May 19, 2015

Problem of the Week

for Tuesday, May 19, 2015

You win a coupon that allows you two spins on the spinners of your choice at the Whimsical Paint Shop. You will be awarded a free can of paint in the color indicated by the spinner each time that you spin. Spinner A and Spinner B are pictured below. You can choose either one each time that you spin. Given that you need purple paint and that it can only be made by a combination of red and blue, what strategy can you use to maximize your chance of being able to mix purple? What are your chances?

Winners of the two-spinner challenge