Final answer:
To calculate the expected value of profit, multiply each possible profit/loss by its corresponding probability and sum up all the values. In this case, the expected value of profit for the $15,000 investment in the startup company is $6,000.
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate the expected value of profit for the investment, we need to multiply each possible profit/loss by its corresponding probability and then sum up all the values.
In this case, we have:
- Probability of a $5,000 loss: 0.25
- Probability of a $10,000 loss: 0.1
- Probability of a $25,000 profit: 0.15
- Probability of breaking even with $0: 0.5
Expected value = ($5,000 loss * 0.25) + ($10,000 loss * 0.1) + ($25,000 profit * 0.15) + ($0 * 0.5)
Expected value = $1,250 + $1,000 + $3,750 + $0
Expected value = $6,000
Therefore, the expected value of profit for the $15,000 investment in the startup company is $6,000.