A probability problem by Cosmic Curiosity
Probability
Level
1
A man has 53 socks in his drawer: 21 identical blue, 15 identical black and 17 identical red. The lights are fused and he is completely in the dark. How many socks must he take out to make 100 percent certain he has a pair of black socks?
The answer is 40.
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1 solution
If he takes out 38 socks, although it is very unlikely, it is possible they could all be blue and red. To make 100 percent certain that he also has a pair of black socks he must take out a further two socks. Hence 40 is the answer.