Question

In a horse race, the odds that Romance will win are listed as 2 : 3 and that Downhill will win are 1 : 2. What odds should be given for the event that either Romance or Downhill wins? (3 mks)

Answer 1

7:6

Explanation:

The odds that Romance will win are listed as 2 : 3

We can rewrite this as:

The probability that Romance will win
`=\frac23`

The odds that Downhill will win are 1 : 2.

The probability that Downhill will win
`=\frac12`

Therefore:

The probability that either Romance or Downhill wins

=P(Romance Wins)+P(Downhill wins)

`=\frac23+\frac12\\=(2(2)+3(1))/(6)\\=\frac76`

Therefore. the odds that should be given for the event that either Romance or Downhill wins is: 7:6