Ask Experts Questions for FREE Help !
Ask
    Emland's Avatar
    Emland Posts: 2,468, Reputation: 496
    Ultra Member
     
    #1

    May 3, 2007, 06:10 AM
    How to solve this probability?
    Okay - this isn't homework. I took statistics and let's just say although it wasn't pretty, I passed. My boss asked me to solve this probability question back when I was taking stats and I could never figure it out. He wants to know the probability for a bowling raffle he is in every year.

    There are 3 fishbowls.

    Inside each fishbowl there are 10 marbles.
    3 marbles are black
    7 marbles are white

    What is the probability that if you pull 4 marbles from each jar that you will get 9 black marbles?

    I told him about this site and that he might finally get an answer to this question that has been bugging him for a while. I hope someone knows!
    ebaines's Avatar
    ebaines Posts: 12,131, Reputation: 1307
    Expert
     
    #2

    May 3, 2007, 07:22 AM
    Quote Originally Posted by Emland
    Okay - this isn't homework. I took statistics and let's just say although it wasn't pretty, I passed. My boss asked me to solve this probability question back when I was taking stats and I could never figure it out. He wants to know the probability for a bowling raffle he is in every year.

    There are 3 fishbowls.

    Inside each fishbowl there are 10 marbles.
    3 marbles are black
    7 marbles are white

    What is the probability that if you pull 4 marbles from each jar that you will get 9 black marbles?

    I told him about this site and that he might finally get an answer to this question that has been bugging him for a while. I hope someone knows!
    To get 9 black marbles, you must pull 3 blacks plus 1 white from each bowl. No other combination of choices will work. So, if we can find the probability of pulling 3 blacks and 1 white from a bowl, we cube that to get the probablility of doing it 3 times in a row.

    The math is like this:

    P(3 blacks + 1 white) = (3*2*1*7)/(10*9*8*7) * 4 = 0.0333

    Note - the factor 4 is there because the white marble can show up in any one of the 4 picks.

    So the probability of doing this feat 3 times in a row is 0.0333 ^ 3 = 0.000037037, or 1 out of 27,000.
    BRD4life's Avatar
    BRD4life Posts: 4, Reputation: 0
    New Member
     
    #3

    May 5, 2007, 05:28 PM
    The one thing he failed to notice is the chance you could get 4 black marbles thus manking the proabailty slightly higher making it 0.001332:D :D :D
    Emland's Avatar
    Emland Posts: 2,468, Reputation: 496
    Ultra Member
     
    #4

    May 5, 2007, 05:30 PM
    I don't understand BRD4life. There are only 3 black marbles per jar. How would you get 4 black marbles in one draw?
    anerd's Avatar
    anerd Posts: 1, Reputation: 1
    New Member
     
    #5

    Mar 4, 2011, 06:17 AM
    But u can pick a 3 black and 1 white marble from a jar,So as there are 3 jars u will have 9 black marbles with you.
    so probability to pick 3 black from a jar is 7/(10*3*7)
    so (1/30)*(1/30)(1/30) is the answer
    ebaines's Avatar
    ebaines Posts: 12,131, Reputation: 1307
    Expert
     
    #6

    Mar 4, 2011, 06:46 AM

    anerd - you do realize that this question is almost 4 years old, and the correct answer was provided in post #2. I guess it's a good thing that at least we agree on what that answer is.

Not your question? Ask your question View similar questions

 

Question Tools Search this Question
Search this Question:

Advanced Search

Add your answer here.


Check out some similar questions!

Solve [(86400*n^2)/2^n]<1 solve n [ 3 Answers ]

Could you Please solve this problem <1 solve n

Solve For X [ 1 Answers ]

X/x+2=28/42

How would you solve... [ 1 Answers ]

how many formula units are in 5.1g of TiOs? how many moles of barium nitrate contains 6.80x10 to the 24th formula units

Solve please [ 1 Answers ]

solve system of linear equation using any method 2x+3y=-1 x+5y-2z=-16 5x+2y=14 that's number 1 number 2 is -x-7y+3z=23 3x-10y-5z=5


View more questions Search