Question

The probability that Mary will eat cheese on any given day is 0.6, while the probability that Becca will eat cheese on any given day is 0.25. If these events are independent, what is the probability that Mary or Becca will eat cheese on a randomly selected day?

Answer 1

The probability that either Mary or Becca will eat cheese on a randomly selected day is 70%, assuming that both events are independent.

Step-by-step explanation:

The subject of the student's question is probability, specifically related to the concept of independent events. To calculate the probability that Mary or Becca will eat cheese on a randomly selected day, we use the formula for the probability of the union of two independent events:

P(A or B) = P(A) + P(B) - P(A and B)

In this instance, we have:

• P(Mary eats cheese) = 0.6
• P(Becca eats cheese) = 0.25

Since the two events are independent, the joint probability (both eating cheese on the same day) is:

P(Mary and Becca eat cheese) = P(Mary) * P(Becca) = 0.6 * 0.25 = 0.15

Then, the probability that either Mary or Becca will eat cheese is:

P(Mary or Becca eat cheese) = 0.6 + 0.25 - 0.15 = 0.7

So, there is a 70% chance that either Mary or Becca will eat cheese on a given day.