Question

In packing for a trip, Sarah puts three pairs of socks - one red, one blue, and one green - into one compartment of her suitcase. If she then pulls four individual socks out of the suitcase, simultaneously and at random, what is the probability that she pulls out exactly two matching pairs

Answer 1

1/5 or 20%

Explanation:

This problem can be easily solved by finding the probability of her picking one matching pair to leave in the suitcase (which results in pulling out exactly two matching pairs)

For the first sock, it does not matter what sock she picks.

For the second sock, there is only 1 out of the 5 socks left that would match the first one picked. Therefore, the probability that she pulls out exactly two matching pairs is 1/5 or 20%