If a class has a population where 5% of the students have red hair and 12% have blonde hair, what's the probability that if we select one student at random that they'll have either red or blonde hair?
5/100=1/20
12/100=3/25
1/20+3/25=???
or, more easily,
5/100 + 12/100 = ?
To find the probability that a randomly selected student will have either red or blonde hair, we need to add the probabilities of having red hair and blonde hair.
1. Calculate the probability of having red hair: Since 5% of the students have red hair, the probability of selecting a student with red hair is 0.05.
2. Calculate the probability of having blonde hair: Since 12% of the students have blonde hair, the probability of selecting a student with blonde hair is 0.12.
3. Add the probabilities of having red hair and blonde hair: P(red or blonde) = P(red) + P(blonde) = 0.05 + 0.12 = 0.17.
Therefore, the probability that a randomly selected student will have either red or blonde hair is 0.17, or 17%.