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Lesson 11 of 16

Words that pick numbers

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7 min

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A mela stall has 30 tickets, numbered 1 to 30. You pick one ticket without looking. You win with a prime number. What is the chance?

Thirty tickets, numbered 1 to 30.
Step 1 of 4
  1. Thirty tickets, numbered 1 to 30.
  2. A prime has exactly two factors, 1 and itself. 1 has only one factor.
  3. The primes are 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23 and 29.
  4. That is 10 of 30. P = 10/30 = 1/3.

10 of the 30 tickets are prime. So the chance is 10/30, which is 1/3.

The rule

Many questions name the numbers in words.

Read each number word. Then list the numbers.

  • Factor — a number that divides another with nothing left over. The factors of 6 are 1, 2, 3 and 6.
  • Prime number — a number with exactly two factors, 1 and itself.
  • Perfect square — a whole number times itself, such as 3 × 3 = 9.

Divisible by 6 means 6 divides the number with nothing left over. A digit is one of 0 to 9. So 12 has two digits.

Number words on tickets 1 to 30
WordIt picksOn tickets 1 to 30
primeexactly two factors2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23, 29
perfect squarea whole number times itself1, 4, 9, 16, 25
divisible by 66 goes in with nothing left6, 12, 18, 24, 30
two-digit10 to 9910 to 30
between 20 and 26more than 20 and less than 2621, 22, 23, 24, 25

Example. A two-digit number divisible by 6? List the numbers: 12, 18, 24, 30. That is 4 tickets. P = 4/30 = 2/15. The number 6 is left out. It has one digit.

Now try it. Read the words. Tap every ticket that fits.

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