Question

of the 8 planets in our solar system, 4 are considered rocky. if a student randomly selects 1 of those 8 planets as a topic for a report, what is the probability that the selected planet will be rocky?

a. \\(\frac{1}{8}\\)

b. \\(\frac{1}{4}\\)

c. \\(\frac{1}{2}\\)

d. 2

Explanation:

Step1: Recall Probability Formula

The probability of an event is calculated as the number of favorable outcomes divided by the total number of possible outcomes. So, \( P(\text{event}) = \frac{\text{Number of favorable outcomes}}{\text{Total number of possible outcomes}} \).

Step2: Identify Favorable and Total Outcomes

• The total number of planets (possible outcomes) is 8.
• The number of rocky planets (favorable outcomes) is 4.

Step3: Calculate Probability

Substitute the values into the formula: \( P(\text{rocky planet}) = \frac{4}{8} \). Simplify the fraction: \( \frac{4}{8} = \frac{1}{2} \).

Answer:

C. \(\frac{1}{2}\)