Question

Colin put some buttons on a table. There were 4 blue buttons, 5 red buttons, 7 tan buttons, and 8 white buttons.

Colin's cat jumped up and knocked 2 buttons onto the floor. What is the probability that the button on the floor was blue or red? Show or explain your work to justify your answer.

Answer 1

There are 4 + 5 + 7 + 8 = 24 buttons in total.

After the cat knocks 2 buttons onto the floor, there are 22 buttons remaining on the table. The probability that the first button knocked onto the floor is blue or red can be calculated as follows:

P(blue or red) = P(blue) + P(red)

P(blue or red) = 4/24 + 5/24

P(blue or red) = 9/24

P(blue or red) = 3/8

Therefore, the probability that the button on the floor was blue or red is 3/8 or 0.375.Answer:

Explanation: