A die is thrown once. Find the probability of getting a prime number.
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Step-by-Step Solution
Step 1: Identify all possible outcomes
When a standard six-sided die is thrown once, the possible outcomes are the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. This set of all possible outcomes is called the sample space. There are 6 possible outcomes in total.
Step 2: Identify favorable outcomes (prime numbers)
A prime number is a natural number greater than 1 that has no positive divisors other than 1 and itself. From the sample space, the prime numbers are 2, 3, and 5. The number 1 is not considered a prime number. Therefore, there are 3 favorable outcomes.
Step 3: Calculate the probability
The probability of an event is calculated by dividing the number of favorable outcomes by the total number of possible outcomes. In this case, there are 3 favorable outcomes (prime numbers) and 6 total possible outcomes.
Step 4: Simplify the probability
The fraction representing the probability can be simplified by dividing both the numerator and the denominator by their greatest common divisor, which is 3. This gives the simplified probability of 1/2.