MATH 10 QUARTER 3 Week 9

Competency:
The learner illustrates mutually exclusive events (M10SP-IIIi-1), and solves problems involving
probability (M10SP-IIIj-1).

Expectations
This module was designed to help you understand the concept of mutually exclusive events and be
able to solve problems involving probability.

After going through this module, you are expected to:

1. illustrate mutually exclusive events;
2. identify events that are mutually exclusive;
3. find the probability of mutually and non – mutually exclusive events; and
4. solve problems involving probability.

Pre-test
Choose the letter of the correct answer. Write the chosen letter on a separate sheet of paper.
1. Which of these events are mutually exclusive?
A. drive a car and sing a song C. roll a die and get 5 or 6
B. draw a king and a red card D. get an average of 90 and rank first in school
2. The following are mutually exclusive events EXCEPT ________.
A. eating and sleeping C. driving and walking
B. watching a movie and taking a long hour flight D. staying at home and going out with your friends
3. What is the probability of getting an odd number or a power of two in rolling a die?
1 1 2 5
A. 3 B. 2 C. 3 D. 6
4. Each of the letters of the word “MATHEMATICS” are written on a card and placed in a table
facing down. Which of the following is the probability that a consonant letter be chosen?
4 4 7 7
A. 15 B. 11 C. 15 D. 11
5. A cooler contains different kinds of drinks: 4 orange juices, 3 bottled waters and 5 sodas. What
is the probability of getting an orange juice or a soda?
3 8 7 5
A. 4 B. 12 C. 12 D. 36

Looking Back to your Lesson

Your previous lessons enabled you to learn about the concepts related to probability of simple and
compound events. You learned that the probability of an event is the ratio that compares the number
of favorable outcomes to the number of possible outcomes. The probability of an event E, written 𝑃(𝐸)
𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑓𝑎𝑣𝑜𝑟𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑜𝑢𝑡𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑠 𝑛(𝐸)
is defined as 𝑃(𝐸) = = . You also learned how to illustrate the probability
𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑜𝑢𝑡𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑠 𝑛(𝑆)
of the union of two events and how to calculate the probability of (𝐴 ∪ 𝐵).

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 Introduction of the Topic

Lesson 1: Mutually Exclusive Events

Two events are mutually exclusive if both events cannot occur at the same time. This means that
the events have no elements in common. Thus, they are distinct and non – overlapping.

Consider the Venn Diagram below. The set of odd and the set of even integers from 1 to 10 are
mutually exclusive. The sample space of event A (odd) are {1,3,5,7,9} and the sample space of event B
(even) are {2, 4, 6, 8, 10}. Notice that there is no common element between the two events. Hence,
they do not intersect.

Examples:

o Walking sideways and walking backwards are mutually exclusive (because we cannot do both
at the same time)
o Tossing a coin and getting a head and a tail are mutually exclusive (they cannot happen at the
same time)
o In a standard deck of playing cards, drawing a king and an ace are mutually exclusive (we
cannot have a king and an ace on the same card)

What is not Mutually Exclusive:

• Walking straight and scratching your head can happen at the same time
• Drawing a King and a Heart in a deck of 52 cards, because we can have a King of Hearts

Activities

Activity 1.1 Happy or Not

Could the two events A and B in the following situations happen at the same time? If yes, draw a
smiley face in the box. If not, draw a sad face .

1. A die is rolled.
Event A: You get a “3”
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 Event B: You get an odd number
2. A candy is picked from a jar containing 6 red candies and 2 blue candies.
Event A: Picked a blue candy
Event B: Picked a red candy
3. One student is selected as class governor.
Event A: Lucy is selected as the governor
Event B: John is selected as the governor
4. A toy is selected from a box which contains 3 balls, 10 puzzle pieces and a teddy bear.
Event A: A teddy bear is picked
Event B: A puzzle piece is picked
5. You spun a spinner once, the spinner is divided into 8 equal parts labelled from 1 to 8.
Event A: The spinner stopped at 4
Event B: The spinner stopped at an even number

In everyday life, there are events that cannot happen at the same time.
We called these mutually exclusive events.
Which of the given set of events above are considered mutually exclusive? Justify your answer.

In mutually exclusive events, the probability that both events will happen together is equal to
zero since there are no possible outcomes common to both events. In symbols, we write this as,
𝐏(𝐀 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐁) = 𝟎. The probability that either event may happen is the sum of the probabilities of the
events, A and B. Hence, if A and B are mutually exclusive events, then 𝐏(𝐀 𝐨𝐫 𝐁) = 𝐏(𝐀) + 𝐏(𝐁).

Examples:
1. Find the probability of drawing a king and a queen in a standard deck of playing cards.

A card cannot be a King and a Queen at the same time.

The probability of a King and a Queen is 0
Written as, 𝐏(𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐞𝐧) = 0.

2. In a deck of 52 cards, what is the probability of picking a king or a queen?

There are 4 Kings in a deck of 52 cards.
Number of favorable outcomes: 4 (there are 4 Kings)
Number of possible outcomes: 52 (there are 52 cards in total)
𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑓𝑎𝑣𝑜𝑟𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑜𝑢𝑡𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑠 4 𝟏
P(King) = 𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑜𝑢𝑡𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑠
= 52
= 𝟏𝟑

There are also 4 Queens in a deck of 52 cards.

Number of favorable outcomes: 4 (there are 4 Queens)
Number of possible outcomes: 52 (there are 52 cards in total)
𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑓𝑎𝑣𝑜𝑟𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑜𝑢𝑡𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑠 4 𝟏
P(Queen) = 𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑜𝑢𝑡𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑠
= 52 = 𝟏𝟑

1 1 2
When we combined the two Events: The probability of a King or a Queen is ( ) + ( ) =
13 13 13
1 1 𝟐
Which is also written as: P (King or Queen) =(13) + (13) = 𝟏𝟑

What happens when two events are not mutually exclusive?

Example: What is the probability of drawing an ace or a club in a standard deck of cards?
Aces and Clubs together is only the Ace of Clubs;
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 For Aces or Clubs, there are 4 Aces and 13 Clubs;
But that counts the Ace of Clubs twice;
So we need to subtract the extra “and” part;
4 Aces + 13 Clubs − the 1 extra Ace of Clubs = 16 Cards
Try to count them if it really works!
4 13 1 16 4 𝟒
∴ The probability of drawing an ace or a club is (52 + 52) − 52 = 52 ÷ 4 = 𝟏𝟑.
This is also written as:
4 13 1 16 𝟒
𝑷(𝑨𝒄𝒆 𝐨𝐫 𝑪𝒍𝒖𝒃) = (52 + 52) − 52 = 52 = 𝟏𝟑

In non – mutually exclusive events, the probability of A or B equals the probability of A plus the
probability of B minus the probability of A and B: P (A or B) = P(A) + P(B) – P (A and B)
Here is the same formula, but using ∪ (Union) and ∩ (Intersection):
P (A ∪ B) = P(A) + P(B) – P (A ∩ B)

Activity 1.2 Complete Me

Complete the following.
1. Roll a die!
Event A: Get a 2.
Event B: Get a 4.
The probability that you get a 2: P(A) is ___________________.
The probability that you get a 4: P(B) is ___________________.
The probability of getting a 2 or a 4: P (A ∪ B) = ____________________.

2. Draw a card!
There are 52 cards in a standard deck of playing cards.
Event A: You draw a ten, P(A) = ____________________.
Event B: You draw a red card, P(B) = ____________________.
Event C: You draw a ten and red card, P (A ∩ B) = ____________________.
The probability of getting a ten or a red card: P (A ∪ B) = _____________________.

3. Spin to win a prize!

You spin the wheel which has 12 equal sectors, labelled as follow:
200, 200, 300, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 800, 900, 1000
Event A: You get 300 pesos, P(A) = _______________.
Event B: You get 1000 pesos, P(B) = ______________.
The probability of getting 300 or 1000 pesos: P (A or B) =__________________.

4. Play a marble!
A bag contains 10 blue marbles, 5 green marbles and 7 striped marbles.
Event A: You pick a blue marble, P(A) = ________________.
Event B: You pick a green marble, P(B) = _______________.
Event C: You pick a striped marble, P(C) = _____________.
The probability of picking a blue or a green or a striped marble: P (A ∪ B ∪ C) = _________________.

5. Win in a lottery game!

There are 45 lottery numbers, numbered 1 to 45.
Event A: You choose a number that is a multiple of 3, P (A)=______________.
Event B: You choose a number that is a multiple of 5, P (B)=_______________.
Event C: You choose a number that is a multiple of 3 and 5, P (A ∩ B) = ___________.
The probability of the number drawn is a multiple of 3 or 5: P (A ∪ B) =______________.

Lesson 2: Solve Problems Involving Probability

In this lesson, you will learn different probability word problems and follow some steps for solving a
given word problem in probability.
MATH 10 QUARTER 3 WEEK 9 P a g e 4|9
Steps
How to solve a probability word problem:

1. Identify the experiment and the events in the probability problem.

2. Find out the number of outcomes of the experiment and every event in step 1.

3. Find the probability of all events using the values obtained in step 2. (Use the probability formula
for the type of events given in the problem)

Examples:
1. Two dice are rolled. Find the probability that the first number is odd and the second number is
even.

Solution:

Step 1 Identify the experiment and the events of the probability problem: Rolling two dice is the
experiment and the event is landing the dice where the first number is odd and the second
number is even.

Step 2 Find the number of outcomes of the experiment and every event that is stated in the problem:
To identify the number of events of rolling two dice, it will be helpful if we use a tree
diagram.

There are 36 possible outcomes in rolling two dice.

The event of landing an odd number in the first die and an even number in the second die
has 9 possible outcomes and these are {(1,2)(1,4)(1,6)(3,2)(3,4)(3,6)(5,2)(5,4)(5,6)}.

Step 3 Find the probability of the given event in the problem: Since the type of event is a compound
event (A compound event has more than one possible outcomes), we use the formula;
𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑓𝑎𝑣𝑜𝑟𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑜𝑢𝑡𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑠 𝑛(𝐸)
𝑃(𝐸) = 𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑜𝑢𝑡𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑠 = 𝑛(𝑆).
9 𝟏
Therefore, P (Odd, Even) = 36
= 𝟒.

2. Mayden chooses a letter on a card at random from those as shown below:

PP PR PO PB PA PB PI PL PI PT PY

What is the probability that a letter chosen is;

a) a “Y” b) a “B” or an “O” c) an “E”

Solution:

a) What is the probability that a letter chosen is a “Y”?

Step 1 The experiment is choosing a letter on a card at random and the event is that letter “Y” is
chosen.

Step 2 There are 11 letters in the word “PROBABILITY’ and there is only one letter “Y” on the card.
So we let 𝑛(𝑆) = 11 and 𝑛(𝐸) = 1

Step 3 Since the event is a simple event (A simple event has a single outcome), we use the formula;
𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑓𝑎𝑣𝑜𝑟𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑜𝑢𝑡𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑠 𝑛(𝐸)
𝑃(𝐸) = 𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑜𝑢𝑡𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑠 = 𝑛(𝑆) .
𝟏
Therefore, the probability of choosing a “Y” is P(Y) = 𝟏𝟏
.

b) What is the probability that a letter chosen is a “B” or an “O”?

MATH 10 QUARTER 3 WEEK 9 P a g e 5|9

 Step 1 The event for the experiment choosing a letter on a card at random is that the letter chosen
is a “B” or an “O”.

Step 2 Let 𝐴 be the letter “B” is chosen and 𝐵, letter O is chosen. So, 𝑛(𝐴) = 2 (there are 2 B’s on
the card), 𝑛(𝐵) = 1 (there is only one O on the card) and 𝑛(𝑆) = 11.

2 1
Step 3 P(A) = 11 and P(B) = 11
The type of events are mutually exclusive events because choosing a “B” or an “0” cannot
happen at the same time since only one card will be chosen. So we use the formula for the
probability of mutually exclusive events: 𝑃(𝐴 𝑜𝑟 𝐵) = 𝑃(𝐴) + 𝑃(𝐵).
Therefore, the probability of choosing a card that is a “B” or an “O” is:
2 1 𝟑
𝑷(𝑨 ∪ 𝑩) = 11 + 11 = 𝟏𝟏.

c) What is the probability that a letter chosen is an “E”?

There is no card that is labelled “E” in the letters of the word “PROBABILITY”, hence, there is an
empty set in the event of choosing a card that is “E”. Therefore, the probability of an empty set is
equal to zero. Written as, 𝑃(𝐸) = 𝟎.

3. If there are number cards from 1 to 20 and you are to pick one at random, find the probability that
the number card you will pick is a multiple of 2 or 5.

Solution:

Step 1 Picking a card at random from the numbers 1 – 20 is the experiment. Let 𝐴 be the event of
drawing a card number that is a multiple of 2 and 𝐵 be the event of drawing a number card
that is a multiple of 5.

Step 2 𝑛(𝑆) = 20
𝐴 = {2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20}; 𝑛(𝐴) = 10
𝐵= {5, 10, 15, 20}; 𝑛(𝐵) = 4

10 4
Step 3 𝑃(𝐴) = ; 𝑃(𝐵) =
20 20
2
A∩B = {10, 20}; n(A∩B) = 2; P(A∩B) = 20
Since the two events are non – mutually exclusive (10 and 20 are common to both events)
the formula to be used is;
10 4 2 12 𝟑
𝑷(𝑨 ∪ 𝑩) = 𝑃(𝐴) + 𝑃(𝐵) − 𝑃(𝐴 ∩ 𝐵) = + − = =
20 20 20 20 𝟓

Activity 2 Fill the Gap

Work out the following problems by filling in all the gaps.

1. A magician showed a magic trick where he picked a card from a standard deck of playing cards.
Determine the probability that the card will be a red queen.
a) is the experiment and the event is .
b) The number of favorable outcome is .
c) The number of possible outcome is .
d) The probability that the card will be a red queen is .

2. In a class of 30 students, there are 18 boys and 10 of them are in the Math Club. Six of the 12
girls are in the Math Club. If a student is selected at random, what is the probability that the
selected student is;
a) a boy?
b) a boy in the class belonging to Math Club?
c) a girl in the class belonging to Math Club?
MATH 10 QUARTER 3 WEEK 9 P a g e 6|9
 d) a boy or a girl in the class belonging to Math Club?

3. A bag contains 50 marbles, 18 green ones and 32 red ones. A marble is picked at random from
the bag. What is the probability of picking;
a) a red marble?
b) a green marble?
c) a green marble or a red marble?

4. A fair die is rolled. What is the probability of getting;

a) an even number?
b) an even number and a multiple of 4?
c) an even number or a multiple of 5?
d) an even number or a factor of 6?

Remember
- Mutually Exclusive
The probability of A and B together is impossible: P (A and B) = 0
The probability of A or B is the sum of the probability of A and the probability of B:
P (A or B) = P(A) + P(B) or
𝑷(𝑨 ∪ 𝑩) = 𝑷(𝑨) + 𝑷(𝑩)
- Non – Mutually Exclusive
The probability of A or B is the sum of the probability of A and the probability of B minus the
probability of A and B: P (A or B) = P(A) + P(B) – P (A and B) or
𝑷(𝑨 ∪ 𝑩) = 𝒑(𝑨) + 𝑷(𝑩) − 𝑷(𝑨 ∩ 𝑩)
- Symbols
And is ∩ (Intersection)
Or is ∪ (Union)

Check your Understanding

A. Tell whether event A and event B are mutually exclusive. Write ME if the two events are
mutually exclusive and NME if the events are non - mutually exclusive.

1. Event A: Spin a wheel with parts labelled 1 to 6 and stop at 3.

Event B: Spin a wheel with parts labelled 1 to 6 and stop at a prime number.

2. Event A: Choose a red candy in a bag of NIPS containing 5 red, 8 blue and 10 yellow
candies.
Event B: Choose a yellow candy in a bag of NIPS containing 5 red, 8 blue and 10 yellow
candies.

3. Event A: Pick a date in a calendar.

Event B: Pick the date of your birthday.

4. Event A: Choose a briefcase from 26 briefcases in the game “Deal or No Deal”.

Event B: Choose the jackpot briefcase from 26 briefcases in the game “Deal or No Deal”.

5. Event A: A team wins in a volleyball match.

Event B: A team loses in a volleyball match.

B. Solve the following problems.

1. A card is picked from a standard deck of playing cards. Find the probability of:
a) picking a face card. b) picking an ace. c) picking a red card or a 3.
MATH 10 QUARTER 3 WEEK 9 P a g e 7|9
 2. Three fair coins are flipped. Find the probability of:
a) landing 3 heads. b) landing at least two tails.

3. There are 75 numbered balls in a Bingo Game. Find the probability of:
a) drawing a number that is 30.

b) drawing a two-digit number divisible by 3.

c) drawing an odd number less than 50 or an even number greater than 40.

Post-test
Choose the letter of the correct answer. Write the chosen letter on a separate sheet of paper.
1. Which of these events are mutually exclusive?
A. drive a car and sing a song C. roll a die and get 5 or 6
B. draw a king and a red card D. get an average of 90 and rank first in school
2. The following are mutually exclusive events EXCEPT ________.
A. eating and sleeping C. driving and walking
B. watching a movie and taking a long hour flight D. staying at home and going out with your friends
3. What is the probability of getting an odd number or a power of two in rolling a die?
1 1 2 5
A. 3 B. C. D. 6
2 3
4. Each of the letters of the word “MATHEMATICS” are written on a card and placed in a table
facing down. Which of the following is the probability that a consonant letter be chosen?
4 4 7 7
A. 15 B. 11 C. 15 D. 11
5. A cooler contains different kinds of drinks: 4 orange juices, 3 bottled waters and 5 sodas. What
is the probability of getting an orange juice or a soda?
3 8 7 5
A. 4 B. 12 C. 12 D. 36

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 MATHEMATICS 10
Quarter 3 Week 9
ANSWER SHEET
Name: Math Teacher:
Section: Score:

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