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View Full Version : Probability of selecting sodas from cooler


Beasy2
Apr 6, 2009, 10:08 AM
A cooler at a picnic contains 100 cans of soda covered by ice. There are 48 cans of cola, 23 cans of orange soda, 18 cans of ginger ale, and 11 cans of root beer. The cans are all the same size and shape. If one can is selected at random from the cooler, determine the probability that the soda selected is ginger ale.

Perito
Apr 6, 2009, 04:11 PM
If you select one can, there is 48/100 that it will be a cola; 23/100 that it will be orange soda; 18/100 that it will be ginger ale, and 11/100 that it will be root beer.

Alternatively, you can figure out the probability that it will *not* be something other than ginger ale and subtract that from 1. 1- (48+23+11)/100. Although that isn't the easiest way to do the problem in this case, it is relevant for some other problems.

The second can is a bit harder.