Final Answer:
The probability that she will sit at either end by a window is 2/5 or 0.4.
Step-by-step explanation:
To solve this problem, we first need to determine the total number of places Sharon could sit and then identify which of those places meet the condition of being at either end by a window.
Since the back seat is the full width of the bus and seats five students, there are a total of 5 different places Sharon could choose to sit.
Now we need to identify the places that are at either end by a window. Since it's the back seat of the bus, there would typically be a window at the far left and the far right of the seat.
So, there are two seats that meet our condition:
- One on the far left
- One on the far right
This means out of the 5 available places, there are 2 places that fulfill the condition of Sharon sitting by a window at either end of the back seat.
The probability P that Sharon will sit by a window at either end is therefore the number of favorable outcomes (sitting by a window at either end) divided by the total number of possible outcomes (any of the 5 seats).
P = (Number of favorable outcomes) / (Total number of possible outcomes)
P = 2 / 5
Therefore, the probability that Sharon will sit at either end by a window is 2/5 or 0.4 (if expressed as a decimal).