Question

*Will fan and Medal*

Jonathan's piggy bank contains 20 nickels, 30 quarters, and 50 one-dollar coins. He picks 20 coins from the bank at random; 12 of these coins are one-dollar coins. The theoretical probability of picking a one-dollar coin from the piggy bank before the draw is BLANK
%, but the experimental probability, based on the draw, is BLANK
%.
What is blank 1?
What is blank 2?

Answer 1

How many coins are there, altogether, in the piggy bank?
How many of these coins are dollar coins?
Write a ratio to obtain the theoretical probability of picking a dollar coin from the bank while the bank is still full.

Answer 2

there is 50 one dollar coins

Answer 3

never mind you said how many coins. There is 100 coins.

Answer 4

50/100?

Answer 5

is 50/100 the ratio?

Answer 6

Yes. Reduce that to a decimal fraction.

Answer 7

0.5?

Answer 8

is that the first blank?

Answer 9

Yes, that's the theoretical prob. of picking a dollar coin from the initial 100 coins.

Answer 10

ok thank you how do I find the experimental probability?

Answer 11

What do YOU think you should do?

Answer 12

0.5/100?

Answer 13

How did you get that? The problem statement mentions "20" and "12."

Answer 14

12/100?

Answer 15

wait no i mean 12/20?

Answer 16

Glad you saw that. That result (12/20) makes a lot more sense. You take 20 coins at random from the piggy bank and count how many within that 20-coin sample are dollar coins. The resulting ratio is 12/20. Reduce that to a decimal fraction.

Answer 17

Yay so 0.6?

Answer 18

Yes. Any questions about this problem?

Answer 19

Nope that's it thanks for your help.

Answer 20

I think one point of this problem is to illustrate that theoretical and empirical probabilities are not necessarily the same. Glad to work with you. Bye.