Chapter 5.2, Problem 47E

To determine

To find: The probability that either a dog or a cat is owned by the household.

Answer to Problem 47E

The probability is 0.54.

Explanation of Solution

Given:

Dog is owned by 40% of the households.

Cat is owned by 32% of the households.

Dog and cats are owned by 18% of the households.

Calculation:

The probability that either a dog or a cat is owned by the household can be calculated as:

  $\begin{array}{c}P\left(\text{Either dog or cat}\right)=P\left(\text{Dog}\right)+P\left(\text{Cat}\right)-P\left(\text{Dog and Cat}\right)\\ =0.40+0.32-0.18\\ =0.54\end{array}$

Thus, the required probability is 0.54.