Each letter of the word MAHARASHTRA is written on its own card, and the 11 cards are shuffled. One card is drawn at random. What is the probability that it shows the letter A?

\frac{1}{11}

Correct answerYour answer

\frac{4}{11}

Correct answerYour answer

\frac{2}{11}

Correct answerYour answer

\frac{1}{6}

Correct answerYour answer

Show the answer and explanation

CorrectNot quiteAnswer B

Correct answer: B

There are 11 cards, and A appears 4 times: M-A-H-A-R-A-S-H-T-R-A.
Probability $= \frac{4}{11}$ .

Worth noting

$\frac{1}{6}$ treats the 6 different letters as equally likely, but A is on more cards than any other letter. $\frac{2}{11}$ is the chance for H or for R.

Concept: Equally likely outcomes are the cards, not the distinct letters
Typical timeTypical: 40 s
Your timeYours: —

The rule this testsBasic probability

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Ten questions from Counting and Basic Probability, at your own pace.

Each letter of the word MAHARASHTRA is written on its own card, and the 11 cards are shuffled. One card is drawn at random. What is the probability that it shows the letter A?

Explanation