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Ch. 3 - Probability
Larson - Elementary Statistics: Picturing the World 8th Edition
Larson8th EditionElementary Statistics: Picturing the WorldISBN: 9780137493470Not the one you use?Change textbook
Chapter 3, Problem 3.2.27c

Using the Multiplication Rule In Exercises 19-32, use the Multiplication Rule.
27. Blood Types The probability that a person of Asian descent in the United States has type O+ blood is 39%. At random, six people of Asian descent in the United States are selected. (Source: American National Red Cross)
c. Find the probability that at least one of the six has type O+ blood.

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Step 1: Understand the problem. We are tasked with finding the probability that at least one of the six randomly selected people of Asian descent has type O+ blood. This is a complementary probability problem, where we will first calculate the probability that none of the six people have type O+ blood and then subtract this value from 1.
Step 2: Define the probability of success and failure. The probability that a person has type O+ blood is 0.39 (success), and the probability that a person does not have type O+ blood is 1 - 0.39 = 0.61 (failure).
Step 3: Use the Multiplication Rule to calculate the probability that none of the six people have type O+ blood. Since the events are independent, the probability that all six people do not have type O+ blood is given by \( P(\text{none}) = (0.61)^6 \).
Step 4: Use the complement rule to find the probability that at least one of the six people has type O+ blood. The complement rule states that \( P(\text{at least one}) = 1 - P(\text{none}) \). Substitute the value of \( P(\text{none}) \) from Step 3 into this formula.
Step 5: Simplify the expression \( P(\text{at least one}) = 1 - (0.61)^6 \) to find the final probability. This will give the probability that at least one of the six people has type O+ blood.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Multiplication Rule of Probability

The Multiplication Rule states that the probability of two independent events occurring together is the product of their individual probabilities. In this context, if the probability of one person having type O+ blood is 39%, the probability of not having type O+ blood is 61%. This rule is essential for calculating the probability of multiple independent selections.
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Complementary Probability

Complementary probability refers to the likelihood of an event not occurring. For instance, if the probability of a person having type O+ blood is 39%, the complementary probability of not having type O+ blood is 61%. This concept is crucial for solving the problem, as it allows us to find the probability of at least one person having type O+ blood by first calculating the probability that none do.
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Binomial Probability

Binomial probability deals with scenarios where there are a fixed number of independent trials, each with two possible outcomes (success or failure). In this case, selecting six people can be modeled as a binomial experiment where 'success' is defined as having type O+ blood. Understanding this concept helps in calculating the overall probability of at least one success in multiple trials.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question

"Using the Multiplication Rule In Exercises 19-32, use the Multiplication Rule.

25. Best President In a sample of 1500 adult U.S. citizens, 270 said that Barack Obama was the best president in U.S. history. Two adult U.S. citizens are selected at random.

(Adapted from YouGov)

c. Find the probability that at least one of the two adult U.S. citizens says that Barack Obama was the best president in U.S. history."

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Textbook Question

"Using the Multiplication Rule In Exercises 19-32, use the Multiplication Rule.

24. Knowing a Person Who Was Murdered In a sample of 11,771 children ages 2 to 17, 8% have lost a friend or relative to murder. Four children are selected at random. (Adapted from University of New Hampshire)

c. Find the probability that at least one of the four has lost a friend or relative to murder."

55
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Textbook Question

"Using the Multiplication Rule In Exercises 19-32, use the Multiplication Rule.

23. Celebrities as Role Models In a sample of 1103 probable voters, three out of four say they would like entertainers to address social and political issues. Two probable voters are selected at random. (Source: The Hollywood Reporter)

c. Find the probability that at least one of the two probable voters would like entertainers to address social and political issues."

59
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Textbook Question

19. U.S. Age Distribution The projected percent distribution of the U.S. population for 2025 is shown in the pie chart. Find the probability of each event. (Source: U.S. Census

Bureau)

c. Randomly selecting someone who is not 60 years or over

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Textbook Question

17. Selecting a Card A card is selected at random from a standard deck of 52 playing cards. Find the probability of each event.

c. Randomly selecting a 9 or a face card

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Textbook Question

23. Engineering Degrees The table shows the numbers of male and female students in the U.S. who received B.S. degrees in engineering in a recent year. A student earning a B.S. degree in engineering during that year is selected at random. Find the probability of each event.

(Source: National Center for Educational Statistics)

c. The student is not female or did not receive a mechanical engineering degree.

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