College

Select the correct answer.

A restaurant has a total of 60 tables. Of those tables, 38 are round and 13 are located by the window. There are 6 round tables by the window. If tables are randomly assigned to customers, what is the probability that a customer will be seated at a round table or by the window?

A. [tex]\frac{29}{60}[/tex]
B. [tex]\frac{47}{50}[/tex]
C. [tex]\frac{45}{60}[/tex]
D. [tex]\frac{41}{60}[/tex]

Answer :

To solve this problem, we want to find the probability that a customer will be seated at a table that is either round or by the window. We can use the principle of inclusion-exclusion to find this probability.

Here's a step-by-step breakdown:

1. Identify the Total Number of Tables:
The restaurant has a total of 60 tables.

2. Identify the Number of Tables that are Round:
There are 38 round tables.

3. Identify the Number of Tables Located by the Window:
There are 13 tables by the window.

4. Identify the Number of Tables that are Both Round and by the Window:
There are 6 tables that are both round and by the window.

5. Use the Principle of Inclusion-Exclusion:
To avoid double-counting the tables that are both round and by the window, we apply the inclusion-exclusion principle:

[tex]\[
\text{Number of tables that are round or by the window} = (\text{number of round tables}) + (\text{number of window tables}) - (\text{number of tables that are both round and by the window})
\][/tex]

Plug in the values:

[tex]\[
= 38 + 13 - 6 = 45
\][/tex]

6. Calculate the Probability:
The probability that a customer will be seated at a table that is either round or by the window is the number of such tables divided by the total number of tables:

[tex]\[
\text{Probability} = \frac{45}{60}
\][/tex]

7. Simplify the Fraction:
Simplify [tex]\(\frac{45}{60}\)[/tex] by dividing both the numerator and the denominator by their greatest common divisor, which is 15:

[tex]\[
\frac{45}{60} = \frac{3}{4} = 0.75
\][/tex]

Hence, the probability that a customer will be seated at a round table or by the window is 0.75. Therefore, the correct answer is:

C. [tex]\(\frac{45}{60}\)[/tex]