Applied Mathematics

Probability Theory

What is the probability of drawing a diamond card or an ace from a pack of 52 playing cards?

The probability of drawing a diamond-faced card from a pack of 52 playing cards is easy to determine. Since there are 13 diamond-faced cards in the deck, the probability becomes 13/52 = 1/4 = 0.25.

The probability of drawing an ace from a pack of 52 playing cards is also easy to determine. There are 4 aces in the deck of 52 cards; thus, the probability becomes 4/52 = 1/13 = 0.076923. This represents a much lower probability than drawing a card in a specific suit, illustrated in the preceding example.