Question

A box full of multi-color paper clips contains 5 red clips, 3 blue clips, 3 green clips and 4 pink clips. What is theprobability that Ms. Willms randomly selects a blue paper clip, returns it, and then Mrs. Potts randomly selects apink paper clip?

Answer 1

The total amount of clips in the box, is:

$5+3+3+4=15$

Since there are 3 blue clips, the probability of picking a blue clip, is:

$\frac{3}{15}=\frac{1}{5}$

Since there are 4 pink clips, the probability of picking a pink clip, is:

$\frac{4}{15}$

The probability of both events happening one after another will be the product of the individual probabilities of each event. Then, the probability of picking a blue clip and then picking a pink clip, is:

$\frac{1}{5}\times\frac{4}{15}=\frac{4}{5\times15}=\frac{4}{75}$

Therefore, the answer is:

$\frac{4}{75}$