The probablility that a person drinks at least five cups of coffee per day is .24, and the probability that a person has high blood pressure is .08. Assuming that these two events are independent, find the probability that a person selected at random drinks less than five cups of coffee per day or has high blood pressure. Explain how to get the answer.

< 5cups = (1 - .24)

Either-or probabilities are found by adding the individual probabilities.

0.125

To find the probability that a person selected at random drinks less than five cups of coffee per day or has high blood pressure, we need to use the concept of independent events.

If two events are independent, the probability of both events occurring is equal to the product of their individual probabilities.

Let's define:
A = drinking less than five cups of coffee per day
B = having high blood pressure

Given:
P(A) = probability of drinking less than five cups of coffee per day = 1 - P(not A) = 1 - 0.24 = 0.76
P(B) = probability of having high blood pressure = 0.08

Since the events A and B are independent, the probability of either A or B occurring is equal to the sum of their individual probabilities.

To find P(A or B), we can use the formula:
P(A or B) = P(A) + P(B) - P(A and B)

However, since A and B are independent, P(A and B) = P(A) * P(B).

Therefore, the probability that a person selected at random drinks less than five cups of coffee per day or has high blood pressure is:

P(A or B) = P(A) + P(B) - P(A) * P(B)
= 0.76 + 0.08 - (0.76 * 0.08)
= 0.84 - 0.0608
= 0.7792

So, the probability that a person selected at random drinks less than five cups of coffee per day or has high blood pressure is approximately 0.7792.