Question

A box contains 2 purple marbles, 2 blue marbles, 3 green marbles, and 5 red marbles.

2 purple marbles, 2 blue marbles, 3 green marbles, and 5 red marbles.

Which color marble is most likely to be picked?
purple
blue
green
red

Answer 1

To determine which color marble is most likely to be picked, we first need to count the total number of marbles and then find the proportion of each color.

The box contains:
- Purple marbles: 2
- Blue marbles: 2
- Green marbles: 3
- Red marbles: 5

Now, let's calculate the total number of marbles:
\[
\text{Total marbles} = 2 \, (\text{purple}) + 2 \, (\text{blue}) + 3 \, (\text{green}) + 5 \, (\text{red}) = 12 \, \text{marbles}
\]

Now, we'll find the proportion of each color:
- Probability of picking a purple marble: \( \frac{2}{12} = \frac{1}{6} \)
- Probability of picking a blue marble: \( \frac{2}{12} = \frac{1}{6} \)
- Probability of picking a green marble: \( \frac{3}{12} = \frac{1}{4} \)
- Probability of picking a red marble: \( \frac{5}{12} \)

Now we can compare the probabilities:
- Purple: \( \frac{1}{6} \)
- Blue: \( \frac{1}{6} \)
- Green: \( \frac{1}{4} \)
- Red: \( \frac{5}{12} \)

To find the highest probability, we can convert these fractions:
- \( \frac{1}{6} \approx 0.1667 \)
- \( \frac{1}{4} = 0.25 \)
- \( \frac{5}{12} \approx 0.4167 \)

Thus, the color that is most likely to be picked is **red**, as it has the highest probability of \( \frac{5}{12} \).