Probability is another way of looking at the likelihood of an event. It compares the number of ways an event can happen to the number of total possible outcomes.

 
Pick a number from 1 to 10. What is the probability that you picked an odd number?
There are five odd numbers between 1 and ten.
The probability is 5:10. Or you can express it as a fraction: 5/10. Since it's a fraction, why not reduce it? The probability that you will pick an odd number is 1/2.
Probability can also be expressed as a percent...1/2=50%
Or as a decimal...1/2=50%=.5

 
There are 8 cannons on the wall of a fortress. Two of the cannons are empty and 6 are ready to fire. What is the probability that a cannon selected at random will fire?
In this case there are 6 favorable outcomes( cannons that will fire) and a total of 8 outcomes all together. The probability is 6 to 8.
Written as a fraction

What is the probability that trying a key at random will be the key that opens the lock.

 

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 writing: Kirsten Anderson

 art: mC