Final answer:
The odds of an event happening are 3:5, meaning there are 3 chances for the event versus 5 against. The probability is the number of favorable outcomes divided by the total number of outcomes, resulting in a probability of 3/8, or 0.375.
Step-by-step explanation:
If the odds of an event happening are given as 3:5, this means there are 3 chances of the event happening versus 5 chances of it not happening. To find the probability of the event occurring, we need to convert odds to probability. The total number of outcomes is the sum of the odds, which is 3 + 5 = 8. The probability of the event happening is the number of favorable outcomes divided by the total number of outcomes, which is 3/8.
The calculation would therefore be:
- P(event happening) = number of favorable outcomes / total number of outcomes
- P(event happening) = 3 / (3 + 5)
- P(event happening) = 3 / 8
So, the probability of the event happening is 3/8, or 0.375 in decimal form.