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Bunuel
If a pencil is selected at random from a desk drawer, what is the probability that the pencil is red?

(1) There are 6 black and 4 orange pencils among the pencils in the drawer. This one is clearly insufficient because we know nothing about red pencils.

(2) There are three times as many red pencils in the drawer as pencils of all the other colors combined. So, if there are x other color pencils, then there are 3x red pencils, so the probability of picking red is (red)/(total) = 3x/(x+3x) = 3/4. Sufficient.

Answer: B.

Hi Bunuel,

In the first choice isn't the probability of choosing the red pencil = 0 because there are no red pencils in the drawer.

Please clarify.
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Bunuel
If a pencil is selected at random from a desk drawer, what is the probability that the pencil is red?

(1) There are 6 black and 4 orange pencils among the pencils in the drawer. This one is clearly insufficient because we know nothing about red pencils.

(2) There are three times as many red pencils in the drawer as pencils of all the other colors combined. So, if there are x other color pencils, then there are 3x red pencils, so the probability of picking red is (red)/(total) = 3x/(x+3x) = 3/4. Sufficient.

Answer: B.

Hi Bunuel,

In the first choice isn't the probability of choosing the red pencil = 0 because there are no red pencils in the drawer.

Please clarify.

No.

(1) says that "There are 6 black and 4 orange pencils among the pencils in the drawer". There might be some other color pencils in the drawer apart from black and orange.
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Bunuel
If a pencil is selected at random from a desk drawer, what is the probability that the pencil is red?

(1) There are 6 black and 4 orange pencils among the pencils in the drawer. This one is clearly insufficient because we know nothing about red pencils.

(2) There are three times as many red pencils in the drawer as pencils of all the other colors combined. So, if there are x other color pencils, then there are 3x red pencils, so the probability of picking red is (red)/(total) = 3x/(x+3x) = 3/4. Sufficient.

Answer: B.

Hi Bunuel,

In the first choice isn't the probability of choosing the red pencil = 0 because there are no red pencils in the drawer.

Please clarify.

Hi gmatexam439,

No, the 1st statement doesn't imply that the number of red pencil = 0. Please read it carefully.

Quote:
There are 6 black and 4 orange pencils among the pencils in the drawer.

Notice the word among. The 1st statement implies there are more than two types of pencils in the drawer.

Hope it helps.
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Bunuel
If a pencil is selected at random from a desk drawer, what is the probability that the pencil is red?

(1) There are 6 black and 4 orange pencils among the pencils in the drawer. This one is clearly insufficient because we know nothing about red pencils.

(2) There are three times as many red pencils in the drawer as pencils of all the other colors combined. So, if there are x other color pencils, then there are 3x red pencils, so the probability of picking red is (red)/(total) = 3x/(x+3x) = 3/4. Sufficient.

Answer: B.

Hi Bunuel,

In the first choice isn't the probability of choosing the red pencil = 0 because there are no red pencils in the drawer.

Please clarify.


No.

(1) says that "There are 6 black and 4 orange pencils among the pencils in the drawer". There might be some other color pencils in the drawer apart from black and orange.


Thank you Bunuel :)
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Bunuel
If a pencil is selected at random from a desk drawer, what is the probability that the pencil is red?

(1) There are 6 black and 4 orange pencils among the pencils in the drawer. This one is clearly insufficient because we know nothing about red pencils.

(2) There are three times as many red pencils in the drawer as pencils of all the other colors combined. So, if there are x other color pencils, then there are 3x red pencils, so the probability of picking red is (red)/(total) = 3x/(x+3x) = 3/4. Sufficient.

Answer: B.

Hi Bunuel,

In the first choice isn't the probability of choosing the red pencil = 0 because there are no red pencils in the drawer.

Please clarify.

Hi gmatexam439,

No, the 1st statement doesn't imply that the number of red pencil = 0. Please read it carefully.

Quote:
There are 6 black and 4 orange pencils among the pencils in the drawer.

Notice the word among. The 1st statement implies there are more than two types of pencils in the drawer.

Hope it helps.

Thank you :)
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If a pencil is selected at random from a desk drawer, what is the probability that the pencil is red?

(1) There are 6 black and 4 orange pencils among the pencils in the drawer.
No mention that red pencils are zero in number.
NS.
(2) There are three times as many red pencils in the drawer as pencils of all the other colors combined.

Suff. 3/4.

Ans B
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Bunuel Considering the logic applied in this question, should this not be applicable to the question in below link and the OA should be B. Am I missing something?

https://gmatclub.com/forum/if-a-pencil- ... 74394.html
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P(red) = ?

St1 - 6b + 4or
Clearly insufficient.

St2 - r = 3x <--- x is the sum of all the other pencils
x = 10 ---> r = 30
x = 20 ---> r = 60

P = 3/4 in all cases

Sufficient.

Answer is B.
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