A bowl contains 3 apples, 4 pears, 2 bananas, and 1 peach. Hal chooses a piece of fruit without looking. What is the probability he chooses an apple or a peach?
3 apples + 1 peach = 4 fruits.
There are 10 fruits in the basket.
What is the probability of picking (at random) one of 3 apples and 1 peach?
To find the probability of Hal choosing an apple or a peach, we need to determine the number of favorable outcomes and the total number of possible outcomes.
First, let's calculate the total number of possible outcomes. Since Hal is picking from a bowl containing 3 apples, 4 pears, 2 bananas, and 1 peach, there are a total of 3 + 4 + 2 + 1 = 10 fruits in the bowl.
Next, let's identify the favorable outcomes, which in this case are the apples and the peach. There are a total of 3 + 1 = 4 favorable outcomes (3 apples and 1 peach).
Therefore, the probability of Hal choosing an apple or a peach can be calculated as the number of favorable outcomes divided by the total number of possible outcomes:
Probability = (Number of favorable outcomes) / (Total number of possible outcomes)
= 4 / 10
= 2 / 5
So, the probability that Hal chooses an apple or a peach is 2/5, which can also be expressed as 40%.