SAT Math : Data Analysis

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for SAT Math

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Example Questions

Example Question #3202 : Sat Mathematics

Joshua rolls a standard six-sided die and rolls a six. He rolls the same die a second time. What is the possibility that he rolls a six again? 

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

The probability of an event is given by dividing the number of desired outcomes by the number of total outcomes. 

Because each roll is an independent event, that means that the probability of rolling a second six is the same as rolling the first six. 

The probability of rolling a six (one desired outcome) on a standard die (six total possible outcomes) is 

Example Question #113 : Probability

There are two events,  and 

If  and  , then what is ?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Given two events, the following rule is true:

Therefore, 

Example Question #3204 : Sat Mathematics

In a jar, I have 5 red marbles, 6 blue marbles, and 4 green marbles. What is the probability that I will choose blue and red out of two picks?

In a jar, there have 5 red marbles, 6 blue marbles, and 4 green marbles. What is the probability that I will choose blue and red out of two picks?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Step 1: Find the probability of getting only one color. We will denote probability of red as , probability of blue as  and green as 

 

 

.

This fraction cannot be simplified anymore. The numerator is divisible by 2 and the denominator is not divisible by 2.

Step 2: We need to find the probability of getting 1 red and 1 blue. We need to use a formula: , where  and .

Step 3: Using the formula in step 2, substitute  and  into the equation and multiply. 


We get: 



So, the probability of getting a red and a blue marble is .


Example Question #3201 : Sat Mathematics

Khalil has a spinner and a six-sided die. The spinner is divided into five equal sections. The five sections are labeled Red, Green, Blue, Yellow, and Purple, individually. Each side of the die corresponds to a number one through six. 

What is the probability of Khalil spinning a primary color and rolling an odd number? 

Possible Answers:

None of the given answers. 

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Remember that the probability of an event is given by dividing the number of desired outcomes by the number of total outcomes. 

The probability of Khalil spinning one of the three primary colors (Red, Blue, or Yellow) is 

The probability of Khalil rolling an odd number (1, 3, or 5) is 

We want to know the probability of Khalil spinning a primary color AND rolling an odd number. To do this compound probability, we multiply the two probabilities together. 

Example Question #121 : Probability

Screen shot 2015 11 17 at 4.37.09 pm

The figure above showers a spinner divided into four equal sections. 

If Raul spins the spinner, what is the probability that he does NOT spin an A? 

Possible Answers:

None of the given answers are correct. 

Correct answer:

Explanation:

The probability of an event is given by dividing the number of desired outcomes by the number of total outcomes. 

In this case, we want to find all the possibilities of Raul spinning anything but an A. That means, he can spin a B, C, or D. 

Therefore, there are three desired outcomes out of a total four possible outcomes. 

This means that the probability of Raul not spinning an A is 

Example Question #282 : Data Analysis

Mike is doing a magic trick where two people pull cards without putting them back in the deck. Sam pulls out the Ace of Spades, and Adam pulls out the Queen of Hearts. If Kristi pulls one card, what is the probability that she pulls out an Ace?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

If Adam and Sam have already pulled out one card a piece and not put them back in the deck, that means that there are  cards left. 

We also know that one of the Aces has already been pulled. Since there are four Aces in a deck, that means that there are  left.

We know that the probability of an event is the number of desired outcomes divided by the total number of possible outcomes. Therefore, the probability of Kristi pulling an Ace is 

Example Question #122 : Probability

All the Hearts in a standard deck of playing cards are taken out. Kristen draws one card. What is the probability that she draws a Queen? 

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

A standard deck of cards has  cards in it, and it is divided equally into four suits: Hearts, Spades, Clubs, and Diamonds. In this problem, all the Hearts are taken away before Kristen draws her card. That means that our deck has  total cards in it. 

Remember that the probability of an event occurring is expressed as the number of desired outcomes divided by the total number of possible outcomes. In our case, we want to know the probability that Kristen draws a Queen. In our modified deck, there are three Queens (one of Diamonds, Spades, and Clubs), so there are three outcomes that would give us our desired result.  

Therefore, the probability that she draws a Queen is 

Example Question #123 : Probability

Yousef has a spinner that is divided into equal sections. Each section is assigned one specific color: Red, Blue, Green, Orange, and Yellow. Yousef also has two standard six-sided dice. 

If he spins the spinner and rolls the two dices, what is the probability that he spins Blue and rolls two sixes? 

Possible Answers:

None of the given answers. 

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Here, we have a compound probability problem. Remember that the probability of a single event is given by dividing the number of desired outcomes by the number of total outcomes. 

With that in mind, the probability of Yousef's spinner landing on Blue is  since there are section possible outcomes and one desired outcome. 

For the first die, the probability of him rolling a six is . The same goes for the second die since the two rolls are independent of one another. 

The probability of multiple events happening together can be expressed like this:

Therefore, the probability of Yousef spinning Blue and rolling two sixes is:

Example Question #122 : Probability

Forty balls are placed in a large box, each marked with a whole number from 1 to 40. The balls marked with an even number or a prime number are all blue; the other balls are red.

A ball is drawn and replaced; the process is repeated. Give the probability that a blue ball is drawn both times.

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

There are twenty even whole numbers from 1 to 40 - 2, 4, 6, up to 40. Also, there are eleven odd primes - 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23, 29, 31, 37 (there is one even prime, 2, but it has already been counted). Therefore, the box will contain 31 blue balls out of 40, and the probability that the draw of one ball will result in the ball being blue is . This same probability holds in both the first and second draws.

Since the draws are independent events, the probabilities can be multiplied:

,

the correct choice.

Example Question #124 : Probability

Twenty-six balls are placed in a box, each with a different letter of the alphabet. All twenty-six letters are represented.

A ball is drawn, then replaced; the process is repeated two more times. What is the probability that a ball with a vowel is drawn all three times?

(Note: "Y" is to be considered a consonant here.)

Possible Answers:

None of the other responses gives a correct answer.

Correct answer:

Explanation:

5 of the 26 balls are marked with vowels, so the probability that the draw of one ball will result in the ball being marked with a vowel is ; this probability is the same for each of the three draws. Since the draws are independent events, the probabilities can be multiplied:

.

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