Count the favorable outcomes. (What do you want to happen? If you want to roll a 5, how many 5’s are on the die? One.)

You’ve just finished Lesson 1, and now you’re staring at the “Homework Practice” page. It’s full of dice, spinners, and a bag of marbles that no one actually owns. Don’t panic.

Here’s the magic formula you’ll use for every single problem: Memorize that. Write it on a sticky note. It is the key to the whole chapter. The 3-Step Process for Any Problem Step 1: Count the total possible outcomes. (If it’s a 6-sided die, total = 6. If it’s a spinner with 4 colors, total = 4.)

Simple steps to turn “What are the chances?” into your easiest math grade yet.

Crushing Course 2, Chapter 9, Lesson 1: Your Homework Survival Guide to Probability

Let’s break down exactly what you need to know for so you can finish that homework in 20 minutes and actually understand it. First, the One Rule You Can’t Forget Probability is just a fraction that answers one question: How likely is something to happen?

Now go crush that homework. You’ve got this. Drop the specific problem numbers from your homework in the comments, and I’ll walk you through them.