Multiple choice

There are 17 pairs of black gloves and 15 pairs of white gloves. They all are put into a box and gloves are drawn 1 at a time. What is the minimum number of gloves required to be drawn out to get at least 1 correct pair of gloves (either white or black)?

  1. 16

  2. 18

  3. 31

  4. 33

  5. 35

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

You draw 17 gloves and suppose they all happen to be black of one hand. Then you draw another 15 gloves and suppose they all happen to be white of 1 hand. Now, you need to draw just 1 more glove, which will pair with a white or a black you have drawn before. Hence, you need to draw 17 + 16 + 1, i.e. 33 gloves to ensure that you get a pair.