There are 802 identical plastic chips numbered 1 through 802 in a box. What is the probability of reaching into the box and randomly drawing a chip number that is smaller than 496? Express your answer as a simplified fraction or a decimal rounded to four decimal places.

Answer

To find the probability, we use the formula: Probability = (Number of favorable outcomes) / (Total number of possible outcomes). 1. Identify the total number of possible outcomes: Since there are 802 chips numbered 1 through 802, there are 802 total possible outcomes. 2. Identify the number of favorable outcomes: We are looking for chip numbers that are smaller than 496. This means we are looking for the integers 1, 2, 3, ..., 495. The number of such integers is 495. 3. Calculate the probability: P(smaller than 496) = 495 / 802. 4. Simplify or convert to decimal: To get the decimal rounded to four decimal places, we perform the division: 495 $\div$ 802 $\approx$ 0.61720698... Rounding to four decimal places gives 0.6172. Final Answer: 495/802 or 0.6172