1. **State the problem:** We are given probabilities for certain sports items: soccer ball, tennis racquet, and helmet or basketball. 2. **Recall the probability rules:** The probability of an event is the ratio of favorable outcomes to total outcomes, and the sum of probabilities of all mutually exclusive outcomes is 1. 3. **Given probabilities:** - $P(\text{soccer ball}) = \frac{2}{16} = \frac{1}{8}$ - $P(\text{tennis racquet}) = \frac{1}{16}$ - $P(\text{helmet or basketball}) = \frac{7}{16}$ 4. **Check if probabilities sum correctly:** Calculate the sum of these probabilities: $$\frac{1}{8} + \frac{1}{16} + \frac{7}{16} = \frac{2}{16} + \frac{1}{16} + \frac{7}{16} = \frac{10}{16} = \frac{5}{8}$$ 5. **Interpretation:** The sum $\frac{5}{8}$ means these three events cover $\frac{5}{8}$ of all possible outcomes. The remaining $\frac{3}{8}$ probability corresponds to other items (football, sneakers, etc.). 6. **Summary:** The probabilities given are consistent and correctly simplified. **Final answer:** $$P(\text{soccer ball}) = \frac{1}{8}, \quad P(\text{tennis racquet}) = \frac{1}{16}, \quad P(\text{helmet or basketball}) = \frac{7}{16}$$