A jar has eight red, nine blue, and ten green marbles. What is the least number of marbles that you can remove from the jar and be certain that you have three of the same color?
To find the least number of marbles that you can remove from the jar and be certain that you have three of the same color, we can consider the worst-case scenario.
Let's assume that when you begin removing marbles, you always select a different color each time. In this case, the maximum number of marbles you can remove is eight for the red marbles, nine for the blue marbles, and ten for the green marbles.
To be certain that you have three of the same color, you would need to remove two marbles of each color, which totals six marbles (2 red + 2 blue + 2 green = 6).
Therefore, the least number of marbles you can remove from the jar and be certain that you have three of the same color is six marbles.