Categories

Probability AMC 10B 2019 problem 17

Try this beautiful problem of probability is based upon tossing the coin and finding probability from AMC 10B 2019. You may use sequential hints to help you solve the problem.

Competency in Focus: probability

This problem is from American Mathematics Contest 10B (AMC 10B, 2019). It is Question no. 17 of the AMC 10B 2019 Problem series.

Next understand the problem

[/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.2.2″ text_font=”Raleway||||||||” text_font_size=”20px” text_letter_spacing=”1px” text_line_height=”1.5em” background_color=”#f4f4f4″ custom_margin=”10px||10px” custom_padding=”10px|20px|10px|20px” box_shadow_style=”preset2″]A red ball and a green ball are randomly and independently tossed into bins numbered with the positive integers so that for each ball, the probability that it is tossed into bin $k$ is $2^{-k}$ for $k = 1,2,3….$ What is the probability that the red ball is tossed into a higher-numbered bin than the green ball?
$\textbf{(A) } \frac{1}{4} \qquad\textbf{(B) } \frac{2}{7} \qquad\textbf{(C) } \frac{1}{3} \qquad\textbf{(D) } \frac{3}{8} \qquad\textbf{(E) } \frac{3}{7}$[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.0″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_accordion open_toggle_text_color=”#0c71c3″ _builder_version=”4.2.2″ toggle_font=”||||||||” body_font=”Raleway||||||||” text_orientation=”center” custom_margin=”10px||10px”][et_pb_accordion_item title=”Source of the problem” _builder_version=”4.2.2″ open=”off”]American Mathematical Contest 2019, AMC 10B Problem 17[/et_pb_accordion_item][et_pb_accordion_item title=”Key Competency” open=”off” _builder_version=”4.2.2″ inline_fonts=”Abhaya Libre”]

Probability

[/et_pb_accordion_item][et_pb_accordion_item title=”Difficulty Level” _builder_version=”4.2.2″ open=”off”]4/10[/et_pb_accordion_item][et_pb_accordion_item title=”Suggested Book” _builder_version=”4.0.9″ open=”on”]Challenges and Thrills in Pre College Mathematics Excursion Of Mathematics

[/et_pb_text][et_pb_tabs _builder_version=”4.2.2″][et_pb_tab title=”HINT 0″ _builder_version=”4.0.9″]Do you really need a hint? Try it first![/et_pb_tab][et_pb_tab title=”HINT 1″ _builder_version=”4.2.2″]The probability that the two balls will go into adjacent bins is $\frac{1}{2\times4} + \frac{1}{4\times8} + \frac{1}{8 \times 16} + … = \frac{1}{8} + \frac{1}{32} + \frac{1}{128} + \cdots = \frac{1}{6}$ by the geometric series sum formula.[/et_pb_tab][et_pb_tab title=”HINT 2″ _builder_version=”4.2.2″]the probability that the two balls will go into bins that have a distance of $2$ from each other is $\frac{1}{2 \times 8} + \frac{1}{4 \times 16} + \frac{1}{8 \times 32} + \cdots = \frac{1}{16} + \frac{1}{64} + \frac{1}{256} + \cdots = \frac{1}{12}$[/et_pb_tab][et_pb_tab title=”HINT 3″ _builder_version=”4.2.2″]We can see that each time we add a bin between the two balls, the probability halves.[/et_pb_tab][et_pb_tab title=”HINT 4″ _builder_version=”4.2.2″]Thus, our answer is $\frac{1}{6} + \frac{1}{12} + \frac{1}{24} + \cdots$[/et_pb_tab][/et_pb_tabs][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”4.2.2″ global_module=”50833″][et_pb_fullwidth_header title=”AMC – AIME Program” button_one_text=”Learn More” button_one_url=”https://www.cheenta.com/amc-aime-usamo-math-olympiad-program/” header_image_url=”https://www.cheenta.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/matholympiad.png” _builder_version=”4.2.2″ title_level=”h2″ background_color=”#00457a” custom_button_one=”on” button_one_text_color=”#44580e” button_one_bg_color=”#ffffff” button_one_border_color=”#ffffff” button_one_border_radius=”5px”]