A bag contains20 balls.8 balls are green,7 are white and5 are red. Wha...
Question:
A bag contains 20 balls. 8 balls are green, 7 are white, and 5 are red. What is the minimum number of balls that must be picked up from the bag blindfolded (without replacing any of it) to be assured of picking at least one ball of each color?
Answer:
To be assured of picking at least one ball of each color, we need to consider the worst-case scenario, which is when we have picked all the balls of one or two colors before picking a ball of the remaining color.
Step 1: Picking all balls of one color
Let's assume we pick all the green balls first. In the worst-case scenario, we would pick all 8 green balls before picking any white or red balls.
- Number of green balls = 8
- Number of white balls = 7
- Number of red balls = 5
Total balls picked so far = 8
Step 2: Picking all balls of two colors
Now, let's assume we pick all the white balls next. In the worst-case scenario, we would pick all 7 white balls before picking any red balls.
- Number of green balls = 8
- Number of white balls = 7
- Number of red balls = 5
Total balls picked so far = 8 + 7 = 15
Step 3: Picking the remaining color
At this point, we have picked all the green and white balls. To be assured of picking at least one red ball, we need to pick all the remaining balls.
- Number of green balls = 8
- Number of white balls = 7
- Number of red balls = 5
Total balls picked so far = 8 + 7 + 5 = 20
Conclusion:
Therefore, the minimum number of balls that must be picked up from the bag blindfolded to be assured of picking at least one ball of each color is 20.