document.write( "Question 1163157: Your Sock drawer has six white socks, six brown socks, and for black socks. You randomly pick two socks and get a matching pair of black socks. Find the probability of this occurring. \n" ); document.write( "
Algebra.Com's Answer #787156 by greenestamps(13198)![]() ![]() You can put this solution on YOUR website! \n" ); document.write( "Tutor @ikleyn showed an elementary way to solve this kind of problem, by looking at the probability of picking two black socks one at a time. \n" ); document.write( "You should know and understand that method for solving the problem. \n" ); document.write( "For more complex problems, a more sophisticated solution method might be required. You should know that other method, demonstrated below, for solving this problem. \n" ); document.write( "You are choosing 2 socks out of a drawer containing 16 socks. The number of ways you can do that is \"16 choose 2\": \n" ); document.write( "The outcome you want is choosing 2 of the 4 black socks. The number of ways you can do that is \"4 choose 2\": \n" ); document.write( "The probability that you get 2 black socks is then \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( "Often, in more complicated problems, it is helpful to be more complete in describing the desired outcome. For this problem, the desired outcome is choosing 2 of the 4 black socks, AND choosing 0 of the 6 white socks, AND 0 of the 6 brown socks. Then the calculation of the probability of getting 2 black socks is \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( " \n" ); document.write( " |