How to Figure Out the Mega Millions Odds
- 1). Calculate the probability of getting the first five white numbers right. There are 56 balls and five numbers chosen, so you will need to figure out how many ways 56 numbers can be organized into groups of five. You'll do this by calculating the equation 56! / (5! x (56-5)!)
- 2). Subtract 5 from 56 and you'll get 51.
- 3). Calculate the factorial for 51!. 51! equals 51x50x49x48 and so on until you get back to the number 1. 51! equals 1.55111875 --- 10 to the 66th power.
- 4). Calculate the factorial for 5!. This is 120. Multiply that by 1.55111875 x 10 to the 66th power and you will get 1.8613425 x 10 to the 68th power.
- 5). Find the factorial for 56!. This equals 7.10998588 x 10 to the 74th power.
- 6). Divide 7.10998588 x 10 to the 74th power by 1.8613425 x 10 to the 68th power. This equals 3,819,816, the odds of getting all five white balls. However, to win, you must get all 5 white balls plus the yellow ball.
- 7). Multiply 3,819,816 by 46, the number yellow balls. You will get 175,711,536. Your odds of winning the lotto with Mega Millions are 1 in 175,711,536.
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