Probability

Question

Leanne Davis plays a game with a street entertainer. In this game, a ball is placed under one of three coconut halves. The vendor shifts the coconut halves so quickly that Leanne can no longer tell which coconut half contains the ball. She selects one and misses. The entertainer then shifts all three around once more and asks Leanne to pick again. What is the probability that Leanne will select the coconut half containing the ball?

Answer 1

In this very old game, there is a ball under one of the coconut shells.

 

Since there are three shells, but only one ball, the odds are 1 in 3 to make the correct choice.

 

While it is true that the vendor will move the shells very quickly, that fact will not change the odds.