Solving problems using sets
Solved basic word problems on sets:
1. Let A and B be two finite sets such that n(A) = 20, n(B) =
28 and n(A ∪ B) = 36, find n(A ∩ B).
Solution:
Using the formula n(A ∪ B) = n(A) + n(B) - n(A ∩ B).
then n(A ∩ B) = n(A) + n(B) - n(A ∪ B)
= 20 + 28 - 36
= 48 - 36
= 12
2. If n(A - B) = 18, n(A ∪ B) = 70 and n(A ∩ B) = 25, then
find n(B).
Solution:
Using the formula n(A∪B) = n(A - B) + n(A ∩ B) + n(B - A)
70 = 18 + 25 + n(B - A)
70 = 43 + n(B - A)
n(B - A) = 70 - 43
n(B - A) = 27
Now n(B) = n(A ∩ B) + n(B - A)
= 25 + 27
= 52
Different types on word problems on sets:
3. In a group of 60 people, 27 like cold drinks and 42 like hot
drinks and each person likes at least one of the two drinks.
How many like both coffee and tea?
Solution:
Let A = Set of people who like cold drinks.
B = Set of people who like hot drinks.
Given
(A ∪ B) = 60 n(A) = 27 n(B) = 42 then;
n(A ∩ B) = n(A) + n(B) - n(A ∪ B)
= 27 + 42 - 60
= 69 - 60 = 9
=9
Therefore, 9 people like both tea and coffee.
5. In a group of 100 persons, 72 people can speak English
and 43 can speak French. How many can speak English
only? How many can speak French only and how many can
speak both English and French?
Solution:
Let A be the set of people who speak English.
B be the set of people who speak French.
A - B be the set of people who speak English and not French.
B - A be the set of people who speak French and not English.
A ∩ B be the set of people who speak both French and
English.
Given,
n(A) = 72 n(B) = 43 n(A ∪ B) = 100
Now, n(A ∩ B) = n(A) + n(B) - n(A ∪ B)
= 72 + 43 - 100
= 115 - 100
= 15
Therefore, Number of persons who speak both French and
English = 15
n(A) = n(A - B) + n(A ∩ B)
⇒ n(A - B) = n(A) - n(A ∩ B)
= 72 - 15
= 57
and n(B - A) = n(B) - n(A ∩ B)
= 43 - 15
= 28
Therefore, Number of people speaking English only = 57
Number of people speaking French only = 28
6. In a competition, a school awarded medals in different
categories. 36 medals in dance, 12 medals in dramatics and
18 medals in music. If these medals went to a total of 45
persons and only 4 persons got medals in all the three
categories, how many received medals in exactly two of
these categories?
Solution:
Let A = set of persons who got medals in dance.
B = set of persons who got medals in dramatics.
C = set of persons who got medals in music.
Given,
n(A) = 36 n(B) = 12 n(C) = 18
n(A ∪ B ∪ C) = 45 n(A ∩ B ∩ C) = 4
We know that number of elements belonging to exactly two
of the three sets A, B, C
= n(A ∩ B) + n(B ∩ C) + n(A ∩ C) - 3n(A ∩ B ∩ C)
= n(A ∩ B) + n(B ∩ C) + n(A ∩ C) - 3 × 4 ……..(i)
n(A ∪ B ∪ C) = n(A) + n(B) + n(C) - n(A ∩ B) - n(B ∩ C) - n(A
∩ C) + n(A ∩ B ∩ C)
Therefore, n(A ∩ B) + n(B ∩ C) + n(A ∩ C) = n(A) + n(B) + n(C) + n(A ∩ B ∩ C) -
n(A ∪ B ∪ C)
From (i) required number
= n(A) + n(B) + n(C) + n(A ∩ B ∩ C) - n(A ∪ B ∪ C) - 12
= 36 + 12 + 18 + 4 - 45 - 12
= 70 - 57
= 13
7. Each student in a class of 40 plays at least one indoor
game chess, carrom and scrabble. 18 play chess, 20 play
scrabble and 27 play carrom. 7 play chess and scrabble, 12
play scrabble and carrom and 4 play chess, carrom and
scrabble. Find the number of students who play (i) chess and
carrom. (ii) chess, carrom but not scrabble.
Solution:
Let A be the set of students who play chess
B be the set of students who play scrabble
C be the set of students who play carrom
Therefore, We are given n(A ∪ B ∪ C) = 40,
n(A) = 18, n(B) = 20 n(C) = 27,
n(A ∩ B) = 7, n(C ∩ B) = 12 n(A ∩ B ∩ C) = 4
We have
n(A ∪ B ∪ C) = n(A) + n(B) + n(C) - n(A ∩ B) - n(B ∩ C) - n(C
∩ A) + n(A ∩ B ∩ C)
Therefore, 40 = 18 + 20 + 27 - 7 - 12 - n(C ∩ A) + 4
40 = 69 – 19 - n(C ∩ A)
40 = 50 - n(C ∩ A) n(C ∩ A) = 50 - 40
n(C ∩ A) = 10
Therefore, Number of students who play chess and carrom
are 10.
Also, number of students who play chess, carrom and not
scrabble.
= n(C ∩ A) - n(A ∩ B ∩ C)
= 10 – 4
=6