Drawing three cards from a deck of 52 cards. Return the card and reshuffle. A. What is the probability that all three cards are spades? B. w

Drawing three cards and then returning these cards and reshuffling does not influence the rest of the problem.

The problem of getting three spades by drawing three cards:

  You must get a spade on the first card: the probability is 13/52 because there are 13 spades and 52 cards

    and you must get a spade on the next card:  12/51 because there are 12 spades left and 51 cards left

      and you must get a spade on the third card:  11/50  because there are 11 spades left and 50 cards left

  The total probability is 13/52 x 12/51 x 10/50  (you multiply when you have an 'and' situation).

The problem of getting a ten, a king, and a two (in that order):

  You must get a ten on the first card:  4/52  (four tens and 52 cards)

    and you must get a king on the second card:  4/51  (four kings and 51 remaining cards)

      and you must get a two on the third card:  4/50  (four twos and 50 remaining cards)

  The total probability is 4/52 x 4/51 x 4/50