Question

the table shows information about the items for sale in a clothes shop.

what fraction of the items are either white or a top, or both?
give your answer as a fraction in its simplest form.

Explanation:

⚡ Using what you learned: Organizing Data in Tables

Step 1: Find the total number of items

Sum all the values in the table:

$$ \text{Total} = (11 + 9 + 5 + 8) + (2 + 20 + 3 + 13) + (15 + 2 + 8 + 4) $$

$$ \text{Total} = 33 + 38 + 29 = 100 $$

Step 2: Find the number of items that are white, a top, or both

Identify the items that fit the criteria:

• All items in the White row: \(11 + 9 + 5 + 8 = 33\)
• Any remaining items in the Top column that are not already counted (the non-white tops): \(20 \text{ (Blue Top)} + 2 \text{ (Green Top)} = 22\)

Sum these values:

$$ \text{Favorable Items} = 33 + 22 = 55 $$

Step 3: Write and simplify the fraction

Write the ratio of favorable items to the total number of items:

$$ \text{Fraction} = \frac{55}{100} $$

Divide the numerator and the denominator by their greatest common divisor, which is \(5\):

$$ \frac{55 \div 5}{100 \div 5} = \frac{11}{20} $$

Answer:

$$ \frac{11}{20} $$