To find the probability of selecting either an apple or an orange from the basket of fruits, we can follow these steps:
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Determine the total number of fruits in the basket:
- Apples: 20
- Watermelon slices: 4
- Oranges: 12
Total fruits = Number of apples + Number of watermelon slices + Number of oranges
Total fruits = 20 + 4 + 12 = 36 -
Determine the number of favorable outcomes (selecting an apple or an orange):
- Total number of apples = 20
- Total number of oranges = 12
Total favorable outcomes = Number of apples + Number of oranges
Total favorable outcomes = 20 + 12 = 32 -
Calculate the probability: Probability of selecting an apple or an orange is given by the formula: \[ P(\text{apple or orange}) = \frac{\text{Number of favorable outcomes}}{\text{Total number of outcomes}} \] Substituting the numbers: \[ P(\text{apple or orange}) = \frac{32}{36} \]
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Simplify the fraction: To simplify \(\frac{32}{36}\), we can divide both the numerator and denominator by their greatest common divisor, which is 4: \[ \frac{32 \div 4}{36 \div 4} = \frac{8}{9} \]
Thus, the probability of selecting an apple or an orange is \( \frac{8}{9} \).