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jmc

counting and probability intermediate

Problem

Two different integers are randomly chosen from the set What is the probability that their product is negative? Express your answer as a common fraction.
Solution
We don't consider the order that we choose integers in this problem, meaning that choosing a and then a is the same as choosing a and then a . The product of two integers is negative if one integer is positive and the other is negative. There are three ways to choose a negative integer and two ways to choose a positive integer, for a total of ways to choose both integers. There are ways to choose any two different integers, so the probability that the two integers have a negative product is .
Final answer
\frac{3}{5}