You are not logged in.
Pages: 1
The Relationship Between Odds and Probabilities
If the odds in favor of an event A are a to b, then P(A)=a/a+b. For example, if the odds of an earthquake in San Francisco during the next 10 years are 3(=a) to 1(=b), then P(earthquake)=3/4. If the probability of an event A is P(A), then the odds in favor of A are P(A) to 1 - P(A). So if a handicapper assesses a probability of .25 that the racehorse Seabiscuit will win the third race at the Hialeah racetrack in Miami, then the odds in favor of Seabiscuit are .25 to .75, or 1 to 3. It follows that the odds against A are 1 - P(A) to P(A), or 3 to 1 against a win by Seabiscuit.
Sports Columnist Jerome Holtzman of the Chicago Tribune wrote an article about the rarity of no-hitters in major league baseball. The article offered the following statement:
There have been an estimated 126,000 games played, or 252,000 pitching opportunities for a no-hitter and there have been 182 no-hitters. Therefore the odds against a no-hitter are ???? to 1."
Use the first paragraph on odds and probabilities to find the number that should be inserted for ???? in the newspaper article to show the odds against a no-hitter. NOTE: a no-hitter"occurs in baseball when one team does not get any hits in the entire game.
(HINT: find the probability of a no hitter rounded to 7 decimal places; use this probability to find the odds against a no-hitter; round your answer to the nearest whole number. Note also that each of the 126,000 games has TWO starting pitchers, so 252,000 pitchers have the opportunity to pitch a no-hitter).
The odds against a no-hitter are _______ to 1.
I'm not sure which way to go with this one?
Offline
Pages: 1