Solve Problems Involving Sets

OBJECTIVES
a. Solve word problems involving sets with the use of Venn diagrams
b. Apply set operations to solve a variety of problems
c. Appreciate the use of Venn diagrams in connection to solving real life problems

We can use Venn Diagrams to solve problems that involve finding the
number of elements in certain subsets of two or more sets.

Remember the working out steps for harder problems are:

Work out What Information is given, and what needs to be calculated.
Check to see if the two sets are “Subsets” or “Disjoint” sets.
If they are “Intersecting Sets” then some of the following formulas
may be needed.

Circles Total = U Total number of elements – (Not in A and Not in B)

𝑛(𝐴 ∪ 𝐵) = 𝑛(𝑈) − 𝑛(𝐴 ∪ 𝐵)′
In A Only = Both Circles Total – Total in B
𝑛(𝐴 − 𝐵) = 𝑛(𝐴 ∪ 𝐵) − 𝑛(𝐵)
In A Only = The A Circle Total – Total in the intersection (A and B)
𝑛(𝐴 − 𝐵) = 𝑛(𝐴) − 𝑛(𝐴 ∩ 𝐵)
In B Only = Both Circles Total – Total in A
𝑛(𝐵 − 𝐴) = 𝑛(𝐴 ∪ 𝐵) − 𝑛(𝐴)
In B Only = The B Circle Total – Total in the intersection (A and B)
𝑛(𝐵 − 𝐴) = 𝑛(𝐵) − 𝑛(𝐴 ∩ 𝐵)
In the Intersection (A and B) = Total in B – In B Only
 𝑛(𝐴 ∩ 𝐵) = 𝑛(𝐵) − 𝑛(𝐵 − 𝐴)
In the Intersection (A and B) = Total in A – In A Only
𝑛(𝐴 ∩ 𝐵) = 𝑛(𝐴) − 𝑛(𝐴 − 𝐵)
If A and B are disjoint set;
𝑛 (𝐴 ∪ 𝐵 ) = 𝑛 (𝐴 ) + 𝑛 ( 𝐵 )
Finally, check that the numbers in the diagram all add up to equal the
“U” total number of elements.
𝑛(𝑈) = 𝑛(𝐴) + 𝑛(𝐵) − 𝑛(𝐴 ∩ 𝐵) + 𝑛(𝐴 ∪ 𝐵)′

Three Circle Venn Diagrams can take a quite a bit of working out.
The steps to follow are generally these:
a. Get the information from the question that can go straight onto the
Venn Diagram and place it there.
b. Work through the remaining information, a bit at a time, to work out
each of the missing values.
c. Often we work from the center of the diagram outwards, when finding
these unknown values. (Work from the Inside Out).
d. Check that all the numbers on the final diagram add up to the
universal set.

Problem 1.
Eight girls decided to go Trece Martirez City to shop for shoes. Four of
the girls want the shoes at Walter Mart for their cheap price, 3 girls likes
to buy pretty shoes in SM mall, 2 of the girls likes to check for the shoes
in SM Mall and Walter Mart.

a. How many girls will go to Walter Mart only?

b. How many girls will go to SM mall only?
c. How many girls will go to other stores?
Problem 2.
A group of 650 junior
high school students
went on a field trip to
Enchanted Kingdom.
They were asked
which rides they had
ridden. 210 students
had ridden the
EKstreme Tower,
180 students had ridden the Space Shuttle, 150 had ridden the Rio
Grande Rapids.110 ridden the EKstremeTower and Space Shuttle, 80
had ridden the Space Shuttle and Rio Grande Rapids. 70 had ridden
the EKstreme Tower and Rio Grande Rapids. 50 of the students had
ridden all of the three rides.

a. How many of the students had ridden the EKstreme Tower or the
Space Shuttle.
b. How many students chose other rides and amusements?
c. How many students had ridden the Space Shuttle and Rio Grande
Rapids but not the EKstreme Tower?

Solve the Problem. List the elements of the sets using Venn Diagram.

1. 25 students had auditioned to do a dance

number in a school program. 16 students are
chosen to dance the Cha Cha. 12 students are
chosen to dance the Tango, and 5 are chosen to
dance both Cha Cha and Tango. How many
students will do the Cha Cha dance only? How
many students were not chosen?

2. Routine physical examinations of 400 Grade 7 students revealed that

40 had dental problems, 45 had vision problems, 55 had hearing
problems, 15 had dental and vision problems, 15 had dental and
hearing problems, 20 had vision and hearing problems, and 10 had
dental, vision, and hearing problems. How many of the students had
none of the three kinds of problems?

In a survey students were asked about their favorite subjects.

The results are as follows:

132 students like Math 36 students like Math and Science

163 students like Science 38 students like Math and English
73 students like English 22 students like all three subjects
51 students like Science and English

Using Venn diagram, determine

 a. the number of students who like Math only
b. Science only
c. English only
d. the total number of students in the survey.

The diagram below shows which brand of phone teachers own. Samsung
(S). Asus (A), Iphone (I).

Answer the following:

1. How many people owned a Samsung phone? ________

2. How many people owned an Asus phone? ________

3. How many people owned an Iphone? _______

4. How many people owned ONLY a Samsung phone? ________

5. How many people owned ONLY an Asus phone? ________

6. How many people owned ONLY an Iphone? ________

7. 𝑆 ∪ 𝐴 = ______________________________________________________________

8. 𝐼 ∩ 𝐴 = _______________________________________________________________

9. 𝐼 − 𝐴 = _______________________________________________________________

10. (𝑆 ∩ 𝐼) − 𝐴 = _______________________________________________________

11. (𝐼 ∪ 𝐴) − 𝑆 = _______________________________________________________
12. 𝐴 = __________________________________________________________________

13. 𝑆 ∩ 𝐼 ∩ 𝐴 = _________________________________________________________