RSQUANT wrote:
A bag contains ten balls numbered 1 to 10. If 2 balls are selected from the bag with replacement,what is the probability that at least one of them is an even numbered ball
(a)1/2
(b)1/3
(c)3/4
(d)3/5
(e)4/5
We want P(select at least 1 even numbered ball)
When it comes to probability questions involving
"at least," it's usually best to try using the
complement.
That is, P(Event A happening) = 1 - P(Event A
not happening)
So, here we get: P(getting at least 1 even) = 1 -
P(not getting at least 1 even)What does it mean to
not get at least 1 even? It means getting zero evens.
So, we can write: P(getting at least 1 even) = 1 -
P(getting zero evens)P(getting zero evens)P(getting zero evens) = P(getting both odds)
= P(1st ball is odd
AND 2nd ball is odd)
= P(1st ball is odd)
x P(2nd ball is odd)
= 1/2
x 1/2
=
1/4Aside: Since we are replacing the ball after the first selection, the probability of getting an odd number to ball is 5/10 (aka 1/2) with each selectionSo...P(select at least 1 even numbered ball) = 1 -
1/4 = 3/4
Answer: C
Cheers,
Brent