Math Problem Statement

  1. Each of six urns contains black and white balls; one has eight white and 4 black balls, two have six white and 6 black balls and three have 4 white and 8 black balls. An urn is drawn at random, and 3 balls are drawn without replacement from that urn. Two of the three are white and the other is black. What is the probability that the urn drawn contained 4 white and 8 black balls?

Solution

To solve this problem, we'll use Bayes' Theorem.

Step 1: Define the Events

  • Let UiU_i represent the event that the urn ii is chosen, where:

    • U1U_1 is the urn with 8 white and 4 black balls.
    • U2U_2 and U3U_3 are the urns with 6 white and 6 black balls.
    • U4,U5,U6U_4, U_5, U_6 are the urns with 4 white and 8 black balls.
  • Let AA be the event that 2 white balls and 1 black ball are drawn.

Step 2: Calculate the Probability of Drawing Each Urn

Since each urn is equally likely to be chosen, the probability of choosing any specific urn is:

P(U1)=P(U2)=P(U3)=P(U4)=P(U5)=P(U6)=16P(U_1) = P(U_2) = P(U_3) = P(U_4) = P(U_5) = P(U_6) = \frac{1}{6}

Step 3: Calculate the Probability of Drawing 2 White and 1 Black Ball from Each Urn

Now, calculate the probability of drawing 2 white and 1 black ball from each urn.

  • Urn 1 (8 white, 4 black):

P(AU1)=(82)(41)(123)=8×72×412×11×106=112220=56110=2855P(A|U_1) = \frac{\binom{8}{2} \binom{4}{1}}{\binom{12}{3}} = \frac{\frac{8 \times 7}{2} \times 4}{\frac{12 \times 11 \times 10}{6}} = \frac{112}{220} = \frac{56}{110} = \frac{28}{55}

  • Urns 2 and 3 (6 white, 6 black):

P(AU2)=P(AU3)=(62)(61)(123)=6×52×612×11×106=90220=922P(A|U_2) = P(A|U_3) = \frac{\binom{6}{2} \binom{6}{1}}{\binom{12}{3}} = \frac{\frac{6 \times 5}{2} \times 6}{\frac{12 \times 11 \times 10}{6}} = \frac{90}{220} = \frac{9}{22}

  • Urns 4, 5, and 6 (4 white, 8 black):

P(AU4)=P(AU5)=P(AU6)=(42)(81)(123)=4×32×812×11×106=48220=24110=1255P(A|U_4) = P(A|U_5) = P(A|U_6) = \frac{\binom{4}{2} \binom{8}{1}}{\binom{12}{3}} = \frac{\frac{4 \times 3}{2} \times 8}{\frac{12 \times 11 \times 10}{6}} = \frac{48}{220} = \frac{24}{110} = \frac{12}{55}

Step 4: Calculate the Total Probability of AA

Using the law of total probability:

P(A)=P(U1)P(AU1)+P(U2)P(AU2)+P(U3)P(AU3)+P(U4)P(AU4)+P(U5)P(AU5)+P(U6)P(AU6)P(A) = P(U_1)P(A|U_1) + P(U_2)P(A|U_2) + P(U_3)P(A|U_3) + P(U_4)P(A|U_4) + P(U_5)P(A|U_5) + P(U_6)P(A|U_6)

P(A)=16(2855+922+922+1255+1255+1255)P(A) = \frac{1}{6} \left(\frac{28}{55} + \frac{9}{22} + \frac{9}{22} + \frac{12}{55} + \frac{12}{55} + \frac{12}{55}\right)

Convert 922\frac{9}{22} to a denominator of 55:

922=45110=45×5110×5=45110=45×55110×55=45×5110×55\frac{9}{22} = \frac{45}{110} = \frac{45 \times 5}{110 \times 5} = \frac{45}{110} = \frac{45 \times 55}{110 \times 55} = \frac{45 \times 5}{110 \times 55}

Substitute back:

P(A)=16(2855+45110+45110+1255+1255+1255)P(A) = \frac{1}{6} \left(\frac{28}{55} + \frac{45}{110} + \frac{45}{110} + \frac{12}{55} + \frac{12}{55} + \frac{12}{55}\right)

Step 5: Calculate the Desired Probability using Bayes' Theorem

Finally, apply Bayes' Theorem to find the probability that the chosen urn is one with 4 white and 8 black balls (Urns 4, 5, or 6):

P(U4 or U5 or U6A)=P(U4)P(AU4)+P(U5)P(AU5)+P(U6)P(AU6)P(A)P(U_4 \text{ or } U_5 \text{ or } U_6 | A) = \frac{P(U_4)P(A|U_4) + P(U_5)P(A|U_5) + P(U_6)P(A|U_6)}{P(A)}

Substituting the values gives:

16(1255+1255+1255)Total Probability from Step 4\frac{\frac{1}{6} \left(\frac{12}{55} + \frac{12}{55} + \frac{12}{55}\right)}{\text{Total Probability from Step 4}}

Final Result:

This step provides the final probability that the chosen urn was one with 4 white and 8 black balls.


Let me know if you would like further steps calculated or have any questions! Here are 5 related questions to explore:

  1. How would the result change if the number of urns was increased?
  2. What if the draws were done with replacement? How does that affect the probabilities?
  3. How do probabilities change if we alter the number of white or black balls in each urn?
  4. Can you determine the expected number of white balls in any urn before drawing?
  5. How would the calculations differ if the order of drawing balls mattered?

Tip: Understanding Bayes' Theorem is crucial for problems involving conditional probability, where you need to update beliefs based on new evidence.

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Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Probability Theory
Bayes' Theorem
Combinatorics

Formulas

Bayes' Theorem

Theorems

Law of Total Probability

Suitable Grade Level

Advanced College Level