How Do I Solve This Probability Question?

Question

How do I solve this:
Ten balls to be drawn are placed in a bag. There are 5 red, 2 blue, 2 yellow, and 1 silver. If a ball is drawn and not replaced, what is the probability that the first ball will be red and the second silver?

Answer 1

Your question might be interpreted two ways:

First is the probability of two unique events, the first is red, and the second is silver.

The probability that the first ball will be red is 1/2.

The probability that the second ball will be silver, only given that the first ball was not silver, is 1/9.

Second, the question may be a a bit more complicated. You might want the probability of a sequence of dependent events, not two separate probabilities. If that is the case, then the probability of the union of those two events is conditional.

The probability that the first ball will be red and the second silver is P(red) P(silver|red), or (1/2) (1/9) or 1/18.

Answer 2

First red?
2/10
Second silver?
1/9

2/10 x 1/9 = 2/90 or 1/45

Apparently I did the problem if the first ball was blue or yellow... Anyway, you could use my answer...

Answer 3

well you have to think of how many balls there are.
and then you have to think of how many there will be once you take one away.
and then once on ball is drawn how to you know which color it is.
also you can go to math.com and it might help you a little more.