Browse · MathNet
PrintSouth African Mathematics Olympiad First Round
South Africa statistics
Problem
A box contains red pens, blue pens and green pens. Three pens are consecutively taken from the box, at random and without replacement. The probability that the first pen is red, the second pen blue and the third pen green, is (A) (B) (C) (D) (E)
Solution
There are pens in the box, so the probability of first picking a red pen is . This leaves pens (since the red pen is not replaced), and the probability of next picking a blue pen is . Finally, the probability of picking a green pen is . The events are not independent, and the probability is .
Final answer
D
Techniques
OtherOther