ACT Math · Probability and counting

Two fair six-sided dice are rolled. What is the probability that the sum of the two dice is at least 10?

Two fair six-sided dice are rolled. What is the probability that the sum of the two dice is at least 10?

Answer and explanation

Answer: A: 1/6

There are 6⋅6=366\cdot6=36 equally likely outcomes. The sums that are at least 1010 are: sum 10 with (4,6),(5,5),(6,4)(4,6),(5,5),(6,4); sum 11 with (5,6),(6,5)(5,6),(6,5); and sum 12 with (6,6)(6,6). That is 3+2+1=63+2+1=6 outcomes, so the probability is 636=16\frac{6}{36}=\frac{1}{6}, choice A. Choice B (112=336\frac{1}{12}=\frac{3}{36}) counts only sums of 11 and 12. Choice C (19=436\frac{1}{9}=\frac{4}{36}) leaves out two favorable outcomes. Choice D (536\frac{5}{36}) misses one outcome, usually (5,5)(5,5) or one of the ordered pairs.

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