Question

of the 40 plays attributed to a playwright, 16 are comedies, 11 are tragedies, and 13 are histories. if one play is selected at random, find the odds against selecting a comedy.

the odds against selecting a comedy are \\(\square : \square\\).
(simplify your answer.)

Explanation:

Step1: Calculate non-comedy plays

Total plays = 40, comedies = 16. Non-comedies = 40 - 16 = 24.

Step2: Find odds against

Odds against = non-comedies : comedies = 24 : 16. Simplify by dividing by 8: 3 : 2.

Answer:

3:2