Imagine we are catching fish from a small pond that contains 6 catfish, 10 perch, and 4 walleye. When we catch a fish, we keep it in the boat and catch the next fish from the remaining fish in the pond. Individuals of all species are equally likely to be caught, and fish are no more or less likely to be caught a second time than they were the first. What is the probability of catching a catfish followed by a perch in the first two catches?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The probability of catching a catfish first is 6/20 (since there are 6 catfish out of a total of 20 fish). After catching a catfish, there are now 19 fish left in the pond. The probability of then catching a perch is 10/19 (since there are 10 perch out of the remaining 19 fish). Multiplying these probabilities gives the overall probability of this sequence of events: (6/20) * (10/19) = 0.1579, which rounds to 0.158.

Imagine We Are Catching Fish from a Small Pond That