GreenlightTestPrep wrote:
A box contains r red chips and b blue chips only, where r>0 and b>0. If two balls are randomly selected without replacement, what is the probability that the two balls are different colors?
A) br(b+r)(b+r−1)
B) 2(b+r)(b+r)(b+r−1)
C) br(b+r)
D) 2br(b+r)(b+r−1)
E) 2br(b+r)(b+r)
Approach #1: Probability rulesP(different colors) = P(red 1st
AND blue 2nd
OR blue 1st
AND red 2nd
= P(red 1st
AND blue 2nd)
+ P(blue 1st
AND red 2nd)
= [P(red 1st)
x P(blue 2nd)]
+ [P(blue 1st)
x P(red 2nd)]
= [
rr+b x br+b−1]
+ [
br+b x rr+b−1]
=
br(b+r)(b+r−1) + br(b+r)(b+r−1)=
2br(b+r)(b+r−1) Answer: D
Approach #2: Testing valuesNotice that, if
r=1 and
b=1, then we are guaranteed to have two different colors.
In other words,
r=1 and
b=1, then P(different colors) =
1So now we'll plug
r=1 and
b=1 into each answer choice to see which one equals
1....
A)
(1)(1)(1+1)(1+1−1)=12. NO GOOD.
B)
2(1+1)(1+1)(1+1−1)=2. NO GOOD.
C)
(1)(1)(1+1)=12. NO GOOD.
D)
2(1)(1)(1+1)(1+1−1)=1. BINGO!!!
E)
2(1)(1)(1+1)(1+1)=12. NO GOOD.
Answer: D