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What is the smallest number of gloves you need to select to guarantee at least one matching pair?

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There are 40 gloves in a drawer: 10 pair of white gloves, 5 pairs of black gloves, 3 pairs of brown, and 2 pairs of gray. You select the gloves in the dark and can check them only after a selection has been made. What is the smallest number of gloves you need to select to guarantee at least one matching pair?

posted Aug 8, 2017 by Ramya

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1 Answer

+1 vote

You need to select at least 5 Gloves to be fully sure of having a matching pair.

Upto 4 selection there is a chance that all four are of different color. One additional will make sure that you have a matching pair.

answer Aug 10, 2017 by Anup Desai



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A trip around the world!
Logic Level 3

There is an air base on the equator. The maximum amount of fuel that a plane can contain would be only sufficient for it to fly halfway around the world.

For at least one plane to finish a trip around the world, how many planes do you need at least?

Details and assumptions:
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