wo numbers are removed at random from the numbers 1, 2, 3 and 4. What is the probability that the sum of the numbers removed is even?
Answer Details
The probability that the sum of two numbers removed is even can be found by counting the number of even sums and dividing it by the total number of possible sums.
Out of the 4 numbers, 2 are even (2 and 4) and 2 are odd (1 and 3). If we take one even and one odd number, the sum will be odd. If we take two even numbers, the sum will be even. And if we take two odd numbers, the sum will be even.
So, there are 3 ways to get an even sum (taking 2 and 4, taking 2 and 2, or taking 1 and 3) and 6 total ways to choose two numbers (since order doesn't matter). So, the probability of getting an even sum is 3/6 or 1/2.
In simple terms, there's a 50-50 chance that the sum of two numbers removed will be even.