there are 10 blue stockings 20 red stockings in a drawer.
How many stockings should you take out , in the dark , to be sure of having a matching pair ?
2006-10-02 07:38:08 · 19 answers · asked by AlexGenius 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Mathematics
one. Stockings are pantyhose,right? At least they are where I live. Thats one piece,also called a pair like jeans are called a pair.
2006-10-02 07:40:58 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 6⤋
One must assume that all 10 blue stockings are identical and all 20 red stockings are identical to reach the conclusion that one only needs to take out 3 stockings to get a matched pair.
This would be true if the blue stockings matched the red stocking sufficiently that one could not tell the difference in the dark. If all red stockings were identical and also three inches longer than all of the 20 red stockings (which are identical to each other and 3 inches shorter), then the answer is 2, not three. The same could be said if all red stockings were silk and all blue stockings were wool.
If the same colored stockings were sufficiently different from each other but still sufficiently the same to prevent telling the difference in the dark, then one might have to take a larger number of stockings to be sure that one had a matching pair.
Each new stocking would have the ability to match each of the stockings already removed. To get the probability above 1.0000 (sure bet), seven (7) stockings would need to be taken.
The answer depends entirely upon the assumptions made.
2006-10-02 14:56:10 · answer #2 · answered by Richard 7 · 5⤊ 0⤋
3
2006-10-02 14:43:31 · answer #3 · answered by dudyu 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
3
2006-10-02 14:41:52 · answer #4 · answered by Mag999nus 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
3
2006-10-02 14:40:45 · answer #5 · answered by Theant 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
3
2006-10-02 14:40:40 · answer #6 · answered by Stewart H 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
3
2006-10-02 14:39:45 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
3
2006-10-02 14:39:36 · answer #8 · answered by Mim 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If you had said "Socks" then I would have had to answer "3" but since the question was about "Stockings" then the most correct answer (but certainly not the most popular one) is ""1".
I would pull out 1 stocking and be assured that I had a matching pair.
2006-10-02 14:59:16 · answer #9 · answered by GreatGasMileage 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you took out 3, you would have 2 of one kind and one of the other with 87.50 % certainty. In your example, you would in all probability pull 2 red and one blue stockings. On your first two, you would have only a 50 % chance. with 3 you are assured that they will be either that, both the same, and with the 3rd choice, that they could also be all the same, or the most likely, 2 of one and one of the other.
2006-10-02 14:51:25 · answer #10 · answered by great gig in the sky 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
11
2006-10-02 14:40:16 · answer #11 · answered by Rat P... 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋