Question

Suppose that we have a bag containing two red balls, three white balls, and six blue balls. What is the probability of obtaining a red or a white ball on one withdrawal?

Short answer

The probability of obtaining a red or a white ball on one withdrawal is \(\frac{5}{11}\).

Step-by-step solution

Find the total number of balls in the bag

We are given that there are 2 red balls, 3 white balls, and 6 blue balls in the bag. To find the total number of balls, we add all three quantities: Total balls = Red balls + White balls + Blue balls Total balls = 2 + 3 + 6 = 11

Find the number of successful outcomes

Since we are interested in finding the probability of obtaining either a red or a white ball in one withdrawal, the successful outcomes are the number of red and white balls combined: Successful outcomes = Red balls + White balls Successful outcomes = 2 + 3 = 5

Calculate the probability

Now, we are ready to calculate the probability. The probability of an event is the ratio of the number of successful outcomes to the total number of possible outcomes. In this case, the probability of obtaining a red or white ball is given by: Probability = (Number of successful outcomes) / (Total number of outcomes) Probability = (Red balls + White balls) / (Total balls) Probability = 5 / 11 So, the probability of obtaining a red or a white ball in one withdrawal is \(\frac{5}{11}\).