"Blood TypesA person can have one of four blood types: A, B, AB, or O.
If a person is randomly selected, is the probability they have blood type A equal to 1/4? Why or why not?"

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that the probability of an event is the ratio of the number of favorable outcomes to the total number of possible outcomes, based on actual data or theoretical reasoning.
2. Recognize that blood types (A, B, AB, O) are not necessarily equally likely because their frequencies depend on genetic inheritance patterns and population genetics.
3. To determine if the probability of blood type A is 1/4, you need to look at empirical data or population statistics that show the distribution of blood types in the population.
4. If the blood types were equally likely, then each would have a probability of 1/4, but in reality, the distribution is often uneven due to biological factors.
5. Therefore, the probability that a randomly selected person has blood type A is not necessarily 1/4; it depends on the actual proportion of people with blood type A in the population.

Key Concepts

Probability and Sample Space

Probability measures the likelihood of an event occurring, ranging from 0 to 1. The sample space is the set of all possible outcomes, which in this case are the four blood types: A, B, AB, and O. Understanding that probabilities depend on the actual distribution of these outcomes is essential.

Empirical vs. Theoretical Probability

Theoretical probability assumes all outcomes are equally likely, while empirical probability is based on observed data. Blood types are not equally distributed in the population, so the probability of having blood type A is not necessarily 1/4, but depends on real-world frequencies.

Population Distribution of Blood Types

Blood types vary in frequency across different populations due to genetics. For example, blood type O is often more common than type AB. Recognizing these variations helps explain why the probability of randomly selecting a person with blood type A is not simply 1/4.