There are three urns containing 2 white and 3 black balls, 3 white and 2 black balls and 4 white and 1 black balls, respectively. There is an equal probability of each urn being chosen. A ball is drawn at random from the chosen urn and it is found to be white. Find the probability that the ball drawn was from the second urn.
There are three urns containing 2 white and 3 black balls, 3 white and 2 black balls and 4 white and 1 black balls, respectively. There is an equal probability of each urn being chosen. A ball is drawn at random from the chosen urn and it is found to be white. Find the probability that the ball drawn was from the second urn.
Official Solution
Let ${U_1} = \{2 white, 3 black balls \}$
${U_2} = \{ 3$ white, 2 black balls$\}$
and
${U_3} = \{ 4$ white, 1 black balls $\}$
$\therefore$ $P\left( {{U_1}} \right) = P\left( {{U_2}} \right) = P\left( {{U_3}} \right) = \frac{1}{3}$
Let ${E_1}$ be the event that a ball is chosen from urn ${U_1},{E_2}$
be the event that a ball is chosen from urn ${U_2}$ and ${E_3}$
be the event that a ball is chosen from urn ${U_3}$.
Also, $P\left( {{E_1}} \right) = P\left( {{E_2}} \right) = P\left( {{E_3}} \right) = 1/3$
Now, let $E$ be the event that white ball is drawn.
$\therefore$ $P\left( {E/{E_1}} \right) = \frac{2}{5},P\left( {E/{E_2}} \right) = \frac{3}{5},P\left( {E/{E_3}} \right) = \frac{4}{5}$
Now, $P\left( {{E_2}/E} \right) = \frac{{P\left( {{E_2}} \right) \cdot P\left( {E/{E_2}} \right)}}{{P\left( {{E_1}} \right) \cdot P\left( {E/{E_1}} \right) + P\left( {{E_2}} \right) \cdot P\left( {E/{E_2}} \right) + P\left( {{E_3}} \right) \cdot P\left( {E/{E_3}} \right)}}$
$= \frac{{\frac{1}{3} \cdot \frac{3}{5}}}{{\frac{1}{3} \cdot \frac{2}{5} + \frac{1}{3} \cdot \frac{3}{5} + \frac{1}{3} \cdot \frac{4}{5}}}$
$= \frac{{\frac{3}{{15}}}}{{\frac{2}{{15}} + \frac{3}{{15}} + \frac{4}{{15}}}} = \frac{3}{9} = \frac{1}{3}$
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