Bags of Marbles Puzzle - Solution
The Puzzle:
You pick a random bag and take out one marble.
It is a white marble.
What is the probability that the remaining marble from the same bag is also white?
Our Solution:2/3 (not 1/2)
You know that you do not have Bag B (two black marbles) so there are three possibilities
You chose Bag A, first white marble. The other marble will be white
You chose Bag A, second white marble. The other marble will be white
You chose Bag C, the white marble. The other marble will be black
So 2 out of 3 possibilities are white.
Why not 1/2? You are selecting marbles, not bags.
You know that you do not have Bag B (two black marbles) so there are three possibilities
You chose Bag A, first white marble. The other marble will be white
You chose Bag A, second white marble. The other marble will be white
You chose Bag C, the white marble. The other marble will be black
So 2 out of 3 possibilities are white.
Why not 1/2? You are selecting marbles, not bags.