If you draw one card from a normal deck of cards, what is the probability of drawing a jack, queen, or king? answer as a simple fraction.

When drawing a single card from a standard deck, the likelihood of selecting one of the three highest face cards is determined by a straightforward calculation of probability. A standard deck contains 52 cards, divided into four suits: hearts, diamonds, clubs, and spades. Each suit comprises 13 cards, ranging from Ace through King.

To find the probability of drawing a jack, queen, or king, we first count the total number of these specific cards in the deck. There are four jacks, four queens, and four kings, making a total of 12 such cards. Probability is calculated by dividing the number of favorable outcomes by the total number of possible outcomes. In this case, there are 12 favorable outcomes (any jack, queen, or king) out of 52 total possible outcomes (any card in the deck). So, the initial probability is 12/52.

This fraction can be simplified by dividing both the numerator and the denominator by their greatest common divisor, which is 4. Dividing 12 by 4 gives 3, and dividing 52 by 4 gives 13. Therefore, the probability simplifies to 3/13. This means that for every 13 cards you might draw, on average, three of them would be a jack, queen, or king. Understanding these basic principles of probability is fundamental not only in card games but also in various fields like statistics, science, and even everyday decision-making, helping us quantify uncertainty.