My Math Forum Probability in Algebra
 User Name Remember Me? Password

 Algebra Pre-Algebra and Basic Algebra Math Forum

 April 20th, 2017, 01:01 AM #1 Senior Member   Joined: Jan 2017 From: US Posts: 104 Thanks: 5 Probability in Algebra Solve for the probability that a student is selected at random from a group of 20 students will draw a 6 from a bag with the numbers 1 though 15 in it. Show and explain all of your work. Could anyone tell me how I would go about this? Thanks
 April 20th, 2017, 01:49 AM #2 Senior Member     Joined: Sep 2015 From: USA Posts: 1,696 Thanks: 861 does it matter which student is chosen? Well there's nothing in the problem that would lead you to believe one student will chose any differently than any other student so no. Thus the bit about choosing a student at random doesn't matter at all. What's the probability that any student will choose a 6 out of the 15 tiles. Well there's only one 6 out of the 15 so the probability is $p=\dfrac {1}{15}$ Thanks from Indigo28
April 20th, 2017, 02:31 AM   #3
Senior Member

Joined: Jan 2017
From: US

Posts: 104
Thanks: 5

Quote:
 Originally Posted by romsek does it matter which student is chosen? Well there's nothing in the problem that would lead you to believe one student will chose any differently than any other student so no. Thus the bit about choosing a student at random doesn't matter at all. What's the probability that any student will choose a 6 out of the 15 tiles. Well there's only one 6 out of the 15 so the probability is $p=\dfrac {1}{15}$
Thank you! This seems so obvious to me now, I don't know why I didn't see how simple that was. Lol

April 20th, 2017, 04:24 AM   #4
Senior Member

Joined: May 2016
From: USA

Posts: 883
Thanks: 353

Quote:
 Originally Posted by Indigo28 Solve for the probability that a student is selected at random from a group of 20 students will draw a 6 from a bag with the numbers 1 though 15 in it. Show and explain all of your work. Could anyone tell me how I would go about this? Thanks
Romsek gave the correct answer to a reasonable interpretation of a flawed question. I do not think it is the only possible interpretation.

"A student is selected at random from a group of 20 students will draw ..." The verb "will draw" has no subject. Romsek assumes quite sensibly that the intended subject is "the student, who is selected ..., will draw." He then deduces correctly that how the student is selected is irrelevant to whether that student draws a 6. I agree if that is the intended problem.

But that very minimal addition to the words of the given problem may not be the correct addition needed to get to the intended problem.

Is the problem you gave the complete and exact wording of the problem in your text? If not, what is the complete and exact wording?

 Tags algebra, probability

 Thread Tools Display Modes Linear Mode

 Similar Threads Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post Niladri Advanced Statistics 3 June 29th, 2016 04:00 AM ItisBowtime Geometry 2 April 2nd, 2013 09:34 PM Espanol Algebra 2 June 16th, 2009 04:36 PM MATHguerilla Algebra 2 August 21st, 2008 02:44 PM MATHguerilla Abstract Algebra 1 December 31st, 1969 04:00 PM

 Contact - Home - Forums - Cryptocurrency Forum - Top

Copyright © 2018 My Math Forum. All rights reserved.