Question

There are 42 white marbles, 31 red marbles, 47 black marbles, and 35 blue marbles in a jar. Which of the following events is most likely to happen?
Choosing a white marble.
Choosing a red marble.
Choosing a black marble.
Choosing a blue marble.

Answer 1

To determine which event is most likely to happen, we need to calculate the total number of marbles and then the probability of selecting each color.

1. Calculate the total number of marbles:
- Total = White + Red + Black + Blue
- Total = 42 + 31 + 47 + 35 = 155 marbles

2. Calculate the probabilities for each color:
- Probability of choosing a white marble = Number of white marbles / Total marbles = 42 / 155
- Probability of choosing a red marble = Number of red marbles / Total marbles = 31 / 155
- Probability of choosing a black marble = Number of black marbles / Total marbles = 47 / 155
- Probability of choosing a blue marble = Number of blue marbles / Total marbles = 35 / 155

3. Compare the probabilities:
- Probability of white marble = 42/155 ≈ 0.2710
- Probability of red marble = 31/155 ≈ 0.2000
- Probability of black marble = 47/155 ≈ 0.3032
- Probability of blue marble = 35/155 ≈ 0.2258

The highest probability is for choosing a black marble (approximately 0.3032 or 30.32%).

Therefore, the event that is most likely to happen is **choosing a black marble**.