Question

Henry grabs one shoe at a time at random without replacement from a box of ten shoes in his closet. The box contains 4 brown shoes, 2 black shoes, and 4 sneakers. What is the probability that the first two shoes he chooses will be brown? Round to the nearest percent if necessary.

Answer 1

The probability of getting a brown shoe on the first selection is 4/10. If a brown shoe has been chosen on the first selection, there are 3 brown shoes remaining in a total of 9 shoes. Therefore the probability of getting a brown shoe on the second selection is 3/9.
The probability that the first two shoes Henry chooses will be brown is therefore:
\[\large P(2\ brown)=\frac{4\times3}{10\times9}=you\ can\ calculate\]