A drawer holds purple socks and yellow socks. If n socks are taken out of the drawer at random, the probability that all are yellow is 1/2. What is the smallest possible number of socks in the drawer (as a function of n)?
A drawer holds purple socks and yellow socks. If n socks are taken out of the drawer at random, the probability that all are yellow is 1/2. What is the smallest possible number of socks in the drawer (as a function of n)?
Algebra & Trigonometry with Analytic Geometry
13th Edition
ISBN:9781133382119
Author:Swokowski
Publisher:Swokowski
Chapter10: Sequences, Series, And Probability
Section10.8: Probability
Problem 20E
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A drawer holds purple socks and yellow socks. If n socks are taken out of the drawer at random, the probability that all are yellow is 1/2. What is the smallest possible number of socks in the drawer (as a function of n)?
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How did you get "This is equal to (1/2) iff x = N - 1, x - 1 = N - 2, ....... , x - (n - 2) = N - (n - 1)?
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