Probability – Compound Events

question 1 of 2 Grade: Eleven - G11
question 1 of 2 Grade: Eleven - G11

Q: A box contains 4 black and 5 blue identical pens. Two pens are picked at random one after the other without replacement. Find the probability that the pens picked are both blue.

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Did You Know?

In an arithmetic sequence, consecutive terms have a constant common difference. This means: (second term - first term) = (third term - second term). Set up the equation: \((2x + 3) - x = (4x - 1) - (2x + 3)\). Simplify left side: \(2x + 3 - x = x + 3\). Simplify right side: \(4x - 1 - 2x - 3 = 2x - 4\). Equation: \(x + 3 = 2x - 4\). Solve: \(3 + 4 = 2x - x\), so \(7 = x\). Therefore, x = 7. Verification: If x = 7, the terms are 7, 2(7) + 3 = 17, and 4(7) - 1 = 27. Check differences: 17 - 7 = 10, and 27 - 17 = 10 ✓. Common difference is 10. This type of algebraic arithmetic sequence problem is very common in ECZ Paper 1. It tests both your understanding of the constant difference property and your algebra skills. The key insight is that for three consecutive terms a, b, c in an AP: b - a = c - b, which can be rearranged to 2b = a + c (the middle term is the average of the outer terms).

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