O LEVEL (P1)

PROBABLITY
QUESTION'S
 1

1 A fair five-sided spinner is numbered using the prime numbers

2, 3, 5, 7 and 11. 11

2
(a) In a game, players spin it twice and add the two
numbers obtained. 5 3
(i) Complete the possibility diagram.

Answer (a)(i)
+ 2 3 5 7 11

2 4 5
3

5 10 12
7 12
11
[1]

(ii) Find the probability that the total of the two numbers is

(a) a prime number,

(b) a perfect square.

Answer (a)(ii)(a) ..........................................[1]

(b) ..........................................[1]

(b) In another game, players spin it twice and multiply the two numbers obtained.
Without drawing another possibility diagram, write down the probability that this product
is a prime number.

Answer (b) ....................................................[1]

 2

2 A bag contains 1 red, 1 blue and 3 green balls.

Two balls are taken from the bag, at random, without replacement.
The tree diagram that represents these events is drawn below.

First ball Second ball

1
2 green
h blue
green
3 h red
5
3
4 green
1
5 blue
1 red
4
1 3
4 green
5
red

1 blue
4

(a) Write down the value of h.

(b) Expressing each answer in its simplest form, calculate the probability that

(i) both balls are green,

(ii) both balls are blue,
(iii) neither ball is green.

Answer (a) h = ............................................[1]

(b)(i) ..............................................[1]

(ii) ..............................................[1]

(iii) ..............................................[1]
 3

3 A bag contains red, green and yellow pegs.

A peg is taken at random from the bag.
The probability that it is red is 0.35 and the probability that it is green is 0.4.

(a) Find the probability that it is

(i) yellow,
(ii) not red.

(b) Originally there were 16 green pegs in the bag.

Find the total number of pegs.

Answer (a)(i) ........................................[1]

(ii) .........................................[1]

(b) ............................................[1]
 4

4 In a group of 8 students there are 5 boys and 3 girls.

Two students are chosen at random.
The tree diagram shows the possible outcomes and their probabilities.

Answer (a)
First student Second student

4 Boy
7
Boy
5
8 3
7 Girl

Boy
3 ......
8
Girl
Girl
......

(a) Complete the tree diagram. [1]

(b) Expressing each answer as a fraction in its lowest terms, find the probability that

(i) two boys are chosen,

Answer (b)(i) ...................................[1]

(ii) at least one boy is chosen.

Answer (b)(ii) ..................................[2]

 5

5 A bag contains 6 red counters and 4 blue counters.

Two counters are taken from the bag at random, without replacement.

(a) Complete the tree diagram below that represents these events.

Answer (a)

First counter Second counter

5 red
9
6 red
10
.......... blue

red
..........
..........
blue

.......... blue

[1]

(b) Expressing your answer as a fraction in its simplest form, calculate the probability that both
counters are the same colour.

Answer (b) ...................................... [2]

 6

6 Two bags contain beads.

The first bag contains 2 black and 3 white beads.
The second bag contains 2 black, 1 white and 2 red beads.
A bead is taken, at random, from each bag.
The tree diagram that represents these outcomes is drawn below.

First bag Second bag

2 black
5
1
5
black white
2
5
2
5 red

2 black
5
3 1
5 5
white white

2
5 red

Giving each answer in its simplest form, find the probability that

(a) both beads are black,

Answer (a) ....................................... [1]

(b) both beads are red,

Answer (b) ....................................... [1]

(c) exactly one bead is black.

Answer (c) ....................................... [2]

 7

7 A bag contains 7 balls, 6 of which are green and 1 is red.

Two balls are taken from the bag, at random, without replacement.
The tree diagram that represents these events is drawn below.

First ball Second ball

5 green
6

6 green
7
1 red
6

p green
1
7 red

q red

(a) Find the values of p and q.

Answer (a) p = ............ q = ............ [1]

(b) Expressing each answer as a fraction in its simplest form, find the probability that

(i) both balls are green,

Answer (b)(i) .................................. [1]

(ii) the two balls have different colours.

Answer (b)(ii) ................................. [1]

 8

8 Kelvin chooses a pair of trousers and a shirt to wear for college.

He chooses grey trousers or black trousers.
He chooses a red shirt or a yellow shirt.
The probability that he chooses grey trousers is 1 .
3
4
The probability that he chooses a red shirt is .
5
His choice of shirt is independent of his choice of trousers.

(a) Complete the tree diagram.

Trousers Shirt

........ Red

Grey
........

........ Yellow

........ Red

........ Black

........ Yellow

[2]

(b) What is the probability that Kelvin chooses grey trousers and a red shirt?

Answer ........................................ [1]

(c) What is the probability that Kelvin does not choose either black trousers or a red shirt?

Answer ........................................ [2]

 9

9 Sachin and Zaheer play a game of tennis and a game of badminton.

The results of the games are independent and the games cannot be drawn.
3
The probability that Sachin wins the game of tennis is 4 .
3
The probability that Zaheer wins the game of badminton is 5 .

(a) What is the probability that Sachin wins both games?

Answer ..................................... [1]

(b) What is the probability that Zaheer wins just one of the games?

Answer ..................................... [2]

 10

10 In class A there are 10 boys and 15 girls.

In class B there are 20 boys and 10 girls.
One student is picked from each class at random.

(a) Complete the tree diagram to show the probabilities of the possible outcomes.

&ODVV$ &ODVV%

 %R\

%R\


 *LUO

 %R\

 *LUO

 *LUO

[2]

(b) Find the probability that one student is a boy and one is a girl.
Express your answer as a fraction in its lowest terms.

Answer ..................................... [2]

 11

11 A bag contains 1 red and 3 blue balls.

Two balls are taken from the bag, at random, without replacement.
The tree diagram that represents all the outcomes is shown below.

First ball Second ball

…… red

red
……
blue
……

…… red

blue
……
blue
……

(a) Write the appropriate probability on each branch. [2]

(b) Find the probability that the second ball taken is red.

Answer ..................................... [1]

12

2 3 4
Card A Card B Card C

Three cards, A, B and C are marked with the numbers 2, 3 and 4 respectively.
One card is chosen, at random.
A second card is then chosen, at random, from the remaining two cards.
The sum of the numbers on the two chosen cards is calculated.

(a) What is the probability that the sum is 3?

Answer ..................................... [1]

(b) Complete the table to show all the possible outcomes.

You may not need all the columns. [1]

First card A
Second card B
Sum 5

(c) What is the probability that the sum is 7?

Answer ..................................... [1]

 12

13 Two bags contain beads. For

The first bag contains 2 white, 2 red and 3 black beads.
The second bag contains 3 white and 2 black beads. Use

One bead is taken, at random, from each bag.

The tree diagram is shown below.

First bead Second bead

3
white
5
white 2
5
2
7 black
3 white
2 5
7 red 2
5
3 black
7
3 white
5
2
black 5
black

Find the probability that

(a) both beads are white,

Answer ................................................ [1]

(b) both beads are red,

Answer ................................................ [1]

(c) exactly one bead is black.

Answer ................................................ [2]

 13

14 For
Examiner’s
2 3 3 4 4 4 Use

The numbers 2, 3, 3, 4, 4, 4 are written on six cards.

Two cards are chosen, at random, without replacement, to form a 2-digit number.
The first card chosen shows the number of Tens.
The second card chosen shows the number of Units.

First card Second card

Tens Units

Expressing each answer in its simplest form, find the probability that the two cards show

(a) a number greater than 20,

Answer ............................................... [1]

(b) the number 33,

Answer ............................................... [1]

(c) the number 43 or the number 32.

Answer ............................................... [2]

 14

15 On a plate there are ten biscuits.

Four of the biscuits are round and six of the biscuits are square.
Sabah chooses a biscuit at random from the plate and eats it.
She then chooses another biscuit at random from the plate.
The tree diagram shows the possible outcomes and some of their probabilities.

First biscuit Second biscuit

............ round

4 round
10
square
............

............ round
6
10
square

square
............

(a) Complete the tree diagram. [2]

(b) Calculate the probability that Sabah chooses

(i) two round biscuits,

Answer .......................................................... [1]

(ii) one round biscuit and one square biscuit.

Answer .......................................................... [2]

 15

16 Luis has 3 black pens and 7 red pens in a case.

He takes two pens from the case at random without replacement.

(a) Complete the tree diagram to show the possible outcomes and their probabilities.

First pen Second pen

2 black
9

black
3
10
red
............

............ black

............ red

red
............
[1]

(b) Find, as a fraction in its lowest terms, the probability that

(i) Luis takes two black pens,

Answer .............................................................. [1]

(ii) Luis takes two different coloured pens.

Answer .............................................................. [2]

 16

17 A bag contains 5 balls, 2 of which are blue and 3 are red.

One ball is taken, at random, from the bag.
If it is red it is put back into the bag.
If it is blue it is not put back into the bag.

A second ball is taken, at random, from the bag.

Part of the tree diagram that represents these outcomes is drawn below.

First ball Second ball

1
blue
4
blue 3
2
4
5
red

3
5

red

(a) Complete the tree diagram. [1]

(b) Expressing each answer as a fraction in its simplest form, find the probability that

(i) both balls taken are blue,

Answer ............................................. [1]

(ii) the second ball taken is blue.

Answer ............................................. [2]

 17

18 A bag contains 5 balls, of which 3 are red and 2 are blue.

One ball is taken, at random, from the bag and is not replaced.
If this ball is red, another ball is taken, at random, from the bag and is not replaced.
This process is repeated until a blue ball is taken from the bag.

Part of the tree diagram that represents these outcomes is drawn below.

First ball Second ball

3– 2–
5 4
red red

2– 2–
5 blue 4 blue

(a) Complete the tree diagram. [2]

(b) Expressing each answer as a fraction, find the probability that

(i) the second ball taken is blue,

Answer .............................................. [1]

(ii) a blue ball is the second, or the third, ball taken.

Answer .............................................. [2]

 18

19 Abagcontainsredcounters,bluecountersandyellowcounters.
Thereare60countersinthebag.
2
Theprobabilitythatacountertakenatrandomfromthebagisredis .
5
5
Theprobabilitythatacountertakenatrandomfromthebagisblueis .
12
Howmanyyellowcountersareinthebag?

Answer��������������������������������������������� [2]

20 Paul takes examinations in Maths and Physics.

The probability that he passes Maths is 0.7 .
The probability that he passes Physics is 0.6 .
The results in each subject are independent of each other.

Calculate the probability that he passes Maths and does not pass Physics.

Answer ........................................ [2]

 19

17

21 A fair 4-sided spinner is numbered 1, 2, 3 and 4.

(a) Anil spins it once.

He gets his score by doubling the number obtained.

Complete the table to show the probabilities of his scores.

Score 2 4 6 8

Probability
[1]

(b) Billie spins it twice. She gets her score by adding the numbers obtained.

(i) Complete the possibility diagram.

First spin

+ 1 2 3 4
1 2 3 4 5
Second
2 3 4 5 6
spin
3 4 5 6 7
4
[1]

(ii) Complete the table showing the probabilities for some of Billie’s scores.

Score >2 >4 >6 >8

15
Probability 16
[1]

(c) Find the probability that Billie scores more than Anil.

Answer ................................................. [2]

 20

22

Box 1 Box 2

Box 1 contains 2 white balls. Box 2 contains 4 white balls and 3 black balls.

(a) Ann chooses, at random, one ball from each box.

(i) Find the probability that these balls are both black.

Answer ............................................. [1]

(ii) Find the probability that these balls have different colours.

Answer ............................................. [1]

(b) From the original contents of Box 2, Belle chooses, at random, two balls without replacement.

Find the probability that these balls are both white.

Answer ............................................. [1]

(c) Carla chooses one of the boxes at random.

With the original box contents, she then chooses, at random, one ball from this box.

Find the probability that the ball is white.

Answer ............................................. [2]

 21

23 A bag contains 10 counters of which 8 are blue and 2 are white.

Two counters are taken from the bag at random without replacement.

(a) Complete the tree diagram to show the possible outcomes and their probabilities.

First counter Second counter

7 Blue
9

Blue
8
10
............. White

Blue
.............
.............
White

............. White
[1]

(b) Find, as a fraction, the probability that

(i) both counters are blue,

Answer ........................................... [1]

(ii) one counter is blue and the other is white.

Answer ........................................... [2]

 22

24
1 2 3 4

Four cards are marked with the numbers 1, 2, 3 and 4.

One card is chosen at random.
A second card is then chosen, at random, from the remaining three cards.
The sum of the numbers on the two chosen cards is calculated.

(a) Complete the table to show the possible outcomes.

First card

1 2 3 4

1
Second card

[1]

(b) What is the probability that the sum is less than 2?

Answer .......................................... [1]

(c) What is the probability that the sum is greater than 5?

Answer .......................................... [1]

 23

25 A bag contains red and blue pegs.

There are 40 pegs in the bag.
The probability of choosing a red peg from the bag is 0.4 .

(a) Work out the number of red pegs in the bag.

Answer ........................................... [1]

(b) More red pegs are added to the bag.

Work out the number of red pegs that must be added to the bag so that the probability of
choosing a blue peg is 0.2 .

Answer ........................................... [2]

 24

26 A bag contains n balls.

3 of the balls are white.
Two balls are taken from the bag, at random, without replacement.

(a) Complete the tree diagram.

First ball Second ball

2 White
n –1

White
3
n
.......... Not white

3 White
n –1
..........
Not white

.......... Not white

[2]
1
(b) The probability that both balls are white is .
15
Show that n 2 - n - 90 = 0.

[2]

(c) Find the value of n.

Answer ........................................... [2]