In Class Exercise 1

CHAPTER

9 PROBABILITY

Solutions

Sol.1 (d)
8
There are 8 even and 9 odd numbers. So probabilities of getting first even number is
17
9
and probabilities of getting second odd number = , so required probabilities
17
8 9 72
=  
17 17 729

4 4 1 3 3 1
Sol.2 (c) PA   P ( A )  1   ; P( B)   P( B )  1  
5 5 5 4 4 4
 A and B will contradict each other on stating the same fact if A and B speak
respectively true and false or false and true.
 P(contradiction) = P( AB or A B )  ( AB )  P ( A B)  P ( A) . P( B )  P( A ) . P( B)
40 1 1 3 7
=    
5 4 5 4 20

Sol.3 (d)
Let the 3 boys be P,Q and R. Suppose that P receives 2 pens and 2 books. He can do so in
10
C 2  8 C 4  4 C 4 ways i.e. in 3150 ways. Similarly Q can receive 2 pens and 2 books in
3150 ways and R can receive 2 pens and 2 books in 3150 ways. So the total number
of ways = 9450.
12 !
Now 12 things can be divided equally among 3 boys in 12 C 4  8 C 4  4 C 4 i.e.
4!4!4!
3450  9450 25200 8
Ways i.e. 34650 ways. So the required probability =   .
34650 34650 11

Sol.4 (c)
We can give 10 identical apples to 6 different people in p ways where p = the
coefficient of x10 in expansion of (1  x  x 2  x 3  ...)6 = the coefficient of x10 in the
expansion of (1 – x)-6.
6  7  8  ...  15 11  12  13  14  15 15
Hence P    C 5  3003.
1  2  3...  10 12 3 4 5
If every person receives at least 1 apple then the total number of ways = m
Where m = the coefficient of x10 in the expansion of (x + x2 + x3 + ……)6 = the
67 89 9
coefficient of x10 in the expansion of x 6 ( 1  x ) 6   C 4  126.
12 3 4

The IITian’s Prashikshan Kendra Pvt. Ltd.

2 Probability

3003  126 2877 137

Hence the required probability =   .
3003 3003 143

Sol.5 (b)
We can test the 4 machines 1 by 1 in 24 ways. If only 2 tests are required then either the
2 good machines must be tested first or else the 2 useless machines must be tested first.
We can do so in 2  2  2 ways.
222 1
So the required probability =  .
24 3
Sol.6 (a)
The total number of ways of drawing 2 cards from 52 cards = 52C2. If we draw the
ace of spades then total number of ways = 51. If we do not draw the ace of spades
then the total number of ways = 3 C 1  12 C 1  36. Hence the total number of favorable
87  2 29
ways = 51 + 36 = 87, so the required probability = 87 / 52C2 = 
52  51 442
Sol.7 (a)
Suppose that A is the event of the die showing 1 or 2 or 3 and A is the event of the die
showing 4 or 5 or 6. Then P(A) = P( A ) = 1/2.
Let E be the event of drawing a black ball. Then P(E|A) = 3/7 and P(E| A ) = 4/7.
Now by Baye’s theorem, we can write
 1  3 
  
P(A)P(E|A)  2  7  3
P(A|E)    .
P(A)P(E|A)  P(A)P(E| A)  1  3   1  4  7
      
 2  7   2  7 

Sol.8 (a)
We observe that 7 1 , 7 2 , 7 3 & 7 4 ends in 7, 9, 3 and 1 respectively. Thus 7 l ends in
7, 9, 3 or 1 according as l is of the form 4 k  1, 4 k  2 , 4 k  1 or 4k respectively. If S is the
sample space, then n(S) = (100)2. 7 m  7 n is divisible by 5 if (i) m is of the form
4k  1 and n is of the form 4 k  1 and n is of the form 4k  1 or (iv) m is of the form
4k and n is of the form 4 k  2 . Thus number of favorable ordered pairs
(m, n) = 4  25  25 . Hence required probability is 1/4.

Sol.9 (c)
1 4p 1 3
0 1 p … (1)
4 4 4
1p
0  1  2  p  1 … (2)
3
12p 1 1
0  1  p … (3)
2 2 2
Also, 0  P  A  B  C   1
1  4 p 1  p 1  2p
0   1
4 3 2
13  4 p 1 13
0 1  p … (4)
12 4 4

The IITian’s Prashikshan Kendra Pvt. Ltd.

In Class Exercise 3

1 1
from (1), (2), (3) and (4) p .
4 2

Sol.10 (a,d)
 E and F are independent events.
1 1 1
P(E  F)  P(E)  P(F)    ….(i)
3 4 12
Also E and F are independent
2 3 1
 P(E  F )  P(E )  P(F )   
3 4 2
1
i.e., ( 1  P(E ))  (1  P(F)) 
2
1
i.e., 1  P(E) - P(F)  P(E)  P(F) 
2
1 1 7
 P(E)  P(F)  1    ….(ii)
12 2 12
1 1 1 1
Solving (i) and (ii), P(E) = or so that P(F) = or .
4 3 3 4

Sol.11 (b)
Let B  A11  A21 ...........  An1
P ( B )  P ( A11  A21 .......  An1 )  P ( A11 ) P ( A21 ).......P ( An1 )
 1  1  1   1  1
  1    1   1   .......... 1   =
 2  3  4   1 n  (n  1)

Sol.12 (b)
Let S be the sample space and E be the required event, then n(S) = (52C2)2 and for the
number of elements in E, we first choose a card (which we want common) and then from
the remaining cards (51 in numbers) we choose two cards and distribute them among A
50
and B in 2! ways. Hence n (E) = 52C1. 51C2.2!. Thus P (E) = .
663

Sol.13 (b)
m(m  1) m
The total number of ways of selecting two persons out of m is C2 
2
The number of ways in which the two selected persons are together is (m – 1).
Therefore, the number of ways in which the two selected persons are not together
(m  1)( m  2 )
is m C 2  (m  1) 
2
(m  1)( m  2 ) / 2 m  2 2
Thus, the probability of the required event is   1
m(m  1) / 2 m m
Sol.14 (b)
P( A)  0.2, P ( B)  0.3
P( A  B)  0.2  0.3  (0.2)(0.3)
 0.5  0.06  0.44
Sol.15 (a)

The IITian’s Prashikshan Kendra Pvt. Ltd.

4 Probability

The total number of cases is 2 100 . The number of favorable ways is

100
C 1  100 C 3  ..... 100 C 99  2 1001  2 99 . Therefore, the probability of the required event is
2 99 / 2 100  1 / 2.

Sol.16 (a)
We have P(A  B )  P(A )  P( B )  P(A  B )
 1  P(A )  11  P(B )  P(A )  P(A  B )
 (1  0.3)  ( 1  0.5)  ( 1  0.3)  0.5
PB  (A  B ) P(B  A )  (B  B ) P( A  B )
Now, P B A  B    
P( A  B  ) P A  B  PA  B  
0.3
  0. 6
0.5
Sol.17 (a)
Let A denote the event that a sum of 5 occurs. B the event that a sum of 7 occurs and C the
event that neither a sum of 5 nor a sum of 7 occurs. We have
4 1 6 1 26 13
P( A )   , P( B )   and P(C )  .
36 9 36 6 36 18
Thus, P(A occurs before B)
 PAofC (C  A)or(C  C  A)or...
 P A   P(C  A )  PC  C  A   ....
2
1  13  1  13  1
 P(A )  P(C )P(A )  P( C ) 2 P(A )  ....         ...
9  18  9  18  9
1/9 2
  [Sum of an infinite G.P]
1  13 / 18 5
Sol.18 (b)
Sol.19 (c)
Let X be the number of heads obtained by A and Y be the number of heads obtained
by B. Note that both X and Y are binomial variate with parameters n = 3 and p = 1/2.
Probability that both A and B obtain the same number of heads is
 P( X  0 )P( Y  0)  P( X  1)P( Y  1)  P( X  2 )P( Y  2 )  P( X  3)P( Y  3)
2 2 2 2
 3  1 3   3  1 3   3  1 3   3  1 3 
  C0      C1     C2      C3   
  2     2     2     2  
6
1 20 5
   1  9  9  1   .
2 64 16
Sol.20 ( c )
Let E i ( 0  i  2 ) denote the event that urn contains I while and (2 – i) black balls.
Let A denote the event that a white and (2 – i) black balls. Let A denote the event
that a white ball is drawn from the urn. We have P(E i )  1 / 3 for i  0 ,1,2 and
P ( A E 1 )  1 / 3 , P ( A E 2 )  2 / 3 , P ( A E 3 )  1.
By the total probability rule. PA   P(E 1 )P(A E 1 )  P(A E 2 )  P( E 3 )P(A E 3 )
1 1 2  2
    1 
3 3 3  3
Sol.21 (b)
Seven white balls can be arranged in 7! ways.

The IITian’s Prashikshan Kendra Pvt. Ltd.

In Class Exercise 5

- W – W – W – W – W – W – W-
Light three black balls can be placed in 8 different places in 8 P3 warp
Total numbers of ways of arrange 10 balls is 10! So probability is
8
P3  7 ! 7

10 ! 15

Sol.22 (a), (d)

Since E & F are independent.
We have P( E / F )  P( E )
P( E / E )  P( E )
P( E / F )  P( E )
P( E / F )  P( E )
We also four P ( E )  P ( E )  1
So, (a) & (b)

Sol.23 (a)
Au the tosses are independent
1
So (a) .
2

Sol.24 (d)
Using binomial probability
P( x  r , y  n  r )
= n C r p r q n r ,
We have, 100 C 50 P 50 (1  p ) 50  100 C 51 P 51 (1  p) 49
Solving P  51 / 101 …(d)

Sol.25 (a)
Let us define the following event
C : person goes by car
S : person goes by scooter
B : person goes by bus
T : person goes by train
L : person reaches late.
So, P (C )  1 / 7
P( S )  3 / 7
P( B)  2 / 7
P( B)  2 / 7
P(T )  1 / 7
and P( L / C )  2 / 9  P( L / C )  7 / 9
P( L / S )  1 / 9  P( L / S )  8 / 9
P( L / B)  4 / 9  P( L / B)  5 / 9
P( L / T )  1 / 9  P( L / T )  8 / 9

The IITian’s Prashikshan Kendra Pvt. Ltd.

6 Probability

7 / 9  1 /7
P(C / L ) 
7 1 8 3 5 2 8 1
      
9 7 9 7 9 7 9 7
1
=
7

The IITian’s Prashikshan Kendra Pvt. Ltd.