Here are seven number cards.

Helen takes a card at random and does not replace it. She then takes another card at random.

Calculate the probability that the number on the second card is greater than the number on the first card.



Answer :

To calculate the probability that the number on the second card Helen takes is greater than the number on the first card she takes, follow these steps:

1. Identify the Total Number of Cards and Possible Pairs:
- We have 7 cards numbered 1 through 7.
- Helen can choose the first and the second cards in different possible orders.
- Since Helen does not replace the card after the first draw, the number of possible pairs [tex]\((i, j)\)[/tex] where [tex]\(i \neq j\)[/tex] is [tex]\(7 \times 6 = 42\)[/tex] pairs (because she has 7 choices initially and 6 choices for the second draw).

2. Count the Favorable Pairs:
- To count the favorable pairs where the number on the second card is greater than the number on the first card, we need to consider pairs [tex]\((i, j)\)[/tex] with [tex]\(i \neq j\)[/tex] such that [tex]\(j > i\)[/tex].
- For example:
- If Helen picks 1 first, the favorable second picks are 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 (6 options).
- If Helen picks 2 first, the favorable second picks are 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 (5 options), and so on.
- Summing these, we get:
[tex]\[ 6 + 5 + 4 + 3 + 2 + 1 = 21 \text{ favorable pairs} \][/tex]

3. Calculate the Probability:
- The probability is the ratio of favorable pairs to total pairs.
- Using the counts we have:
[tex]\[ \text{Probability} = \frac{\text{Favorable Pairs}}{\text{Total Pairs}} = \frac{21}{42} = 0.5 \][/tex]

Therefore, the probability that the number on the second card Helen takes is greater than the number on the first card she takes is [tex]\(0.5\)[/tex] or 50%.

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