To determine the likelihood of drawing a blue marble from the jar, we first need to calculate the total number of marbles and the number of blue marbles.
The jar contains:
- 3 red marbles
- 5 blue marbles
- 2 green marbles
Total number of marbles = 3 (red) + 5 (blue) + 2 (green) = 10 marbles.
The probability of drawing a blue marble is the number of blue marbles divided by the total number of marbles:
Probability of blue marble = Number of blue marbles / Total number of marbles = 5 / 10 = 1/2 or 50%.
Now, let's evaluate the provided statements regarding the likelihood of drawing a blue marble:
- It is certain that a blue marble will be drawn. (False - there's only a 50% chance.)
- It is unlikely that a blue marble will be drawn. (False - a 50% chance is not considered unlikely.)
- It is equally likely to draw a blue or red marble. (True - there are 5 blue marbles and 3 red marbles, so while not equal in numbers, the chance of drawing a blue is higher than red, hence this statement is misleading.)
- It is more likely to draw a blue marble than any other color. (True - since there are 5 blue marbles compared to 3 red and 2 green, it is indeed more likely to draw a blue marble.)
Based on this analysis, the best statement would be:
It is more likely to draw a blue marble than any other color.