[Math] Finding the probability that $2$ socks are the same color

probabilitystatistics

Question: A drawer contains $6$ blue socks and $4$ white socks. Two socks are chosen randomly without replacement. What is the probability that the $2$ socks are the same color?

Should I approach this problem by adding the probabilities of selecting $2$ blue socks and selecting $2$ white socks? If so, is the formula unordered without replacement? Can somebody direct me with the right formula to solving this?

Best Answer

We can approach this in a few ways. Think about ordering, or not; look for matched options or for mismatched options (and calculate). None are very difficult.

Following your proposed approach, the calculation would look like:

$$\frac6{10}\cdot \frac 59 + \frac 4{10}\cdot \frac 39$$

Following the ordered mismatch approach:

$$1-\left( \frac6{10} \cdot\frac 49 + \frac 4{10}\cdot \frac 69\right)$$

A non-ordered find-the-matches approach:

$$\frac{\binom 62+ \binom 42}{\binom {10}2} $$

A non-ordered find mismatches approach:

$$1-\frac{\binom 61 \binom 41}{\binom {10}2} $$

All give the same result.