Question

A jar contains 6 red marbles, 8 green marbles, and 9 blue marbles?

What is the probability that you choose exactly one of each color, if you pick 3 from the jar?

I am stumped. It is not 6/23*8/23*9/23. So good luck and thank you

Answer 1

You are stumped because you assumed that the marble picked is first returned to the jar and then the next marble is drawn, that is, replacement is allowed.

However, when nothing is mentioned in the problem, we assume that the events take place without replacement, that is, after a marble is drawn, another marble is drawn without returning the first marble back into the jar and the process is repeated for the third marble.

So, total number of outcomes = (and not 23×23×23 - This would be in case of with replacement as you assumed)

Total favorable outcomes =

So, required Probability =