Sharon has 24 colored paper clips in her desk drawer:12 are red, 8 are yellow, and 4 are blue. She also has 28 pushpins in her drawer: 11 are white, 14 are orange, and 3 are green.

Question

1. If she picks one paper clip, what is the probability that it will be either blue or yellow.4/24*8/24=1/2
2. If she picks one paper clip and one push pin,what is the probability of picking a red paper clip and a push pin?12/24*11/28
3. If she picks two pushpins with replacement, what is the probability. of picking a green pushpin first and an oranges push pin second?

Answer 1

1. No, she picks only one clip
If we consider only the clips, there are 12 clips that are either blue or yellow, so the
prob(blue or yellow) = 12/24 = 1/2

I have ignored the pushpins, since I assume she is able to distinguish between paper clips and pushpins when randomly reaching in
I we allow that she may also choose a pushpin, then the above proability would be 12/52 =3/13

2. could be (red clip then push) or (push then red pin)
= (12/52)(28/51) + (28/52)(12/51)
= 2(28/221) = 56/221

3. prob( green, then orange pushpin) = (3/52)(14/52)
= 21/1352

The wording could be clearer.
e.g. in #2, your answer implies that you want a red clip and a red pushpin, and we would be able to distinguish between clips and pushpins in her desk
My answers reflect the second condition I stated in #1