Probability
Experimental (or empirical) probability
Number of trials in which the event happened
P(E) =
Total number of trials
Theoretical (or classical) probability
Number of favourable outcomes for event
P(E) =
Total number of outcomes of experiment
Points to be remembered
0 ≤ P(E) ≤ 1
ഥ) = 1
P(E) + P(E
ഥ = 1 − P(E)
P E
Q. Which of the following cannot be the probability of an event?
43 17
(A) (B) 0.111 (C) 98% (D)
52 16
Sol.
Ans. (D)
Q. If P(A) denotes the probability of an event A, then
(A) P(A) < 0 (B) P(A) > 1
(C) 0 ≤ P(A) ≤ 1 (D) −1 ≤ P(A) ≤ 1
Sol.
Ans. (C)
Q. A box contains 6 blue, 5 white and 7 red marbles. If a marble is
drawn at random from the box, what is the probability that it
will not be a white marble?
5 7 13 6
(A) (B) (C) (D)
18 18 18 18
Sol.
Ans. (C)
Q. A box contains some discs which are numbered from 2 to 103. If
one disc is drawn at random from the box, find the probability
that it bears
(i) A two-digit number (ii) A perfect square number
(iii) A number divisible by 7 (iv) A two-digit prime number.
Sol.
from 2 to 103
(iii) A number divisible by 7 (iv) A two-digit prime number.
Sol.
Ans. (i) 15/17 (ii) 3/34 (iii) 7/51 (iv)
7/34
Note
If 𝑛 coin is tossed, total no. of outcomes = 2𝑛
If a coin is tossed, total no. of outcomes = 2
If 2 coins are tossed simultaneously, total no. of outcomes = 4
If 3 coins are tossed simultaneously, total no. of outcomes = 8
Q. Assertion (𝐀): The probability of getting exactly one head in
1
tossing a pair of coins is .
2
Reason (𝐑): The sample space of two coin tossed is equal to
{HH, TT, HT, TH}.
(A) Both assertion (A) and reason (R) are true and reason (R) is
the correct explanation of assertion (A).
(B) Both assertion (A) and reason (R) are true but reason (R) is
not the correct explanation of assertion (A).
(C) Assertion (A) is true but reason (R) is false.
(D) Assertion (A) is false but reason (R) is true.
Sol.
Ans. (B)
Q. Two coins are tossed simultaneously. What is the probability of
getting
(i) At least one head?
(ii) At most one tail?
(iii) A head and a tail?
Sol.
Sol.
𝟑 𝟑 𝟏
Ans. (i) 𝟒 , (ii) 𝟒 , (iii) 𝟐
Q. A game consists of tossing a one rupee coin 3 times and noting
its outcome each time. Hanif wins if all the tosses give the same
result i.e., three heads or three tails, and loses otherwise.
Calculate the probability that Hanif will lose the game.
Sol.
𝟑
Ans. 𝟒
Note
If throwing a 𝑛 die, total no. of outcomes = 6𝑛
If throwing a fair die, total no. of outcomes = 6
If throwing a pair of dice, total no. of outcomes = 36
Q. Two dice are thrown at the same time. What is the probability
that the sum of the two numbers appearing on the top of the
dice is
(i) at least 9?
(ii) 7?
(iii) less than or equal to 6?
Sol.
Sol.
𝟓 𝟏 𝟓
Ans. (i) 𝟏𝟖 , (ii) 𝟔 , (iii) 𝟏𝟐
Q. Two dice are thrown simultaneously. What is the probability of
getting doublet?
1 1 5 11
(A) (B) (C) (D)
36 6 6 36
Sol.
Ans. (B)
Q. Two dice are thrown at the same time and the product of
numbers appearing on them is noted. The probability that the
product is a prime number is
1 1 1 5
(A) (B) (C) (D)
3 6 5 6
Sol.
Sol.
Ans. (B)
A card is drawn from a well shuffled pack of 52 playing cards.
Then, total number of outcomes = 52
52 Playing cards
26 cards 26 cards
(RED) (BLACK)
13 cards 13 cards 13 cards 13 cards
Diamond Heart Club Spade
Designation of Playing Cards
Diamond Heart Club Spade
13 13 13 13 = 52 cards
Face
cards
3 3 3 3 = 12
King 1 1 1 1 =4
Queen 1 1 1 1 =4
Jack 1 1 1 1 =4
Ace 1 1 1 1 =4
Q. A card is selected from a deck of 52 cards. The probability of
being a red face card is
3 3 2 1
(A) (B) (C) (D)
26 13 13 52
Sol.
Ans. (A)
Q. All the three face cards of spades are removed from a well-
shuffled pack of 52 cards. A card is then drawn at random
from the remaining pack. Find the probability of getting
(i) A black face card
(ii) A queen
(iii) A black card
Sol.
Ans. (i) 3/49 (ii) 3/49 (iii) 23/49
Q. A carton consists of 100 shirts of which 88 are good, 8 have
minor defects and 4 have major defects. Jimmy, a trader, will
only accept the shirts which are good, but Sujatha, another
trader, will only reject the shirts which have major defects.
One shirt is drawn at random from the carton. What is the
probability that
(i) it is acceptable to Jimmy?
(ii) it is acceptable to Sujatha?
Sol.
Ans. (i) 0.88 (ii) 0.96
Summary
Q. A die is thrown twice. What is the probability that
(i) 2 will not come up either time?
(ii) 2 will come up at least once?
Sol.
𝟐𝟓 𝟏𝟏
Ans. (i) 𝟑𝟔 , (ii) 𝟑𝟔
Q. One card is drawn from a well-shuffled deck of 52 cards. Find
the probability of getting
(i) Neither a king nor an ace
(ii) Either a face card or a queen
(iii) Neither a spade nor a jack
(iv) Either a club, a queen or a king.
Sol.
Ans. (i) 11/13 (ii) 3/13 (iii) 9/13 (i) 19/52