CAHSEE Math 4.5 Statistics, Data, and Probability I

Well, it's clearly a probability question

...where we just know that the answer is going to be some small number of things out of some

larger number of things. And in this case, uh... that's the case.

The problem is asking for a simple, one step probability quotient --

we'll choose one jellybean of a certain type out of all the total available jellybeans.

The question tells us that there are 8 watermelon beans -- so again that red light should go

off that 8 is going to be in the numerator.

The denominator is going to be the sum total of all of our choices.

And it'd be really mean but totally fair if they threw in curveballs here by giving

us random facts that don't matter -- like, instead of them all being jellybeans...

...there were 5 lima beans, 3 pinto beans...

We have to make sure to throw those out because we are ONLY dealing with jelly beans here.

And the answer is pretty straightforward -- we have a total of 6 plus 10 plus 12 plus 8 or

a total of 36 jellybeans So the odds of picking a watermelon jellybean

out of ALL jellybeans is 8 over 36... ...which simplifies to 2 over 9.

So our answer is B.

You know what... maybe we'll just pass on dessert.