To determine the probability of picking a green counter, let's work through the problem step-by-step:
1. Identify Total Number of Counters:
The total number of counters in the bag is given as 20.
2. Identify Number of Green Counters:
The number of green counters is specified as 16.
3. Understand the Probability Formula:
The probability of an event is calculated as:
[tex]\[
\text{Probability} = \frac{\text{Number of favorable outcomes}}{\text{Total number of possible outcomes}}
\][/tex]
4. Apply Values to the Formula:
Here, the event we are interested in is picking a green counter. So, the number of favorable outcomes is the number of green counters, and the total number of possible outcomes is the total number of counters.
[tex]\[
\text{Probability of picking a green counter} = \frac{\text{Number of green counters}}{\text{Total number of counters}} = \frac{16}{20}
\][/tex]
5. Simplify the Fraction:
Simplify the fraction [tex]\(\frac{16}{20}\)[/tex] by finding the greatest common divisor of 16 and 20, which is 4.
[tex]\[
\frac{16 \div 4}{20 \div 4} = \frac{4}{5}
\][/tex]
Hence, the probability that a randomly picked counter is green is [tex]\(\frac{4}{5}\)[/tex].
