Try it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
A pencil case holds blue pens and black pens. Two pens are taken out one after the other, and the first is not put back. Find the probability that both pens are blue, the probability that the pens are of different colours, and the probability that at least one pen is black. Give decimals to four places.
The multiplication rule is . In a tree diagram, multiply along each path and add the paths that make the event. Without replacement, the second-stage branches use the changed contents.
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Step 1. Both blue. .
Step 2. Different colours. Blue then black is . Black then blue is . They are equal, so the sum is .
Step 3. At least one black. This is the complement of both blue: .
Answer: , and .
Check. The remaining case is both black: . The three cases add up: .
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