Math Unit 8 and Lesson 11 Probability Unit Test

Question 3
A letter is to be randomly picked from the word MISSISSIPPI.
Which letters have equal chances to be selected?
M, I, S, or P

1 answer

To determine which letters have equal chances to be selected from the word "MISSISSIPPI," we first need to count the occurrences of each letter:

  • M: 1 occurrence
  • I: 5 occurrences
  • S: 4 occurrences
  • P: 2 occurrences

Now let's analyze the probabilities of selecting each letter:

  • The total number of letters in "MISSISSIPPI" is 11.

The probabilities for each letter are as follows:

  • Probability of selecting M: \( \frac{1}{11} \)
  • Probability of selecting I: \( \frac{5}{11} \)
  • Probability of selecting S: \( \frac{4}{11} \)
  • Probability of selecting P: \( \frac{2}{11} \)

Since the occurrences (and thus the probabilities) of M, I, S, and P are different, we can conclude that no letters among M, I, S, and P have equal chances to be selected.

Therefore, the answer is that none of the letters M, I, S, or P have equal chances to be selected.