = 14+2 = 16 pens total\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "Furthermore, we are told \"He loses 4 pens, 2 of which are blue\" so the total drops from 16 to 16-4 = 12 pens overall. The number of blue pens goes from 6 to 6-2 = 4.\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "After Leo loses those pens, he has 4 blue pens out of 12 total. Form a fraction with these values and reduce<BR>\n" );
document.write( "4/12 = <font color=red>1/3</font>\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "----------------------------------\r<BR>\n" );
document.write( "<BR>\n" );
document.write( "\n" );
document.write( "note: the greatest common factor (GCF) of 4 and 12 is 4. So you divide each value by 4<BR>\n" );
document.write( "4/4 = 1<BR>\n" );
document.write( "12/4 = 3<BR>\n" );
document.write( "So that's how 4/12 reduces to 1/3<BR>\n" );
document.write( "This is one way to show the reduction <IMG STYLE=\"max-width:80%;\" SRC=\"/cgi-bin/rendertex.cgi?\large \frac{4}{12} = \frac{4\div4}{12\div4} = \frac{1}{3}\"><BR>\n" );
document.write( "</font> </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</TD></TR></TABLE>\n" );