Part (a)
4/15 is the probability of getting a rotten orange
After one is taken and not put back, there are
- 4-1 = 3 rotten
- 15-1 = 14 total
meaning 3/14 is the probability of a second rotten orange.
Two rotten in a row has the probability (4/15)*(3/14) = 2/35. I skipped a few steps so let me know if you need to see in more detail how I got to that result.
Answer: 2/35
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Part (b)
We want to calculate the probability exactly one of the two oranges selected is rotten.
There are two possible cases here:
- Case 1) The first orange is rotten and the second is not rotten.
- Case 2) The first orange is not rotten and the second is rotten.
Let's determine the probability for case 1.
4/15 was mentioned earlier in part (a) as the probability of a rotten orange. There are 15-4 = 11 non-rotten oranges and 15-1 = 14 remaining since we aren't replacing the first selection. That gives 11/14 as the probability the 2nd selection is fresh.
We get (4/15)*(11/14) = 22/105 as the probability for case 1 to happen.
Through similar calculations, the probability for case 2 is (11/15)*(4/14) = 22/105
Cases 1 and 2 are mutually exclusive. Both cannot happen simultaneously. There is no overlap. This fact allows us to add the results to get:
22/105 + 22/105 = 44/105
That fraction cannot be reduced.
Answer: 44/105