Chapter 2 Probability P a g e | 29

Chapter 2
Probability
In this chapter , you should be able to:
• list the sample space of all possible out comes;
• define the probability, the random experiment and the event ;
• find the probability in each type;
• solve problems involving the probability of single events.

Introduction
We often make statements such as:
(a) "There is a 50:50 chance of our school winning the National School Basketball Championship."
(b) "I cannot predict whether I will get a 'six' in my next throw of a die."
(c) "It will probably rain today."
We make such statements because we are uncertain whether an event will occur or not. For an uncertain
event, we can talk about its chance of occurring.
Let's consider the chance that each of the following events will occur:
(d) It will rain in Singapore tomorrow.
(e) It will snow in Singapore tomorrow.
Our experience tells us that it often rains in Singapore, but it has never snowed here. So the chance that
event (d) will occur is quite high, but the chance that event (e) will occur is extremely small.
The measure of chance is known as probability, which we will learn in this chapter.
Consider some events involving chances of occurring. For each event, make a statement about its chance
of occurring.
1. Decision - Making
We make decisions every day based on whether we think an event is likely to take place. Most of the
time these decisions involve some measures of risks. In many cases, we decide whether an event is likely
to take place based on the following.
Probability is the chances of an event happening. If we can know the probability that a certain event will
occur, such as, whether it will rain today or if there is a traffic jam or what questions are going to come
out in the test or exam, we can make better choices about whether to risk the odds, such as, getting caught
Chapter 2 Probability P a g e | 30

in the rain without an umbrella, or not studying for the questions that actually came out in the test or
exam.
2. Experiments and Sample Space
When we perform a scientific experiment, we will get a certain result or outcome. But in probability, the
result or outcome is not certain: it depends on chance. The following are some examples of probability
experiments and their possible outcomes.

Probability Experiment Possible Outcomes

1.

Tossing a coin Head Tail

2.

3.

4.

Three white balls and two black balls of the

same size are placed in a bag. One ball is
picked from the bag at random.

Fig. 2.1
Chapter 2 Probability P a g e | 31

The collection of all possible outcomes of an experiment is called the sample space or probability
space. It is usually denoted by S and we put all the outcomes in braces { }.
For example, the sample space of each of the four experiments above is :
Experiment 1: S = {H,T} where H represents the outcome of getting a head, and T the
outcome of getting a tail.

Experiment 2: S = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6}

Experiment 3: S = {11, 12,13, ...,20}

Experiment 4: S = {B1, B2, W1, W2, W3} where B represents the outcome of getting a black ball, and
W represents the outcome of getting a white ball.
As there are five balls in the bag, there is a difference whether you draw the first black ball or the
second black ball. Therefore, we must differentiate between the two black balls by writing them
as B1 and B2. Similarly, for the three white balls, we write them as W1, W2 and W3.
If we write S = {B,W} , that means there is only one black ball and one white ball. Then we
have equal chances of drawing a black ball or a white ball. But if S = { B1, B2, W1, W2, W3},
then we have a higher chance of drawing a white ball because there are more white balls than
black balls.
The total number of possible outcomes is the same as the total number of elements in the sample
space. It is denoted by n(s) . For experiment 1 , n(s) = 2. What is the value of n(s) for
experiments 2 , 3 and 4?
Example 1 For each of the experiments below, write down its sample space S and the total number of
possible outcomes n(S).
(a) Drawing a card at random from a box containing five identical cards numbered 21, 22, 23, 24
and 25.
(b) Drawing a ball at random from a bag containing 4 identical blue balls and 3 identical red balls.
(c) Selecting a point at random from a circular board colored as shown in Fig. 2.2(a). We assume
the point will never fall exactly on any of the lines separating the four
colored sectors.

Fig. 2.2(a)
Chapter 2 Probability P a g e | 32

(d) Spinning the spinner shown in Fig. 2.2(b) at random (same assumption as (c)).

(e) Choosing a 2-digit number at random. Fig.2.2 (b)

(f) Tossing a standard tetrahedral die as shown in Fig. 2.2(c).

Solution Fig.2.2 (c)

(a) The sample space is S = { 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 }.  n(S) = 5.

(b) The sample space is S = { B1 , B2 , B3 , B4 , R1 , R2 , R3} where B represents blue and
R represents red.  n(S) = 7.
(c) The sample space is S = { Blue , Red , Green , Yellow}  n(S) = 4.
(d) The sample space is S = { 2 , 3 , 5 , 7 , 11 , 13 , 17 , 19}.  n(S) = 8.
(e) The sample space is S = { 10 , 11 , 12 , … , 99}.  n(S) = 99 – 10 + 1 = 90.
(f) A tetrahedral die is a 4-sided die. Unless stated otherwise, we always assume that the numbers
start from 1 for a standard tetrahedral die. So the sample space is
S = {1 , 2 , 3 , 4}.  n(S) = 4.

You toss a fair coin. It can land either heads up or tails up. The two possible outcomes are known as the
sample space. So in a toss of a fair coin, its sample space consists of head and tail.
Let's explore the sample space of some events that have only equally - likely outcomes. Equally likely
outcomes are outcomes that have the same chance of happening.

Example 2 Name the sample space of rolling a fair die.

Solution
When a die is rolled, there are six equally-likely possible outcomes.
 the sample space of rolling a die is {1,2,3, 4, 5 and 6}.
Example 3 A petrol station is having an offer whereby car owners will get a chance at a lucky spin for
every purchase of $20 worth of petrol. The prizes in the lucky draw are as shown on the spinning wheel.
Chapter 2 Probability P a g e | 33

(a) List all the total possible different prizes a person could win.
(b) How many different prizes are there altogether?

Solution
(a) The total possible different prizes are a bottle of water, a bottle of car perfume, a box of
tissue and a voucher of $10.
(b) There are four different prizes altogether.

Exercise 1
For this exercise,
(a) Name the sample space for each of the events.
(b) State the number of total possible outcomes for each of the events.

1. An eight-sided die with the numerals 1 to 8 is tossed.

2. A card is randomly drawn from a deck of 52 playing cards.

3. A container has some bath balls as shown. Lisa picks a ball randomly.

4. A number is randomly picked for the lucky dip.

Chapter 2 Probability P a g e | 34

5. A dart board is divided into 6 equal sectors. When a dart lands on it, the number of the sector on
which it lands is noted.

6. (a) Drawing a disc at random from a bag containing 5 identical red discs, 3 identical blue discs
and 2 identical green discs.
(b) Picking a letter at random from a box containing identical cards with letters that spell
the word 'TEACHER'.
(c) Choosing a three-digit number at random.
3. Tree Diagrams

 Tree diagram The term tree diagram is used

in different ways in different disciplines.
Examples include Feynman diagrams in
physics, Parse trees in linguistics and
probability tree diagrams in mathematics.
A tree diagram is another way of tracking and displaying the outcomes of a combined event.
All outcomes resulting from the first event are represented by two or more branches from a starting point.
More branches are added to each branch to represent outcomes resulting from the second and subsequent
events.
For example, the tossing of a coin either lands head up (H) or tail up (T). The two possible outcomes, are
each represented by a branch in the tree diagram on the right.

Suppose the coin lands head up in the first toss. Since a second toss of the coin will either land head up or
tail up, two more branches are added to the tree diagram.
Chapter 2 Probability P a g e | 35

Consider the case where the coin lands tail up in the first toss. Similarly, two more branches are added to
complete the tree diagram for two tosses of a coin.

Each route along the tree branches from its starting point gives a possible outcome of the sample space.

From the tree diagram, we can see that there are altogether four possible routes, thus four possible
outcomes.
The sample space, S = {(H,H), (H,T), (T,H), (T,T)}
 n(S) = 4
(H, T) means the outcome of getting a head on the first toss and a tail on the second toss.
Bag Y contains 1 black ball and 1 white ball. Bag Z also contains 1 black ball and 1 white ball.
A ball is drawn at random from Y and then from Z.
The two possible outcomes, are each represented by a branch in the tree diagram.

The sample space, S = {(B,B), (B,W), (W,B), (W,W)}

 n(S) = 4
The tree diagram is useful in presenting the different outcomes and their probabilities.

4. Definition of Probability
In Experiment 1 of Fig. 3.1, if the coin is fair or unbiased, then each of the two outcomes is equally
likely to occur, i.e there are equal chances of getting a 'head' or a 'tail'. Thus, the chances of getting a
Chapter 2 Probability P a g e | 36

1
'head' are 1 out of 2, or we say the probability of getting a 'head' is . What is the probability of getting a
2
'tail'?
In Experiment 2 of Fig. 3.1 , if the die is fair, then each of the six outcomes is equally likely to occur.
1
Thus, the chances of getting a 'six' are 1 out of 6, or the probability of getting a 'six' is . What is the
6
probability that you will not get a 'six'?
In Experiment 3 of Fig.3.1, if the card is drawn at random, then what is the probability of picking a card
numbered 14?
In Experiment 4 of Fig.3.1,what is the probability of drawing a white ball?
Let's denote this event by E. In Experiment 3 of Fig.3.1, suppose we are interested in the event "picking a
prime number''. Then there are four outcomes : 11 , 13 , 17 , 19 that favour the occurrence of the event E.
This means that if you pick any of these four favourable outcomes, then the event E will happen.
So the chances of the event E occurring are 4 out of 10, i.e. the probability of the event E
happening, written as P(E), is:
4 2
P(E) = =
10 5
In general, in a probability experiment with m equally likely outcomes, if k of these outcomes favor
occurrence of an event E, then the probability of event E happening is:
Number of Favourable Outcomes for Event E n ( E ) k
P(E) = = =
Number of Possible Outcomes n (S ) m
where n(E) is the number of favorable outcomes in event E and n(S) is the total number of possible
outcomes in the sample space S.
Example 1 A card is drawn at random from a box containing 12 identical cards numbered
1,2, 3, ...., 12.
(a) Write down the sample space S and the total number of possible outcomes n(s).
(b) What is the probability of drawing
(i) a '7' A prime number is a positive integer
(ii) an even number that has exactly 2 different positive
(iii) a prime number factors.
(iv) a perfect square So 1 is not a prime number.
(v) a negative number
Solution
Chapter 2 Probability P a g e | 37

(a) The sample space is S = {1, 2,3, ...,12}.

The total number of possible outcomes is n(S) = 12.
1
(b) (i) Probability of drawing a'7' = .
12
1
or simply P (drawing a'7') = .
12
(ii) There are 6 even numbers from 1 to 12 : 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12.
6
 P(drawing an even number) =
12
1
= .
2
(iii) There are 5 prime numbers from 1 to 12 : 2, 3, 5, 7, 11.
5
 P(drawing a prime number) = .
12
(iv) There are 3 perfect squares from 1 to 12: 1, 4, 9.
3 1
 P(drawing a perfect square) = =
12 4
(v) There are no negative numbers from 1 to 12. = 0 (impossible to happen).
Example 2 A spinner in the form of a regular hexagon is constructed as shown in Fig.2.3.
When the pointer is spun, what is the probability that the pointer will stop at
(a) 6,
(b) an odd- numbered triangle,
(c) a triangle whose number is a multiple of 3,
(d) a triangle whose number is less than 6 ,
(e) a triangle whose number is greater than 6 ,
Fig. 2.3
(f) a triangle whose number is less than 7 ?
Solution
We assume the pointer will never stop exactly on any of the lines separating the numbers. Since all
the triangles have the same angle at the centre of the hexagon, it is equally likely for the pointer
to stop at any one of the six triangles.
1
(a) P (pointer will stop at 6) =
6
(b) There are 3 odd-numbered triangles : 1 , 3, 5.
3 1
 P (pointer will stop at an odd-numbered triangle) = =
6 2
Chapter 2 Probability P a g e | 38

(c) There are 2 triangles whose numbers are multiples of 3 : 3 , 6.

2 1
 P (pointer will stop at a triangle whose number is a multiple of 3) = =
6 3
(d) There are 5 triangles whose numbers are less than 6 :1, 2, 3, 4, 5
5
 P (pointer will stop at a triangle whose number is a less than 6) =
6
(e) There is no triangle whose number is greater than 6.
0
 P (pointer will stop at a triangle whose number is a greater than 6) = =0
6
(f) There are 6 triangles whose numbers are less than 7 .
6
 P (pointer will stop at a triangle whose number is a less than 7) = =1
6
Example 3 In a class of 40 students , 8 are short-sighted. If a student is selected at random, what is
the probability that the selected student will be short-sighted?
Solution
8 1
P (student selected will be short-sighted) = =
40 5
Example 4 A card is drawn at random from a pack of 52 playing cards.

(a) What is the total number of possible outcomes of this experiment?

(b) What is the probability of drawing
(i) a black card,
(ii) a red ace,
(iii) a diamond,
(iv) a card which is not a diamond?
Solution
(a) The total number of possible outcomes of this experiment is 52.
(b) (i) There are 26 black cards in the pack.
26 1
 P (drawing a black card) = =
52 2
(ii) There are 2 red, aces, i.e. the ace of hearts and the ace of diamonds.
2 1
 P (drawing a red ace) = =
52 26
(iii) There are 13 diamonds in the pack.
Chapter 2 Probability P a g e | 39

13 1
 P (drawing a diamond) = =
52 4
(iv) Since there are 13 diamonds in the pack, the remaining 39 cards in the pack are not
diamonds.
39 3
 P (drawing a card which is not a diamond) = =
52 4
Example 5 A circle is divided into four sectors colored yellow, red, blue and green as shown in Fig.
3.4. A point is selected at random in the circle. Find the probability
that it lies in the
(a) yellow sector,
(b) blue sector,
Fig. 2.4
(c) black sector.
Is the probability of the point lying in the red sector or green sector greater? Why?
Solution
Since a point is selected at random, any point in the circle will have the same chance of being selected.
We assume the point will never fall on any of the lines separating the four sectors.
(a) Number of points in the yellow sector is proportional to the area of the sector
which is also proportional to the angle of the sector.
 P(selecting a point in the yellow sector)
Area of the yellow sec tor
=
Area of the circle
Angle of the yellow sec tor
=
360°
180° 1
= =
360° 2
(b) Similarly, P (selecting a point in the blue sector)
Area of the blue sec tor
=
Area of the circle
Angle of the blue sec tor
=
360°
45°
=
360°
1
=
8
(c) Since there is no black sector in the circle,
Chapter 2 Probability P a g e | 40

Area of the black sec tor

 P(selecting a point in the black sector) =
Area of the circle
0
=
Area of the circle
= 0
As the area of the red sector is greater than the area of the green sector,
P (point lies in red sector) > P (point lies in green sector).
As you may have observed in the above examples, probability is a value between 0 and 1 (inclusive).
If the probability of an event occurring is 0, then it is an impossible event: it will never happen.
If the probability of an event occurring is 1, then it is a certain event: it will definitely happen.
Example 6 In a departmental store, 50 pairs of earrings are on display. The probability that a
6
customer will choose a pair of pearl earring is . How many pearl earrings are on display?
25
Solution
6
P (pearl earring chosen) =
25
Number of pearl earrings 6
Hence =
Total number of earrings 25
Number of pearl earrings 6
=
50 25
6
Number of pearl earrings = x 50
25
= 12
 12 pairs of pearl earrings are on display.
Example 7 Using a possibility diagram to determine probability of combined events
A coin is tossed and a six-sided die is thrown. Find the probability of obtaining
(a) a head and an odd number,
(b) a tail and a number greater than 4.
Solution
(a) Let A be the event “a head and an odd number is obtained”.
From the possibility diagram, n(A) = 3
n (A )
P( A ) =
n (S)
3
=
12
1
=
4
Chapter 2 Probability P a g e | 41

(b) Let B be the event “a number greater than 4 is obtained”.

From the possibility diagram, n(B) = 4
n ( B)
P(B) =
n (S)
2
=
12
1
=
6
Example 8 Using a possibility diagram to determine probability of combined events
Two bags contain three colored balls each. The first bag has one red ball and two green balls.
The second bag has two red balls and one green ball. A ball is drawn at random from each bag. Find the
probability that
(a) both balls drawn are red,
(b) the balls drawn are of different colors.
Solution
Let S be the sample space of the event “a ball is drawn at random from each bag”.
From the possibility diagram, n(S) = 9

(a) Let A be the event “both balls drawn are red”.

From the possibility diagram, n(A) = 2
n(A)
P( A ) =
n (S )
2
=
9
(b) Let B be the event “the balls drawn are of different colours”. From the possibility diagram,
n(A) = 5 n ( B)
P( A ) =
n (S )
5
=
9
Chapter 2 Probability P a g e | 42

Example 9 Using a possibility diagram to determine probability of combined events

Two six-sided dice are thrown together. Find the probability that
(a) the sum of the two numbers obtained is more than 5,
(b) the product of the two numbers obtained is an odd number.
Solution
(a) Let S be the sample space of the event "two six-sided dice are thrown" and A be the event “sum of
two numbers obtained is more than 5”.
From the possibility diagram for S below, since there are 36 outcomes. n(S) = 36
Die 1
sum 1 2 3 4 5 6
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Die 2
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
4 5 6 7 8 9 10
5 6 7 8 9 10 11
6 7 8 9 10 11 12

From the possibility diagram, n(A) = 26

n ( A ) 26 13
P( A ) = = =
n (S) 36 18
(b) Let B be the event “the product of the two numbers obtained is odd”.

(c) Die 1

product 1 2 3 4 5 6
1 1 2 3 4 5 6
2 2 4 6 8 10 12
Die 2 3 3 6 9 12 15 18
4 4 8 12 16 20 24
5 5 10 15 20 25 30
6 6 12 18 24 30 36
Chapter 2 Probability P a g e | 43

From the possibility diagram, n(B) = 9

n ( B) 9 1
P( B) = = =
n (S) 36 4
Note: The possible outcomes of event A and event B can also be represented
by the following possibility diagrams.

Exercise 2
In the exercise, give your answer as a fraction in its lowest term, where necessary.

1. An eight-sided dice with faces numbered 1 to 8 is rolled and the number facing up is
noted. Find the probability that the number is a 5.

2. There are 18 jellybeans on the table. Eight jellybeans are red, one is white and three are
yellow. There are also two green, two black and two orange jellybeans. Gerard picks a
jellybean at random. What is the probability of him picking a red jellybean?

3. Siu Cheng randomly picks a card from a pack of 52 playing cards. Find the probability that it is
(a) a queen of hearts,
(b) a heart,
(c) a red card,
(d) a picture card.
 Chapter 2 Probability P a g e | 44

4. There are ten students in a tutorial class. On the first day of class, the teacher calls out a name
from the name list. Find the probability that she will call a student, whose name is one of the first four
names in the list.
5. A = {1, 2, 3, 4} and B = {5, 6, 7, 8, 9}. A number a is randomly selected from set A
and another number b is randomly selected from set B.
(a)
(i) Draw a possibility diagram to show all the possible outcomes.

(ii) If S denotes the sample space, find n(S).

(iii) If E is the event ‘both numbers selected are even’, find n(E) and P(E).
(b) Copy and complete the following possibility diagrams to display the values of a + b and ab
respectively.
Set A Set A
sum 1 2 3 4 product 1 2 3 4
5 6 5
Set B 6 Set B 6 18
7 7 14
8 10 8
9 9
(c) Find the probability that
(i) the sum of the numbers selected is odd,
(ii) the sum of the numbers selected is more than 10,
(iii) the product of the numbers selected is less than 15,
(iv) the product of the numbers selected is a multiple of 4.
Chapter 2 Probability P a g e | 45

6. Two regular tetrahedrons each has its four vertices numbered 1, 2, 3 and 4. Brandon throws the
two tetrahedrons and takes note of the number marked on each of the two vertices that faces
up. If the two numbers are the same then his score is the common number, otherwise his
score is their difference.
(a) Copy and complete the following possibility diagram to display Brandon's possible scores.

Tetrahedron 1
1 2 3 4
1 1
2 2 1
Tetrahedron 2
3 1
4

(b) Find the probability that

(i) his score is 1,
(ii) his score is greater than or equal to 3,
(iii) his score is less than 3.
(c) Which score is more likely to occur, 1 or 2 ?
(d) What is the probability that the number obtained from the first tetrahedron is less than that from the
second tetrahedron?

7. A spinner with six equal sectors is used in a game. The sectors are colored red, blue and
white as shown. The spinner is spun twice and the color of the sector on which the spinner
lands on is recorded each time.

(a) Draw a possibility diagram to show all the possible outcomes.

Chapter 2 Probability P a g e | 46

(b) Find the probability that

(i) the spinner lands on a red sector twice,
(ii) the spinner lands on sectors of different colors.
8. Two jars each contain five balls numbered 1 to 5. A ball is then picked at random from each jar.
(a) Copy and complete the following possibility diagram to display the possible sums of the
two numbers on the picked balls.

Jar 1
sum 1 2 3 4 5
Jar 2 1
2
3 5
4 9
5

(b) Find the probability that

(i) the sum of the numbers on the two picked balls is 2, 6, 9 or 10,
(ii) the sum of the numbers on the two picked balls is not 3, 4, 7 or 8.
9. A box contains four cards with colored shapes marked on each card as shown.

red blue green blue

In turn, Karen and Lawrence each draws one card from the box and puts it back.
(a) Draw a possibility diagram to show all the possible outcomes.
Chapter 2 Probability P a g e | 47

(b) Find the probability that

(i) the two cards drawn have the same color,
(ii) the two cards drawn have the same shape,
(iii) the two cards drawn have different shapes and different colors.
5. Probability of the Event Not Occurring

A student, from a class of fourteen boys and sixteen girls, is to be appointed as the monitor.
Let A be the event that a boy is chosen to be the monitor of the class. Then,
P(A) = probability that a boy is chosen to be monitor of the class

P(not A) = probability that no boy is chosen to be monitor of the class

The event ‘not A’ can be written as A  .

P(A) + P( A  ) = 1
P( A  ) = 1 - P(A) or P(A) = 1 - P( A  )

For example, if the weather forecaster says that the probability of rain is 25%, then the probability that it
1 3
will not rain is 100% - 25% = 75%. Or 1 - =
4 4
Example 1 Farid has six unmarked CD-ROMs, where each is dedicated to one subject.
The subjects are English, Mathematics, Chemistry, History, CPA and French.

(a) What is the probability that he randomly chooses the French CD?

(b) What is the probability that he chooses a CD that is a non-language subject?

Solution
1
(a) P (French) = There is only 1 CD on French out of 6 CDs.
6

(b) P (non-language) = 1 - P(languages)

2
=1- There are 2 CDs on languages : English and French
6
Chapter 2 Probability P a g e | 48

4
=
6
2
=
3
Example 2 Wee Cheng wants to decide whether to go for the movies tonight. He puts ten pieces of paper
in a box with four pieces stating ‘YES’ and the rest stating ‘NO’. He draws a piece of paper to decide.
What is the probability that Wee Cheng will not go to the movies?

Solution
4 2
P (YES) = =
10 5
2
P (NO) = 1 - Alternatively, 10 – 4 = 6
5
=
3  the probability is 6 = 3
5 10 5
 the probability of Wee Cheng not going to the movies is 3 .
5
6. Probability using Areas
Finding Probability Using Areas
We can also calculate probabilities by using the ratio of areas.

Example 1 A pin is dropped at random onto the square below. The square is divided into 9 equal smaller
squares. What is the probability that the point of the pin lands inside a red square?

Solution We use the ratio of the number of squares since

4
P(red) = the area of each small square is the same.
9
 the probability that the pin lands inside a red square is 4 .
9
Chapter 2 Probability P a g e | 49

Example 2 A farmer has a rectangular plot of land which is 80 metres by 60 metres.

(a) Find the area of the land.
30 m

30 m
60 m

80 m
He gave a portion of the land to his son. The dimension of the land is 30 metres by 30 metres. A bird that
is flying by drops a stick onto the land.
(b) What is the probability that the stick will drop onto his son's portion of instead of the farmer's portion?
Solution
(a) Area of rectangular land = 80 x 60
= 4800 m 2

The area of the land is 4800 m2 .

(b) Area of square = 30 x 30

= 900 m 2
Area of square
P(son’s land ) =
Area of rectangle
900
=
4800
3
=
16
 the probability of the stick dropping on the son's land is 3 .
16
Example 3 Mabel is giving out a prize to the first person who throws a dart to hit at the bull's eye area
(red) at her party. Tom is the first person to play. What is the probability that Tom will win the prize?

Blue
10 cm
40 cm red
Chapter 2 Probability P a g e | 50

Solution
area of bull eye' s
P(win) =
area of dart board
π ( 5) 2
=
π( 20 ) 2
1
=
16
1
 the probability of Tom winning the prize is .
16
Think What is the probability that Tom will not win the prize?
Exercise 3
1. The news reader says that there is a 45% chance that it will rain tomorrow. What is the
probability that it will not rain tomorrow?
2. An insurance company calculates its payout based on the fact that 150 people out of a certain
group of 1000 people, who were 25 years old, lived to be 65 years old. State the probability
that a 25 year old person chosen at random, will not live to be 65 years old.
3. Sonia and Arun are playing hopscotch (refer to diagram). Sonia throws a stone to fix a home.
What is the probability that her home will be on square 3?

1 2 3 7 5

4. A rectangular field is 70 metres by 35 metres. A landscape designer planted carpet grass to fill
the shaded triangular patch as shown. A heron flew into the field.
70m

35 m

24 m
Chapter 2 Probability P a g e | 51

Find the probability that it will be found (a) within the triangular patch,
(b) out of the triangular patch.
5. A six-sided die is tossed twice.
(a) Draw a tree diagram to show all possible outcomes.

(b) With the help of the tree diagram, find the probability that
(i) the two numbers obtained are equal,
(ii) the two numbers obtained are different,
(iii) the second number obtained is larger than the first.
6. In order to choose a boy and a girl from a group of 3 boys and 3 girls to participate in a
competition, a draw is conducted. The name of each person is written on an individual card.
The cards with the boy’s names are placed in box A and those with the girl ’s names are placed
in box B.

One card is drawn at random from each box.

(a) Draw a tree diagram to show all possible pairs of boy and girl chosen.
Chapter 2 Probability P a g e | 52

(b) With the help of the tree diagram, find the probability that
(i) both Ali and Jo are chosen,
(ii) Chris is chosen but Lisa is not,
(iii) neither Ben nor Kate is chosen.
7. A game utilises two unbiased spinners. One spinner has three equal sectors numbered from 1
to 3. The other spinner has four equal sectors numbered from 1 to 4. Each spinner is spun once
and the number of the sector on which each spinner landed is recorded.
(a) Draw a tree diagram to show all possible outcomes.

(b) With the help of the tree diagram, find the probability that
(i) both numbers obtained have the same value,
(ii) both numbers obtained are odd,
(iii) the sum of the two numbers obtained is greater than 4,

(iv) the product of the numbers obtained is divisible by 3.

8. Box A contains two red tiles numbered 1 and 2, and one blue tile numbered 3. Box B contains
one red tile numbered 1 and two blue tiles numbered 2 and 3.

(a) Draw a tree diagram to show all possible outcomes.

Chapter 2 Probability P a g e | 53

(b) One tile is drawn at random from each box. With the help of the tree diagram, find the
probability that
(i) at least one of the tiles drawn is red,
(ii) both tiles drawn are blue,
(iii) at least one of the tiles drawn is numbered 2,
(iv) the sum of the numbers on the two tiles drawn is 4.
7. Addition Rule

 Calculating the odds in a card game, knowing the probability of the

occurrence of random events can help a player decide on the best
strategy for winning.
A standard pack of 52 playing cards consists of 4 suits - hearts, diamonds, clubs and spades. Each
suit has 13 cards - ace, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, jack, queen and king.
Suppose a card is drawn at random from a standard pack. Let S be the sample space. Since there are 52
cards in a standard pack, n (S) = 52 .
Let A be the event “a king is drawn”. In the pack, 4 cards are kings, thus n(A) = 4 .
n(A) 4 1
Probability of drawing a king, P( A ) = = =
n (S) 52 13
Let B be the event “a queen is drawn”. In the pack, 4 cards are queens, thus. n(B) = 4
n ( B) 4 1
Probability of drawing a queen, P( B) = = =
n (S) 52 13
Let C be the event “either a king or a queen is drawn”. In the pack, there are altogether 8 cards that are
either kings or queens, thus n (C) = 8 .
n (C) 8 2
Probability of drawing either a king or a queen, P(C) = = =
n (S) 52 13
1 1
Observe that P( A ) + P( B) = +
13 13
2
=
13
= P( C )
In this situation, any card drawn cannot be both a king and a queen. When event A (“a king is drawn”)
occurs, event B (“a queen is drawn”) cannot occur and vice versa. The events A and B are said to be
mutually exclusive.
Chapter 2 Probability P a g e | 54

If an event A can occur or an event B can occur but not both A and B can occur at the same time, the
two events A and B are said to be mutually exclusive.
By Addition Rule, when A and B are mutually exclusive, then P(A or B) = P(A) + P(B).
The above rule can be extended to more than two mutually exclusive events,
i.e. P(A or B or C or ...) = P(A) + P(B) + P(C) + ...
Example 1 Using addition rule to determine probability
A card is drawn at random from a standard pack. Find the probability that
(a) the card drawn is an ace or a picture card,
(b) the card drawn is a club or a heart.
Solution
(a) Let A be the event “the card drawn is an ace” and B be the event “the card drawn is a picture
card”.

The events A and B are mutually exclusive. Using the addition rule, we have

P(A or B) = P(A) + P(B)

Picture cards refer to the king ,
4 12
= + queens and jacks in the pack.
52 52
16
=
52
4
=
13
(c) Let C be the event “the card drawn is a club” and D be the event “the card drawn is a

heart”.
Chapter 2 Probability P a g e | 55

The events C and D are mutually exclusive. Using the addition rule, we have
P(C or D) = P(C) + P(D)
13 13
= +
52 52
26
=
52
1
=
2
Example 2 Using addition rule to determine probability
John, Henry and Kamal are competing in a tennis championship. The probabilities of John, Henry and
1 7 3
Kamal winning the competition are , and respectively.
6 24 8
Find the probability that
(a) either John or Henry wins.
(b) either Henry or Kamal wins.
(c) John, Henry or Kamal wins,
(d) John, Henry and Kamal all do not win.
Solution
(a) P(John or Henry wins) = P(John wins) + P(Henry wins)
1 7
= +
6 24
11
=
24
(b) P(Henry or Kamal wins) = P(Henry wins) + P(Kamal wins)
7 3
= +
24 8
2
=
3
(c) P(John, Henry or Kamal wins) = P(John wins) + P(Henry wins) + P(Kamal wins)
1 7 3
= + +
6 24 8
5
=
6
Chapter 2 Probability P a g e | 56

(d) P(John, Henry and Kamal all do not win) = 1- P(John, Henry or Kamal wins)
5
=1 -
6
1
=
6
Exercise 4
1. S = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10}, P = {2, 3, 7}, Q = {1, 5, 8, 10} and R= {4, 6}. Using the
addition rule if applicable, find the probability that a number selected at random from S
(a) belongs to either P or R,
(b) belongs to either P or Q.
2. An eight-sided fair die numbered 1 to 8 is thrown. Using the addition rule if applicable,
find the probability that
(a) the thrown die shows ‘5’ or a multiple of 3,
(b) the thrown die shows a prime number or a multiple of 4.
1 3 2
3. A biased die is thrown. The probabilities of getting ‘1’, ‘2’ and ‘3’ are , and
5 10 15
respectively. Find the probability that
(a) the thrown die shows either ‘1’ or ‘2’,
(b) the thrown die shows either ‘2’ or ‘3’,
(c) the thrown die shows neither ‘2’ nor ‘3’,
(d) the thrown die shows ‘1’, ‘2’ or ‘3’,
(e) the thrown die shows a number greater than 3.
4. A bowl contains some marbles of different colors. A marble is picked at random from the
bowl. The probabilities of picking a red marble, a blue marble and a green marble from the
2 1 1
bowl are , and respectively. Find the probability that
5 4 6
(a) the picked marble is either red or blue,
(b) the picked marble is either blue or green,
(c) the picked marble is neither blue nor green.
Chapter 2 Probability P a g e | 57

5. Jack, Ken and Xavier are taking part in a race. The probabilities of Jack, Ken and Xavier winning the
1 1 1
race are , and respectively. Assuming that there can be only one winner, find the probability
3 4 6
that
(a) Jack, Ken or Xavier wins the race,
(b) none of them win the race.
6. An unbiased die is thrown once. What is the probability of obtaining a ‘5’ or an even number?

7. Sue Ling picks a card at random from a well-shuffled standard pack of 52 playing cards.
What is the probability of picking the queen of hearts or an ace?
8. The eight faces of an octahedral die are marked 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8. The die is thrown.
Find the probability that the die shows
(a) a ‘2’ or ‘3’,
(b) a ‘5’ or a multiple of 3,
(c) a prime number or an even number.
9. During a game of Scrabble, the following letters are left in the letter bag.
AAAAAA BBBBBB EEE GG TTTTTTTTT SSSS
Find the probability of
(a) drawing an ‘A’ or a ‘T’,
(b) drawing a ‘S’ or a ‘T’,
(c) not drawing a ‘S’ or a ‘T’,
(d) drawing an ‘A’, ‘S’ or ‘T’,
(e) not drawing an ‘A’, ‘S’ or ‘T’.

8. Multiplication Rule

 winning odds A player , odds of winning each game in

a casino can be calculated with the addition rule and
multiplication rule.
Chapter 2 Probability P a g e | 58

Consider two unrelated events, the tossing of a fair coin and the throwing of a fair die. What is the
probability of obtaining head for the coin and the number 5 for the die? All the possible outcomes are
listed in the possibility diagram below.

Die
1 2 3 4 5 6
Coin
H H,1 H,2 H,3 H,4 H,5 H,6

T T,1 T,2 T,3 T,4 T,5 T,6

 the probability of obtaining head and the number 5 is 1 .

12
Let S1 be the sample space of tossing a coin and A be the event “the tossed coin shows head up”.
n(A) 1
Since n(S1) = 2 and n ( A ) = 1, P( A ) = =
n (S1 ) 2
Let S2 be the sample space of throwing a die and B be the event “the thrown die shows the number 5”.
n ( B) 1
Since n(S2) = 6 and n ( B) = 1, P( B) = =
n (S 2 ) 6
Since the tossing of the coin and throwing of the die are unrelated, their outcomes do not affect each
other. The probability of both events A and B occurring is thus the product of the probability of each
individual event.
1 1 1
Observe that P( A )xP( B) = x = . This is the same result obtained from the possibility diagram
2 6 12
earlier.
In this situation, the occurrence of event A is not affected by the occurrence of event B, and vice versa.
We say A and B are independent

If either of the two events A and B can occur without being affected by the other, the two
events A and B are said to be independent. By Multiplication Rule, when A and B are
independent, then P(A and B) = P(A) x P(B).
Chapter 2 Probability P a g e | 59

The two events , A and B, occur in two separate

tasks, i.e. the tossing of a coin and the throwing of a
die. of tossing a coin and throwing a die are displayed using the tree diagram below.
The outcomes

Since a tossed coin gives two equally likely outcomes, head up (H) or tail up (T) each branch to ‘H’ and
1
‘T’ indicates the probability of . Also, since a thrown die gives six equally likely outcomes, ‘1’, ‘2’, ‘3’,
2
1
‘4’, ‘5’ and ‘6’, each branch from H and T indicates the probability of .
6
Using the multiplication rule, the probability of each outcome can be calculated.
The following shows a simplified tree diagram. The probability of the outcomes can still be worked out
using the multiplication rule.

Note: P(H, not 5) is the sum of the probabilities of 5 mutually exclusive events of outcomes, (H,1), (H,2),
(H,3), (H, 4) and (H,6) respectively.
The probability of any outcome in a tree diagram can be calculated by multiplying the probabilities along
the relevant branches leading to that outcome.
Example 1 Using multiplication rule to determine probability
Bag X contains 4 red balls and 3 blue balls. Bag Y contains 2 red balls and 1 blue ball. A ball is drawn at
random from each bag. Find the probability that
(a) both balls drawn are red,
Chapter 2 Probability P a g e | 60

(b) both balls drawn are blue.

(c) the balls drawn are different in colour.
Solution
The tree diagram below shows the possible outcomes and their probabilities.

(a) P(both balls drawn are red)

= P(ball drawn from bag X is red) x P(ball drawn from bag Y is red)
4 2
= x
7 3
8
=
21
(b) P(both balls drawn are blue)
= P(ball drawn from bag X is blue) x P(ball drawn from bag Y is blue)
3 1
= x
7 3
1
=
7
(c) The balls drawn would be of different colors if
(i) the ball drawn from bag X is red and the ball drawn from bag Y is blue, or
(ii) the ball drawn from bag X is blue and the ball drawn from bag Y is red.
Events (i) and (ii) are mutually exclusive.
P(balls drawn are of different colors)
= P(ball drawn from bag X is red and ball drawn from bag Y is blue)
+ P(ball drawn from bag X is blue and ball drawn from bag Y is red)
= P(ball drawn from bag X is red) x P(ball drawn from bag Y is blue)
+ P(ball drawn from bag X is blue) x P(ball drawn from bag Y is red)
4 1 3 2
=( × )+ ( × )
7 3 7 3
Chapter 2 Probability P a g e | 61

4 2
= +
21 7
10
=
21
Alternative method
P(balls drawn are of different colours)
Since + P(both balls drawn are red) = 1,
+ P(both balls drawn are blue)
P(balls drawn are of different colors)
= 1 - P(both balls drawn are red) - P(both balls drawn are blue)
8 1
=1- -
21 7
10
=
21
Example 2 Using a tree diagram to determine probability of dependent events
A box contains 3 white buttons and 5 green buttons.
(a) A button is drawn at random and then put back into the box. A second button is then drawn at random
from the box. What is the probability that both buttons drawn are white?
(b) Two buttons are drawn at random in succession from the box. Find the probability that
(i) both buttons drawn are white,
(ii) both buttons drawn are of the same color.
Solution
There are 3 white buttons and 5 green buttons in the box, so
3 5
P(button drawn is white) = and P(button drawn is green) = .
8 8
(a) The first button was replaced before the second button was drawn. Thus, the two events ‘first button
drawn is white’ and ‘second button drawn is white’ do not affect each other, i.e. they are independent
events.
P(both buttons drawn are white)
= P(first button drawn is white) x P(second button drawn is white)
3 3
= x
8 8
Chapter 2 Probability P a g e | 62

9
=
64

(b) (i) The first button was not replaced before drawing the second button. Thus, the event ‘first button
drawn is white’ will affect the subsequent event, ‘second button drawn is white’, i.e. they are dependent
events. After the event ‘first button drawn is white’, and the button is not put back, the number of white
buttons and number of buttons left in the box are reduced by one each.
The tree diagram below shows the possible outcomes and their probabilities.

P (both buttons drawn are white)

= P (first button drawn is white) x P(second button drawn is white given first button drawn is white)
3 2
= x
8 7
3
=
28
(ii) Refer to the tree diagram in (i).
P(both buttons drawn are of the same color)
= P(both buttons drawn are white or both buttons drawn are green)
= P(both buttons drawn are white) + P(both buttons drawn are green)
3
= + P(first button drawn is green) x P(second button drawn is green given first button drawn is green)
28
3 5 4
= + x
28 8 7
13
=
28
Chapter 2 Probability P a g e | 63

Exercise 5
1. Kevin has a biased coin. The probability of the coin showing head is 1 . Kevin tossed
3
the coin twice.
(a) Copy the tree diagram below and fill in the missing probabilities.

(b) Find the probability that

(i) two heads are obtained,
(ii) a head and a tail are obtained.
2. A class monitor and a monitress are to be chosen from the 16 boys and 20 girls of a class. Assuming
that everyone stands an equal chance, find the probability that
(a) Jack and Alice are chosen,
(b) Jack is chosen but Alice is not,
(c) neither Jack nor Alice is chosen.
3. An unbiased six-sided die numbered 1 to 6 is thrown three times. Find the probability that
(a) ‘4’ shows up thrice,
(b) ‘3’ shows up twice,
(c) ‘2’ shows up more than once.
4. In a game at a funfair, contestants throw darts at a stationary target. They are a warded 1 point each
time a dart lands in the white region of the target, and 5 points each time a dart lands in the black
region.

When Rizal throws one dart at the target, the probabilities that it lands in the white region, lands in the
3 1 3
black region and misses the target are , and respectively. Rizal has two tries at throwing the
10 10 5
darts at the target.
Chapter 2 Probability P a g e | 64

(a) Copy the tree diagram below and fill in the missing probabilities.

(b) Find the probability that

(i) Rizal misses the target twice,
(ii) Rizal hits the target at least once,
5. The probability that it rains on any day is 1 .
3
(a) In a particular week, find the probability that
(i) it rains on both Monday and Tuesday,
(ii) it neither rain on Monday nor on Tuesday,
(iii) it either rains on Monday or on Tuesday, but not on both days.
(b) Find the probability that it will rain every day from Monday to Friday in a particular week.
6. Three men take part in a free-throw basketball competition. A contestant scores if he puts a ball in the
basket. The probabilities that Dan, Ken and Tim score are 0.4, 0.3 and 0.2 respectively.
If each of the men has one try at throwing, find the probability that
(a) all of them score, (b) Dan scores but Ken and Tim miss, (c) only two of them score.
7. An unbiased die is thrown three times. Find the probability that a ‘4’ is obtained
(a) three times,
(b) exactly two times,
(c) more than one time.
8. There were 16 boys and 20 girls in a class. Two representatives were chosen from the class,
at random, one after the other. Calculate the probability that
(a) both representatives chosen were boys,
(b) the first representative chosen was a boy,
(c) a representative of each sex was chosen.
Chapter 2 Probability P a g e | 65

9. A bag contains five tiles marked with the letters as shown below.
A H H T M

(a) Two tiles are drawn at random from the bag, one at a time, and are not replaced.
Find the probability that
(i) the two tiles drawn will have ‘H’ marked on each of them,
(ii) the second tile drawn will have ‘A’ marked on it.
(b) Four tiles are drawn at random, one at a time, and are not replaced. Find the probability that the
four tiles drawn will be in the order ‘MATH’.
10. A jar contains 3 yellow balls, 2 green balls and 1 blue ball. A ball is picked out at random and
not replaced. A second ball is then picked out at random and not replaced. The tree diagram
below shows the possible outcomes and their probabilities.

(a) Calculate the values of x, y and z.

(b) Find the probability that
(i) at least one ball is green,
(ii) the two balls are the same colour.
Chapter Review

1. A box contains 8 balls numbered 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 and 8. A ball is selected at random from the
box. Find the probability that the ball selected has
(a) the number 8 on it,
(b) an even number on it,
(c) a prime number it,
(d) a multiple of 3 on it,
(e) an integer on it,
(f) a 2-digit number on it.
Chapter 2 Probability P a g e | 66

2. Cards with numbers 10 to 22 are placed in a box. A card is picked at random from the box.
Find the probability of picking
(a) an odd number,
(b) a number between 12 to 20 exclusive,
(c) a number bigger than 25,
(d) a prime number less than 18,
(e) a number smaller than 14,
(f) a number divisible by 4.
3. (a) What is the probability of getting a ‘3’ in a toss of a standard tetrahedral die?
(b) What is the probability of getting a ‘7’ in a toss of a 8-sided die with faces labeled 2, 3, 3,
4, 7, 7,7, 9 respectively?
4. An IQ test consists of 80 MCQ. A question is chosen at random. Write down, giving your
answers as a fraction in its lowest term, the probability that the question number chosen will
(a) contain only a single digit,
(b) be a perfect square,
(c) be bigger than 67,
(d) contain at least one figure 7,
(e) be divisible by 5.
5. A two-digit number is written down at random. Find the probability that the number will be
(a) smaller than20,
(b) even,
(c) a multiple of 5.
6. Each of the letters of the word MATHEMATICS is written on a card. All the eleven
cards are well-shuffled and placed down on a table. If a card is turned over, what is
the probability that the card bears
(a) the letter 'M',
(b) a vowel,
(c) the letter 'P',
(d) a consonant?
Chapter 2 Probability P a g e | 67

7. Each of the letters of the word TEACHER is written on a card. All the seven cards are
well-shuffled and placed down on a table. If a card is turned over, what is the probability that
the card bears
(a) the letter 'E',
(b) the letter 'S',
(c) a vowel,
(d) a consonant?
8. A bag contains 40 marbles, 25 green ones and 15 red ones. A marble is picked at random
from the bag. What is the probability of picking a red marble?

9. The diagram shows a spinner divided into 8 equal sectors. When the pointer is spun, what is
the probability that the pointer will stop at
(a) 16,
(b) an even numbered sector,
(c) a sector whose number is less than 14,
(d) a sector whose number is 14 or less,
(e) a sector whose number is divisible by 3,
(f) a sector whose number is a single digit?
10. A group of 30 people consists of 9 men, 6 women, 12 boys and 3 girls. A person is chosen
at random from the group. Find the probability that
(a) the person is a male,
(b) the person is either a woman, a boy or a girl.

11. In a class of 30 pupils ,12 are girls and two of them are short-sighted. If a pupil is selected
randomly, what is the probability that the pupil chosen will be
(a) a girl,
(b) short-sighted?
12. A box of 2 dozen pencils contains 8 pencils with broken points. What is the probability of
picking one pencil without a broken point?
Chapter 2 Probability P a g e | 68

13. If we take a standard pack of 52 well – shuffled playing cards, what is the probability of
drawing
(a) the ace of clubs,
(b) a king, queen or jack,
(c) a joker,
(d) a red card,
(e) a heart,
(f) a seven?
14. All the 26 red cards from a standard pack of playing cards are mixed thoroughly. A card is
then drawn at random. Find the probability that the card drawn is
(a) the queen of heart,
(b) the king of spades,
(c) either the king, queen or jack of diamonds,
(d) either the six of hearts or seven of diamonds,
(e) either a four of diamonds or the eight of clubs.
15. If we take a standard pack of 54 well-shuffled playing cards, what is the probability of
drawing
(a) a joker,
(b) a black card,
(c) a club,
(d) a king or queen,
(e) the ace of spades,
(f) a two?
16. If you draw a card from a pack of 20 identical cards numbered l, 2,3, .....,20, what is
probability of drawing
(a) a prime number,
(b) a non-prime number,
(c) a composite number?
17. There are 3 identical red balls, 4 identical blue balls and 5 identical yellow balls in a box.
What is the probability of drawing
(a) a yellow ball,
(b) a ball that is not yellow in color,
Chapter 2 Probability P a g e | 69

(c) a red ball,

(d) a blue or a yellow ball?
18. The number 2, 3 , 5 and 7 are written on 4 cards. Two of these cards are selected
at random to form a two-digit number. List the sample space and hence find the
probability that the numbers formed is
(a) even, (b) divisible by 4,
(c) prime, (d) greater than 55.
19. The number 5, 5 , 6 and 6 are written on 4 cards. Two of these cards are selected at
random to form a two-digit number. List the sample space and hence find the
probability that the numbers formed is
(a) divisible by 11,
(b) a prime number,
20. All the clubs are removed from a pack of ordinary playing cards. A card is drawn at
random from the remaining cards in the pack. Find the probability or drawing
(a) a red card,
(b) a heart,
(c) a picture card, i.e. , jack, queen, or king,
(d) a card that is not an ace.
21. There are 23 boys and 35 girls in the school hall. After x boys and x + 4 girls left
2
the hall, the probability of selecting a boy becomes . Find the value of x.
5

22. There are 15 girls and x boys in the school parade square. One child is selected at
1
random. If the probability that the child is a girl is , calculate the value of x.
5
Chapter 2 Probability P a g e | 70

23. The table shows the number of books given to 20 pupils.

2 3 0 2 1
3 0 1 3 4
1 2 4 2 1
4 3 2 2 3

(a) A pupil is chosen at random. Find the probability that he or she receives 2 books.
(b) A book is chosen at random. Find the probability that it is given to a student
who receives 3 books.

24. There are 48 boys and 2 girls in the school field. After another x boys and 2x girls
2
join the children in the school field, the probability of selecting a boy becomes .
5
Find the value of x.
25. A bag contains 15 balls of which x are red.
(a) Write an expression for the probability that a ball drawn at random from the bag is
red.
(b) When 5 more red balls are added to the bag , the probability of drawing a red ball
3
becomes . Find the value of x.
4

26. There are 28 boys and 25 girls in the hall. After x girls left the hall, the probability
3
of selecting a girl at random from those remaining in the hall becomes . Calculate the
7
value of x.

27. An envelope contains 40 shopping vouchers, of which 25 vouchers each have a value of $50
and 15 vouchers each have a value of $100. Amirah picks a voucher at random from the
envelope. Find the probability that the voucher has a value of $100.
Chapter 2 Probability P a g e | 71

28. A class of 38 students went on a short trip to Bangkok. Of the 18 boys, 6 of them checked in
their luggage at the airport. 8 of the girls did not check in their luggage. lf a student is chosen
at random, find the probability that the student
(i) is a girl who did not check in her luggage,
(ii) checked in his/her luggage.

29. A bag contains 40 balls, some of which are red, some of which are yellow and the rest are
1
black. The probabilities of drawing a red ball and a yellow ball at random from the bag are
4
2
and respectively.
5
(i) Find the probability of drawing a black ball at random from the bag.
(2x + l) red balls and (x + 2) yellow balls are added to the bag while (x - 3) black balls are
removed from the bag. The probability of drawing a yellow ball at random from the bag is
3
now . Find
7
(ii) an expression, in terms of x, for the total number of balls in the bag now,
(iii) the number of yellow balls in the bag now.

30. A standard pack of 52 playing cards is randomly divided into two unequal piles. Given that the
4
probability of drawing a picture card from the smaller pile is while the probability of
11
13
drawing a non-picture card from the bigger pile is , find the number of cards in each pile.
15

31. Rui Feng writes 3 letters to 3 of his friends, Farhan, Vishal and Michael. He types each of their
addresses on each of the 3 envelopes and puts the letters into the envelopes randomly before
he sends them out. Find the probability that
(i) exactly one of his friends receive the correct letter,
(ii) exactly two of his friends receive the correct letters,
Chapter 2 Probability P a g e | 72

32. Given that 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 if 2 numbers are selected what is the probability that 2
numbers are not consecutive numbers?

33. A bag contains 6 red, 5 green and 3 white balls. Two balls are selected without
replacement. Find the probability the first ball is red ball and the second ball is not
red ball.

34. In three days guess that it is raining or not raining then what is the probability that
it is raining only 2 days?

35. A group contains 3 boys and 3 girls. How many ways are there to arrange these
people in a row if the boys and girls alternate?

36. There are 2 doors in the committee room a person can in and out every doors. Peter
and Susie are invited to committee in this room. What is the probability that they
will go in this room as the same doors and go out as different doors?

………………………………………….