Chapter – Probability

(Points to Remember)
Theory of Probability
The measure of uncertainity is provided by the
branch of Mathematics which is called Theory of
Probability.
In probability we deal with events which are
outcomes of an experiment (an operation which
has some well-defined outcomes).

Types of Probability
There are two approaches to probability:- (i) Experimental or empirical probability
(ii) Theoretical probability.

Experimental or Empirical Probability

In experimental or empirical probability, the experiment which when repeated under identical
conditions produce the same outcome. E.g. In science and engineering,experiments when
repeated under identical conditions produce the same result or outcome.

Theoretical probability
In theoretical probability, if an experiment is repeated under identical conditions does not
produce the same outcome every time but the outcome in a trial is one of the several
outcomes. e.g. In tossing of a coin,one is not sure whether it is a head or tail,such an
experiment is a random [Link] rolling a die or drawing a card from a well-
shuffled pack of cards are examples of a random experiment.

Key Terms:-
Sample Space : The set of all possible outcomes of an experiment is known as Sample
Space.
Trial : A trial is an action which results in one or several outcomes.
Event : The outcome(s) of a trial is called an event.
Elementary Event : An outcome of a random experiment is called an Elementary Event.
For e.g. Consider the random experiment of tossing a [Link],if we define E1 as event of
getting head (H) and E2 as event of getting tail (T).Then E1 and E2 are elementary events.
Compound Event : An event associated with a random experiment is compound event,
if it is obtained by combining two or more elementary events associated with the random
experiment. For e.g. When two coins are tossed, probability of getting a head(H) in first toss
and getting a tail (T) in the second toss is a compound event.

Equally Likely Events : Two events are said to be equally likely events if each event has
an equal chance of occurrence.
For e.g. (i)When you toss a fair coin, you are equally likely to get a head or a tail.
(ii) When you roll a die, you are equally likely to get 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6.
The probability of an event A is given by
P ( A) = Number of favourable outcomes to the occurrence of A
Total number of possible outcomes

Tossing of coins
When we flip a coin there is always a probability to
get a head or a tail is 50 percent.

Suppose a coin tossed then we get two possible

outcomes either a ‘head’ (H) or a ‘tail’ (T), and it is
impossible to predict whether the result of a toss will
be a ‘head’ or ‘tail’.
i.e. P (head)= P(tail) =1/2
Sample Space for tossing of two coins

Sample Space for tossing of three coins

Rolling of a die
When a die is thrown or rolled, the outcome is the
number that appears on its upper face and it is a
random integer from one to six, each value being
equally likely.
Therefore Probability of getting each number is 1/6.
i.e. P(getting 1)= P(getting 2)=P (getting 3)=P(getting 4)= P(getting 5)= P(getting 6) = 1/6

Sample Space for rolling of two dice

Deck of well- shuffled playing cards

A pack or deck of playing cards has 52 cards which are
divided into four categories as given below
i) Spades (♠) ii) Clubs (♣)iii) Hearts (♥)iv)Diamonds (♦)
Each of the above mentioned categories has 13 cards, 9 cards
numbered from 2 to 10, an Ace, a King, a Queen and a jack.

Hearts and Diamonds are red faced cards whereas Spades and
Clubs are black faced cards.

Kings, Queens and Jacks are called face cards.

Important points:
i) The probability of an event lies between 0 and 1.
ii) The sum of probabilities of all the events associated with a
random experiment is 1.
iii) The probability of an impossible event is 0 and that of sure event is 1.
iv) P(A) + P(not A) = 1.
v) If a coin is tossed ‘n’ number of times, then the total number of outcomes are 2n.
vi) If a die is thrown ‘n’ number of times, then the total number of outcomes are 6n.
 WORKSHEET – 23-Probability
Q1. Fill in the Blanks
(i) The probability of an event is greater than or equal to …and is less than or equal
to .........
(ii) The probability of an impossible event is ..........
(iii) The probability of an event that is certain to happen is ...... and such an event is
called……..
(iv) The sum of probabilities of all the elementary events of an experiment is………
(v) Probability of an event E + probability of the event not E is equal to ...............
(vi) If probability of winning a game is 4/9, then the probability of its losing is…….
(vii) If coin is tossed twice, then the number of possible outcomes is ...............
(viii) If a die is thrown twice, then the number of possible outcomes is ...............

Q2. State True/False

(i) The probability of an event can be negative.
(ii) The probability of an event is greater than 1.

Q3. Which of the following cannot be the probability of an event?

(i) 0.7 (ii)2/3 (iii) – 1.5 (iv) 15%
Q4. Which of the following can be the probability of an event?
"# #
(i) – 0.04 (ii) 1.004 (iii) (iv)
$% &
Q5. An event is very unlikely to happen, its probability is closest to
(i) 0.0001 (ii) 0.001 (iii) 0.01 (iv) 0.1
Q6. Out of one digit prime numbers, one number is selected at random. The
probability of selecting an even number is:
" " ' $
(i) (ii) (iii) (iv)
$ ' ( )

Q7. When a die is thrown, the probability of getting an odd number less than3 is
" " "
(i) (ii) (iii) (iv) 0
* % $
Q8. Rashmi has a die whose six faces show the letters as given below A,B,C,D,A,C. If she
throws the die once, then the probability of getting C is
" " " "
(i) (ii) (iii) (iv)
% ' ) *
Q9. A card is drawn from a well shuffled pack of 52 playing cards. The event E is that the
card drawn is not a face card. The number of outcomes favourable to the event E is
(i) 51 (ii) 40 (iii) 36 (iv) 12
Q10. If the probability of an even is ‘p’ the probability of its complementary event will be:
(i) p – 1 (ii) p (iii) 1 – p (iv) 1 -1/p
Q11. In a family of 3 children, the probability of having atleast one boy is
& " ) %
(i) (ii) (iii) (iv)
# # # '
Q12. The probability of a number selected at random from the numbers 1, 2, 3, .... 15 is
multiple of 4 is:
' $ " "
(i) (ii) (iii) (iv)
") ") ") %
Q13. The probability that a non-leap year selected at random will contains 53 Mondays is:
" $ % )
(i) (ii) (iii) (iv)
& & & &

Q14. If the probability of winning a game is 0.995, then calculate the probabilityof losing
the game.

Q15. In a throw of a pair of dice, findthe probability of:

(i) getting a sum of 10 (ii) getting a doublet

+
Q16. The probability of guessing the correct answer to certain question is . If the
"$
%
probability of not guessing the correct answer to same question is ', find the value of
p.

Q17. A bag contains 14 balls of which x are white. If 6 more white balls are added to the
bag, the probability of drawing a white ball is ½. Find the value of x.

Q18. A card is drawn at random from a pack of well shuffled deck of playing cards. Find
the probability that the card is :
(i) a king or a jack (ii) a card of spade or an ace

Q19. A bag contain cards numbered from 2 to 26. One card is drawn from the bag at
random. Find the probability that it has a number divisible by both 2 and 3.

Q20. In a leap year, find the probability that there are 53 Tuesdays in the year.

Q21. A jar contains 24 marbles, some are green and others are blue. If a marble is drawn
at random from the jar, the probability that it is green is 2/3. Find the number of
blue marbles.

Q22. A card is drawn from a well shuffled pack of 52 cards. Find the probability that the
card drawn is neither a black card nor a queen.

Q23. From a deck of playing cards, all spades are removed, a card is drawn at random
from the remaining cards. Find the probability that it is:
(a) Red card (b) Black face card
Q24. Two dice are thrown together. Determine the probability of two coming on the first
die and multiple of three on the other die.
Q25. Two coins are tossed simultaneously. Find the probability of getting
(i) exactly one head (ii) at most one head
Q26. Find the probability that a non-leap year chosen at random has:
(i) exactly 52 Sundays (ii) 53 Sundays
Q27. An urn contains 8 red, 6 white, 4 black balls. A ball is drawn at random from the
urn. Find the probability that the drawn ball is:
(i) red or white (ii) neither black nor white
Q28. From a well shuffled pack of 52 cards, two black jacks are removed. From the
remaining cards, a card is drawn at random. Find the probability that the drawn card
is not a king.
Q29. Three unbiased coins are tossed. What is the probability of getting :
(i) exactly two heads (ii) at least two heads (iii) at most two heads
Q30. From a bag containing 5 red, 6 black and 7 yellow balls, a ball is drawn at random.
Find the probability that it is:
(i) not yellow ball (ii) neither black nor red ball(iii) either black or yellow ball
Q31. A bag contains 18 balls out of which x balls are red.
(i) If one ball is drawn at random from the bag, what is the probabilty that it is a red
ball?
(ii) If two more red balls are put in the bag, the probability of drawing a red ball will
(
be times that of probability of red ball coming in part (i). Find x.
#
Q32. Two customers Shyam and Ekta are visiting a particular shop in the same
week(Tuesday to Saturday). Each is equally likely to visit the shop on any day. What
is the probability that both will visit the shop on:
(i) the same day?(ii) consecutive day?
Q33. A die has its six faces marked 0, 1, 1, 1, 6, 6. Two such dice are thrown together and
the total score is recorded.
(i) How many different scores are possible ?

(ii) What is the probability of getting a total of 7 ?