8. Mr. Lau ordered a bunch of balloons for his daughter's party. When he went to pick up the balloon order, one of the balloons came loose and floated away. If he started with 8 red balloons, 6 blue balloons, 4 green balloons, and 10 purple balioons, what is the probability that the balloon that floated away was red? \( \frac{1}{28} \) \( \frac{2}{7} \) \( \frac{1}{8} \) \( \frac{2}{5} \)

To find the probability that the balloon that floated away was red, we first need to determine the total number of balloons Mr. Lau had. He had 8 red, 6 blue, 4 green, and 10 purple balloons, which totals to: 8 + 6 + 4 + 10 = 28 balloons. The probability of picking a red balloon is the number of red balloons divided by the total number of balloons: Probability (Red) = Number of Red Balloons / Total Balloons = 8 / 28 = 2 / 7. Therefore, the correct answer is \( \frac{2}{7} \). To make matters more exciting, did you know that the color of balloons can impact a child's mood? Bright colors like red and yellow are often seen as uplifting, while cooler colors like blue or green can be calming. So, if Mr. Lau's daughter loved red balloons, he definitely set the right mood for the party! For those eager to dive deeper, balloon science can be fascinating! From the types of gas that fill balloons (like helium, which is lighter than air) to the physics behind why they float, there’s plenty to explore. Also, balloon art (or twisting) is a fun skill to learn for parties, transforming ordinary balloons into all sorts of shapes and creatures!