Question

A bag contains six balls labeled 1 through 6. One ball will be randomly picked.

What is the probability of picking an odd number?
Write your answer as a fraction in simplest form.

Answer 1

S = sample space = set of all possible outcomes

S = set of whole numbers 1 through 6

S = {1,2,3,4,5,6}

E = event space = set of outcomes we want to happen

E = set of odd numbers between 1 through 6

E = {1,3,5}

We have 3 items in set E and 6 items in set S. So there are 3 ways to get what we want to happen out of 6 ways total. The probability is therefore 3/6 = 1/2

Answer: 1/2