Math 104

Week 8 – Activity-Assignment #8 – Counting Rules Useful in Probability

I. Counting Rules Useful in Probability – (page 186 – 194)

Answer the following. Show your solutions clearly. ( 25 pts)

1. A commercial building is designed with two entrances, door I and door II. Two customers arrive and enter the
building.
a. List the elements of a sample space for this observational experiment.
Sample = {(I,I), (I,II), (II,II), (II,I)}

b. If all elements in part (a) are equally likely, find the probability that both customers use door I ; then find the
probability that both customers use the same door.

number of outcomes favorable

P(Door 1) =
total number of eqaully likely outcomes

2
= ∨The probability that bothcustomers use door I is 50 %
4

number of outcomes favorable

P(Door 2) =
total number of eqaully likely outcomes

2
= ∨The probability that bothcustomers use door II is50 %
4

2. Five employees of a firm are ranked from 1 to 5 based on their job ability to program a computer. Three of these
employees are selected to fill the equivalent programming jobs. If all possible choices of three ( out of the five) are
equally likely, find the following probabilities.
a. The employee ranked number 1 is selected.
4
P=
( 2) 6 3
= ∨
5 10 5
( 2)
b. The highest-ranked employee among those selected has rank 2 or lower.
4
P=
( 3) 4 2
= ∨
5 10 5
( 3)
c. The employees ranked 4 and 5 are selected
3
( 1) 3
P = = 10
(53)
 II. Rules of Probability – ( page 206-212)

Answer the following. Show your solutions clearly.

1. A purchasing office is to assign a contract for computer paper and a contractor for microcomputer disks to any one of
three firms bidding for these contracts. (Any one firm could receive both contracts.) Find the probability that
a. Firm I received a contract given that both contracts do not go the same firm.
b. Firm I receives both contracts.
P= 2 2
( )( )
2 0
= (1)(1)
=1

Total numbers of ways = 32=9

1
Required Probability = =0.111
9