Single draw from a standard 52-card deck. What is the probability that the card is a face card (J, Q, or K of any suit)?
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A3/13
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B1/4
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C9/52
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D1/13
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E4/13
Answer
Correct Answer: 3/13
Explanation
Introduction / Context:Face cards are Jacks, Queens, and Kings in each of the four suits. We compute the probability of drawing any face card in one draw from a well-shuffled standard deck.
Given Data / Assumptions:
- Total cards = 52.
- Face cards per suit = 3 (J, Q, K).
- Total face cards = 4 × 3 = 12.
Concept / Approach:Probability = favorable / total = 12 / 52, simplified by dividing numerator and denominator by 4.
Step-by-Step Solution:Favorable = 12.Total = 52.Probability = 12/52 = 3/13.
Verification / Alternative check:Counting per rank: there are 4 jacks, 4 queens, and 4 kings, summing to 12.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:1/4 = 13/52 overcounts; 1/13 counts a single rank; 9/52 is not the count of any standard subset; 4/13 is too large.
Common Pitfalls:Including Aces as face cards (they are not); miscounting the total number of face cards.
Final Answer:3/13