Question

At the Rubber Duckie booth at the County Fair, contestants randomly pick two rubber ducks, one from each of two separate pools. Each pool contains five ducks, numbered 1 through 5. To win a prize, the numbers on both ducks must match. The table shows the possible outcomes. What is the theoretical probability that a contestant wins the Rubber Duckie game?

Answer 1

1. There are 10 ducks in total, 5 in each pool.

2. For each pool, the probability of picking a certain numbered duck—for instance, #3—is 20%.

3. Because the pools are separate with, picking one duck from one pool does not affect the chance of picking a certain duck from the other pool.

4. Therefore, the probability that a contestant wins the game is 20%.

Good luck!