Math Problem Statement

William rolls a biased six-sided dice. The probabilities of the dice landing on each outcome are shown in the table. Work out the probability that the outcome is a prime number. Give your answer as a decimal.

Solution

To solve this, let's first analyze the question and the data given:

  1. Goal: Find the probability that the outcome is a prime number.
  2. Prime Numbers on a Six-Sided Dice: Prime numbers between 1 and 6 are 2, 3, and 5.
  3. Table Information:
    • Outcome 1 has a probability of 0.2.
    • Outcome 2 has a probability of 0.06.
    • Outcome 3 has a probability of 0.28.
    • Outcome 4 has a probability of 0.12.
    • Outcome 6 has a probability of 0.16.
    • Probability for Outcome 5 is missing.

Step 1: Calculate Missing Probability for Outcome 5

Since the total probability for all outcomes must add up to 1, we can set up an equation to find the missing probability for outcome 5.

0.2+0.06+0.28+0.12+P(5)+0.16=10.2 + 0.06 + 0.28 + 0.12 + P(5) + 0.16 = 1

Solving for P(5)P(5):

P(5)=1(0.2+0.06+0.28+0.12+0.16)=10.82=0.18P(5) = 1 - (0.2 + 0.06 + 0.28 + 0.12 + 0.16) = 1 - 0.82 = 0.18

So, the probability for outcome 5 is 0.180.18.

Step 2: Calculate the Probability of a Prime Outcome

Now, add up the probabilities of the prime outcomes (2, 3, and 5):

P(prime)=P(2)+P(3)+P(5)=0.06+0.28+0.18=0.52P(\text{prime}) = P(2) + P(3) + P(5) = 0.06 + 0.28 + 0.18 = 0.52

Answer

The probability that the outcome is a prime number is 0.52.

Would you like further details, or have any questions?

Here are 5 related questions for further exploration:

  1. How would this probability change if we used a fair die?
  2. What are some other examples of biased probability distributions?
  3. How do you calculate probabilities for multiple independent dice rolls?
  4. How can you verify if a given die is biased or fair?
  5. How would you represent this problem in terms of probability mass functions?

Tip: When working with probabilities, always ensure that the total probability across all outcomes adds up to 1 for a complete and accurate distribution.

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Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Probability
Prime Numbers

Formulas

Sum of probabilities equals 1
Prime number identification

Theorems

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Suitable Grade Level

Grades 8-10