Practice deciding whether events are certain, likely, equally likely, unlikely, or impossible using words, numbers, and simple probability models.
Read each problem carefully. Use the words certain, likely, equally likely, unlikely, or impossible when asked. Show your thinking in the space provided.
Compare chances using everyday events and simple models
Math - Grade 4-5
- 1
A bag has 8 red marbles and 2 blue marbles. If you pick one marble without looking, is it more likely to be red or blue? Explain.
- 2
Choose the best probability word for this event: The sun will rise tomorrow. Use one of these words: certain, likely, equally likely, unlikely, impossible.
- 3
A spinner has 4 equal sections: green, green, green, and yellow. Is landing on yellow likely or unlikely? Explain.
- 4
A number cube has the numbers 1 through 6. Is rolling a number less than 7 certain, likely, unlikely, or impossible? Explain.
- 5
A jar has 5 orange candies and 5 purple candies. If you choose one candy without looking, are you more likely to choose orange, more likely to choose purple, or equally likely to choose either? Explain.
- 6
Describe one event at school that is likely to happen on a normal school day.
- 7
A basket has 1 apple, 1 banana, 1 orange, and 1 pear. If you choose one fruit without looking, is choosing an apple likely, unlikely, certain, or impossible? Explain.
- 8
A weather report says there is a 90% chance of rain today. Is rain likely or unlikely? Explain.
- 9
A spinner has 8 equal sections. Six sections are blue and two sections are red. Which color is the spinner more likely to land on? Explain.
- 10
A bag contains only green cubes. If you pull out one cube without looking, what is the chance of pulling out a red cube: certain, likely, equally likely, unlikely, or impossible? Explain.
- 11
A class has 18 students who brought lunch from home and 6 students who are buying lunch. If one student is chosen at random, is that student more likely to have brought lunch or to be buying lunch? Explain.
- 12
A box has 3 star stickers and 9 heart stickers. If you choose one sticker without looking, is choosing a star sticker likely or unlikely? Explain.
- 13
Write an example of an impossible event involving a regular number cube labeled 1 through 6.
- 14
A bowl has 4 chocolate cookies and 4 oatmeal cookies. If you choose one cookie without looking, describe the chance of choosing a chocolate cookie.
- 15
Order these events from least likely to most likely: rolling a 6 on a number cube, rolling a number from 1 to 6 on a number cube, rolling a 10 on a number cube.