if a die is tossed and a coin is flipped, what is the probability of getting a number less than five on the die or tails on the coin? (write answer as a fraction in lowest terms)

p(a)+ p (b) - p(a and b)

1,2,3,or 4 out of 6 = 4/6

tail = 1/2 = 3/6

4/6 + 3/6 - 2/6 = 5/6

To find the probability, we need to determine the total number of favorable outcomes (getting a number less than five on the die or tails on the coin) divided by the total number of possible outcomes.

Let's start with the die:

A fair die has six possible outcomes, numbered 1 through 6. We want to find the probability of getting a number less than five, which includes the numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4. So, we have four favorable outcomes.

Now, let's consider the coin:

A fair coin has two possible outcomes: heads and tails. We want the probability of getting tails, which is one favorable outcome.

To find the total number of possible outcomes, we need to multiply the number of outcomes for the die by the number of outcomes for the coin. Therefore, we have 6 possible outcomes for the die and 2 possible outcomes for the coin, resulting in a total of 12 possible outcomes.

To calculate the probability of getting a number less than five on the die or tails on the coin, we add the favorable outcomes: 4 + 1 = 5.

The probability is then:
Probability = Favorable outcomes / Total outcomes = 5 / 12

Now, let's simplify the fraction:

The fraction 5/12 cannot be simplified further, so our final answer is 5/12. Therefore, the probability of getting a number less than five on the die or tails on the coin is 5/12.