Question

A beachcomber spends a day collecting seashells and finds abalone shells (event A), banana clam shells (event B), and cockle shells (event C). When she finds a shell, the probability that it is an abalone shell is 0.39 and the probability that she finds a cockle shell is 0.26. Some of the shells are damaged (event D) and some are not. If a shell is an abalone shell, the probability that it is damaged is 0.42; if it is a banana clam shell, the probability that it is damaged is 0.53. The probability that she finds a shell that is damaged and a cockle shell is 0.17. The probability that a shell is an abalone given that it is damaged is 0.32. Overall, the probability that a shell is damaged is 0.52.

Are events A and D independent? Answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’ then use an appropriate formula to justify your response.

Answer 1

No.