A basket of fruits contains 20 apples, 4 watermelon slices, and 12 oranges. If a piece of fruit is to be selected randomly from the box, what is the probability of selecting an apple or an orange?(2 points)

Responses

3236
32 over 36

2036
20 over 36

1236
12 over 36

1636

1 answer

To find the probability of selecting an apple or an orange from the basket, we first need to determine the total number of fruits and the number of favorable outcomes.

  1. Total number of fruits:

    • Apples: 20
    • Watermelon slices: 4
    • Oranges: 12

    Total fruits = 20 + 4 + 12 = 36

  2. Number of favorable outcomes (selecting an apple or an orange):

    • Number of apples: 20
    • Number of oranges: 12

    Total favorable outcomes = 20 + 12 = 32

  3. Probability formula: \[ \text{Probability} = \frac{\text{Number of favorable outcomes}}{\text{Total number of outcomes}} \] \[ P(\text{apple or orange}) = \frac{32}{36} \]

  4. Simplifying the fraction: \[ \frac{32}{36} = \frac{8}{9} \]

Therefore, the probability of selecting an apple or an orange is \( \frac{32}{36} \).

Among the provided options, the correct answer is:

32 over 36.