In a bag of marbles, what is the probability of drawing a blue marble?

To determine the probability of drawing a blue marble from a bag, we need to consider the total number of marbles and specifically how many of those are blue. Probability is calculated by taking the number of favorable outcomes (in this case, blue marbles) and dividing it by the total number of outcomes (the total number of marbles in the bag).

If we analyze the scenario where there are a total of 8 marbles in the bag and 2 of them are blue, the probability is calculated as follows:

The number of blue marbles, which represents the favorable outcome, is 2. The total number of marbles is 8. Therefore, the probability of drawing a blue marble is 2 (blue marbles) divided by 8 (total marbles), which simplifies to 2/8 or 1/4.

The option that represents this probability is 1/4, making it the correct choice. Understanding this calculation allows for a clearer grasp of how probabilities work in scenarios involving counted outcomes, such as marbles in a bag.

Alternatives like 2/8, while mathematically correct, are not simplified properly in a traditional probability context, where it’s customary to express the probability in simplest form.