Math Problem Statement

Suppose you have a bag with 25 letter tiles in it and 12 of the tiles are the letter Y. If you pick a letter tile at random from the​ bag, the probability that it is the letter Y is StartFraction 12 Over 25 EndFraction . Suppose another bag has 500 letter tiles in it and 290 of the tiles are the letter Y. Write the probability of picking a tile that is the letter Y as a fraction and as a percent. From which bag are you more likely to pick a tile that is the letter Y​?

Solution

To solve this, we need to calculate the probability of picking a tile with the letter "Y" from both bags and compare them.

First Bag:

  • There are 25 tiles, and 12 of them are the letter Y.
  • The probability of picking a tile that is the letter Y from this bag is: Probability=1225\text{Probability} = \frac{12}{25}
  • Converting this to a percentage: 1225×100=48%\frac{12}{25} \times 100 = 48\% So, the probability of picking a "Y" tile from the first bag is 48%.

Second Bag:

  • There are 500 tiles, and 290 of them are the letter Y.
  • The probability of picking a tile that is the letter Y from this bag is: Probability=290500\text{Probability} = \frac{290}{500}
  • Simplifying the fraction: 290500=2950\frac{290}{500} = \frac{29}{50}
  • Converting this to a percentage: 2950×100=58%\frac{29}{50} \times 100 = 58\% So, the probability of picking a "Y" tile from the second bag is 58%.

Conclusion:

You are more likely to pick a tile that is the letter Y from the second bag since its probability (58%) is higher than the first bag's probability (48%).


Would you like to explore further details or clarifications? Here are some additional questions you could consider:

  1. How would the probability change if we added more tiles to either bag?
  2. What is the probability of not picking a "Y" tile from each bag?
  3. How do you simplify fractions when calculating probabilities?
  4. What are the odds of picking a letter other than "Y" in both bags?
  5. Can you express the probability as a decimal instead of a fraction or percent?

Tip: When comparing probabilities, percentages make it easier to see the difference at a glance!

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Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Probability
Percentages
Fractions

Formulas

Probability = (Number of favorable outcomes) / (Total number of outcomes)
Percentage = (Probability) × 100

Theorems

Basic Probability Theory

Suitable Grade Level

Grades 6-8