I will only need the answer to part B. What is the probability that a $2 lottery
ID: 3207434 • Letter: I
Question
I will only need the answer to part B. What is the probability that a $2 lottery ticket wins the Powerball lottery? Thank you.
The Powerball lottery is played twice each week in 31 states, the district of Columbia and the virgin islands. To play Powerball, a participant must purchase a $2 ticket, select five numbers from the digits 1 through 59, and then select a Powerball number from the digits 1 through 35. To determine the winning numbers for each game, lottery officials draw 5 white balls out of a drum of 59 white balls numbered 1 through 59 and 1 red ball out of a drum of 35 red balls numbered 1 through 35. To win the Powerball jackpot, a participant's numbers must match the numbers on the 5 white balls in any order and must also match the number on the red Powerball. The numbers 5-16-22-23-29 with a Powerball number 6 provided the record jackpot of $580 million a) How many Powerball lottery outcomes are possible?( hint Consider this a two-step experiment. Select the 5 white ball numbers and then select the 1 red Powerball number) b) What is the probability that a $2 lottery ticket wins the Powerball lottery? Question A has been answered.
Explanation / Answer
5 numbers (white balls) can be selected from 59 in C(59, 5) ways = 5006386 ways
1 number (red ball) can be selected from 35 in C(35, 1) ways = 35 ways
Total number of ways = 5006386 * 35 = 175223510
Number of ways favorable to winning = 1
Probability of winning the lottery = 1/175223510