Multiple Choice

You mix the letters S, E, M, I, T, R, O, P, I, C, A, and L thoroughly. Without looking, you draw one letter. Find the probability that you select a vowel. Write your answer as a fraction in simplest form.
A. twelve-fifths
B. Start fraction 5 over 12 End fraction
C. start fraction 1 over 3 end fraction
D. start fraction 7 over 12 end fraction

There are 12 letters in total, and 5 of them are vowels (E, I, O, A, and U). Therefore, the probability of selecting a vowel is 5/12, which is answer choice B.

To find the probability of selecting a vowel, we need to first determine the total number of letters in the mix and the number of vowels in the mix.

Total number of letters in the mix = 12 (given)
Number of vowels in the mix = 4 (letters E, I, O, and A)

The probability of selecting a vowel is given by:

Probability = (Number of favorable outcomes) / (Total number of possible outcomes)

Number of favorable outcomes = Number of vowels = 4
Total number of possible outcomes = Total number of letters in the mix = 12

Therefore, the probability of selecting a vowel is:

Probability = 4/12 = 1/3

Thus, the answer is C. Start fraction 1 over 3 end fraction.