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There is a bag filled with 5 blue, 4 red and 3 green marbles.

A marble is taken at random from the bag, the colour is noted and then it is not replaced.
Another marble is taken at random.
What is the probability of getting 2 the same colour?

1 Answer

6 votes

Explanation:

that means 2 blue or 2 red or 2 green.

12 marbles in total.

when the first marble is picked, there are only 11 left.

a probability is always the ratio of

desired cases / totally possible cases

the probabilty to pull first a blue marble is

5/12 = 0.416666666...

if that is the case, then the probabilty for the second marble to be blue too is

4/11 = 0.363636363...

(there are only 4 blue marbles in a total of 11 marbles).

and the probabilty for getting 2 blue marbles is

5/12 × 4/11 = 20/132 = 5/33 = 0.151515151...

the probabilty to pull first a red marble is

4/12 = 1/3 = 0.333333333...

if that is the case, then the probabilty for the second marble to be red too is

3/11 = 0.272727272...

(there are only 3 red marbles in a total of 11 marbles).

and the probabilty for getting 2 red marbles is

1/3 × 3/11 = 3/33 = 1/11 = 0.0909090909...

the probabilty to pull first a green marble is

3/12 = 1/4 = 0.25

if that is the case, then the probabilty for the second marble to be green too is

2/11 = 0.181818181...

(there are only 2 green marbles in a total of 11 marbles).

and the probabilty for getting 2 green marbles is

1/4 × 2/11 = 2/44 = 1/22 = 0.045454545...

the probabilty to have any of these 3 mutually exclusive cases (to get a pair of the same color) is the sum of the probabilities :

0.151515151... + 0.09090909... + 0.045454545... =

5/33 + 1/11 + 1/22 = 10/66 + 6/66 + 3/66 = 19/66 =

= 0.287878787...

User Nadav Ofir
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