Emily keeps 12 different pairs of shoes (24 individual shoes

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AAPL: Moderator; Posts: 2599; Joined: Sun Oct 29, 2017 2:08 pm; Followed by:2 members

Emily keeps 12 different pairs of shoes (24 individual shoes

by AAPL » Wed Jan 09, 2019 5:03 am

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Veritas Prep

Emily keeps 12 different pairs of shoes (24 individual shoes in total) under her bed. If her dog drags out two shoes at random, what is the probability that he drags out a matching pair of shoes?

A. 1/144
B. 1/66
C. 1/23
D. 1/12
E. 1/11

OA C

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Source: Beat The GMAT — Problem Solving | Wed Jan 09, 2019 5:03 am

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Brent@GMATPrepNow: GMAT Instructor; Posts: 16207; Joined: Mon Dec 08, 2008 6:26 pm; Location: Vancouver, BC; Thanked: 5254 times; Followed by:1268 members; GMAT Score:770

by Brent@GMATPrepNow » Wed Jan 09, 2019 6:05 am

AAPL wrote:Veritas Prep

Emily keeps 12 different pairs of shoes (24 individual shoes in total) under her bed. If her dog drags out two shoes at random, what is the probability that he drags out a matching pair of shoes?

A. 1/144
B. 1/66
C. 1/23
D. 1/12
E. 1/11

P(dog selects matching pair) = P(dog chooses ANY sock 1st AND 2nd sock matches the 1st sock)
= P(dog chooses ANY sock 1st) x P(2nd sock matches the 1st sock)
= 24/24 x 1/23
= 1/23

Answer: C

Cheers,
Brent

Brent Hanneson - Creator of GMATPrepNow.com

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fskilnik@GMATH: GMAT Instructor; Posts: 1449; Joined: Sat Oct 09, 2010 2:16 pm; Thanked: 59 times; Followed by:33 members

by fskilnik@GMATH » Wed Jan 09, 2019 7:54 am

AAPL wrote:Veritas Prep

Emily keeps 12 different pairs of shoes (24 individual shoes in total) under her bed. If her dog drags out two shoes at random, what is the probability that he drags out a matching pair of shoes?

A. 1/144
B. 1/66
C. 1/23
D. 1/12
E. 1/11

$$\left. \matrix{
{\rm{Total}}\,\,:\,\,\,C\left( {24,2} \right) = {{24 \cdot 23} \over 2} = 12 \cdot 23\,\,{\rm{equiprobable}}\,\,{\rm{pairs}}\,\,\,\, \hfill \cr
{\rm{Favorable:}}\,\,\,12\,\,{\rm{real}}\,\,{\rm{pairs}}\,\,\left( {{\rm{matches}}} \right) \hfill \cr} \right\}\,\,\,\,\,\, \Rightarrow \,\,\,\,\,? = {{12} \over {12 \cdot 23}} = {1 \over {23}}$$

This solution follows the notations and rationale taught in the GMATH method.

Regards,
Fabio.

Fabio Skilnik :: GMATH method creator ( Math for the GMAT)
English-speakers :: https://www.gmath.net
Portuguese-speakers :: https://www.gmath.com.br

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Scott@TargetTestPrep: GMAT Instructor; Posts: 8085; Joined: Sat Apr 25, 2015 10:56 am; Location: Los Angeles, CA; Thanked: 43 times; Followed by:29 members

by Scott@TargetTestPrep » Mon Jan 21, 2019 6:00 pm

AAPL wrote:Veritas Prep

Emily keeps 12 different pairs of shoes (24 individual shoes in total) under her bed. If her dog drags out two shoes at random, what is the probability that he drags out a matching pair of shoes?

A. 1/144
B. 1/66
C. 1/23
D. 1/12
E. 1/11

OA C

The first shoe can be any shoe, so its probability is 24/24 = 1. However, since the second shoe must match the first shoe, its probability of being chosen is 1/23. Therefore, the probability that the two shoes forming a matching pair is 1 x 1/23 = 1/23.

Answer: C

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