math problem?
You have several single socks in your drawer. They are all the same style but 9 of them are green and 8 of them are purple. Assuming you cannot see the colors, what is the smallest number of socks you have to remove from the drawer so you are guaranteed to have a pair that is the same color?
Answers & Comments
Verified answer
It would be impossible to draw more than 3 socks without making a matching pair.
Since there are only 2 colors, the third sock drawn would have to match one of the first two, unless the first two matched. So the answer is 3.
Hope this helps! :)
Remove two â they may be different.
Remove a third sock â it will match one of the other two, if the two didn't already.
Answer: Three.