A couple probability questions

In summary, the conversation discusses two scenarios involving probability and urns or jelly beans. In the first scenario, two urns with different numbers of white and red balls are given, and the probability of selecting the first urn is 0.4. The question asks for the probability of selecting the first urn and drawing two white balls. It is suggested to use Bayes' theorem to solve this problem. In the second scenario, a box and a bag with different numbers of blue and green jelly beans are given, and a jelly bean is transferred from the box to the bag. The question asks for the probability of the transferred jelly bean being green. It is mentioned that Bayes' theorem or a probability tree can be used to solve this problem
  • #1
Sportsman4920
16
0
1. An urn contains 2 white balls and 8 red balls. A second urn contains 8 white balls and 2 red balls. An urn is selected, and the probability of selecting the first urn is 0.4. A ball is drawn from the selected urn and replaced. Then another ball is drawn and replaced from the same urn. If both balls are white, what are the following probabilities? (Round your answers to three decimal places.)

(a) the probability that the urn selected was the first one

I tried multiplying the probability of the first urn .4 x the probability of a white ball .2 together, then squaring it to get the probability of it happening twice. Clearly not correct though. Do I have to use bayes theorem?

(b) the probability that the urn selected was the second one
This I know is 1-the answer to a


2. A box has 4 blue and 2 green jelly beans. A bag has 8 blue and 6 green jelly beans. A jelly bean is selected at random from the box and placed in the bag. Then a jelly bean is selected at random from the bag. If a green jelly bean is selected from the bag, what is the probability that the transferred jelly bean was green? (Round your answer to three decimal places.)

I figured out the probability of picking a green jelly bean from the bag, and the probability of picking the other options from the box. And I know we are supposed to find the probability of picking a green from the box given picking a green from the bag. However I can not get it to work in the equations that I have.
 
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  • #2
you can use Baye's theorem..I just used a probability tree. But, it doesn't change anything. The probability of picking the first urn is .4, as stated. Kind of like the Monty Hall problem, the probability doesn't change

Second, one using probability tree, brute force, probability is 7/19. Sorry can't help with equations.
 
  • #3
Thanks for the help. I tried using bayes theorem for the first problem by doing the probability of the first earn given the ball is white. So 1/W. Which is .4x.2/(.4x.2 + .6x.8) and got .1429. Then multiplied that by .4x.2 because knowing it is the same earn and the ball is white, the probability of picking another white ball is .08. But this was not correct. Where did I go wrong? -Thanks
 

What is the definition of probability?

Probability is a measure of the likelihood of an event occurring. It is expressed as a number between 0 and 1, where 0 indicates impossibility and 1 indicates certainty.

How do you calculate probability?

To calculate probability, you divide the number of favorable outcomes by the total number of possible outcomes. This is known as the classical definition of probability.

What is the difference between theoretical and experimental probability?

Theoretical probability is based on mathematical calculations and assumes that all outcomes are equally likely. Experimental probability, on the other hand, is based on actual data collected from experiments or observations.

What is the difference between independent and dependent events?

Independent events are events where the outcome of one event does not affect the outcome of the other event. Dependent events, on the other hand, are events where the outcome of one event does depend on the outcome of the other event.

Can probability be greater than 1?

No, probability cannot be greater than 1. This would indicate a certainty of an event occurring, which is not possible. Probability must always be between 0 and 1.

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