CHAPTER 13 PROBABILITY (ANSWERS)

SUBJECT: MATHEMATICS MAX. MARKS : 40

CLASS : XII DURATION : 1½ hrs
General Instructions:
(i). All questions are compulsory.
(ii). This question paper contains 20 questions divided into five Sections A, B, C, D and E.
(iii). Section A comprises of 10 MCQs of 1 mark each. Section B comprises of 4 questions of 2 marks
each. Section C comprises of 3 questions of 3 marks each. Section D comprises of 1 question of 5
marks each and Section E comprises of 2 Case Study Based Questions of 4 marks each.
(iv). There is no overall choice.
(v). Use of Calculators is not permitted

SECTION – A
Questions 1 to 10 carry 1 mark each.
1. If P(A) = 1/4, P(B) = 1/3 and P(A ∩ B) = 1/5, then P ( B / A) =?
(a) 11/15 (b) 11/45 (c) 37/45 (d) 37/60
Ans: (c) 37/45

2. If the following table represents a probability distribution for a random variable X:

X 1 2 3 4 5 6
P(X) 0.1 2k K 0.2 3k 0.1
The value of k is:
(a) 0.01 (b) 0.1 (c) 1/1000 (d) 25
Ans: (b) 0.1
In the probability distribution of X, ΣP(X) = 1
⇒ (0.1) + 2k + k + (0.2) + 3k + (0.1) = 1
⇒ 6k = 0.6 ⇒ k = 0.1

3. A dice is tossed thrice. The probability of getting an odd number at least once is:
(a) 7/8 (b) 1/3 (c) 3/8 (d) 1/8
Ans: (a) 7/8
Required probability = 1 – Probability of getting no odd number
1 1 1 1 7
= 1 –    = 1 – 
2 2 2 8 8
4. Two numbers are selected at random from integers 1 through 9. If the sum is even, what is the
probability that both numbers are odd?
(a) 5/8 (b) 1/6 (c) 4/9 (d) 2/3
Ans: (a) 5/8
Total outcome = 5C1 x 4C1 (Both the numbers are odd) + 4C1 x 3C1 (Both the numbers are even) = 32
Number of favourable outcomes = 5C1 x 4C1 =20
Thus, the probability that both numbers are odd will be = 20/32 = 5/8

5. A card is picked at random from a pack of 52 playing cards. Given that the picked card is a queen,
the probability of this card to be a card of spade is
(a) 1/ 3 (b) 4/13 (c) 1/4 (d) 1/2
Ans: (c) 1/4

6. If A and B are two independent events with P(A) = 3/5 and P(B) = 4/9, then find P ( A  B) .
(a) 1/9 (b) 2/9 (c) 1/3 (d) 4/9
Ans: (b) 2/9
 4 7
7. If P(A) = , and P(A  B) = , then P(B | A) is equal to
5 10
1 1 7 17
(a) (b) (c) (d)
10 8 8 20
7
Ans: (c)
8
8. If P(A) = 0.4, P(B) = 0.8 and P(B/A) = 0.6 then P(A U B) is equal to
(a) 0.24 (b) 0.3 (c) 0.48 (d) 0.96
Ans: (d) 0.96

In the following questions 9 and 10, a statement of assertion (A) is followed by a statement of
reason (R). Mark the correct choice as:
(a) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and Reason(R) is the correct explanation of assertion (A).
(b) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true but Reason(R) is not the correct explanation of assertion (A).
(c) Assertion (A) is true but reason (R) is false.
(d) Assertion (A) is false but reason (R) is true.
9. Assertion (A): Given that E and F are events such that P(E) = 0.6, P(F) = 0.3 and P(E ∩ F) = 0.2,
then P(E|F) = 2/3
Reason (R): Given that E and F are events such that P(E) = 0.6, P(F) = 0.3 and P(E ∩ F) = 0.2, then
P(E|F) = 1/3
Ans. (c) A is true but R is false.
Given that, P(E) = 0.6, P(F) = 0.3 and P(E ∩ F) = 0.2
P( E  F ) 0.2 2
P( E / F )   
P(F ) 0.3 3
Hence, Assertion is true and Reason is false.

10. Assertion (A): Two coins are tossed simultaneously. The probability of getting two heads, if it is
1
known that at least one head comes up, is
3
P( A  B)
Reason (R): Let A and B be two events with a random experiment then P( A / B) 
P( B)
Ans: A = Event of getting two heads and B = Event of getting at least one head
A = {HH}, B = {HT, TH, HH}
⇒ A ∩ B = {H H}
P(A ∩ B ) = 1/4, P(B) = ¾
P( A  B) 1/ 4 1
∴ P( A / B)   
P( B) 3/ 4 3
Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
∴ Option (a) is correct.
 SECTION – B
Questions 11 to 14 carry 2 marks each.
1 1 1
11. A problem in Mathematics is given to three students whose chances of solving it are , , . Find
2 3 4
the probability that the problem is solved.
Ans: Let A, B, and C be the three students and P(A), P(B), P(C) be the probabilities of solving a
problem respectively.
P(A) = 1/2, P(B) = 1/3, P(C) = 1/4
P[problem will be solved at least by 1] = 1  P( A) P( B) P(C )
1 2 3 1 3
= 1 – [1 – P(A)] [1 – P(B)] [1 – P(C)] = 1 –   = 1 – =
2 3 4 4 4

12. The random variable X can take only the values 0, 1, 2, 3. Given that:
P(X = 0) = P(X = 1) = P and P(X = 2) = P(X = 3) such that Pi xi2  2Pi xi , find the value of P.
Ans: Let P(X = 2) = P(X = 3) = a
1
 pi  1  a  2  p
 pi xi2  2 pi xi
 0( p )  1( p)  4(a)  9(a)  2(0( p)  1( p)  2(a )  3(a ))
 p  13a  2 p  10a
1  3
 p  3  p   p 
2  8
13. An urn contains 10 black and 5 white balls. Two balls are drawn from the urn one after the other
without replacement, then find the probability that both drawn balls are black.
Ans: Let E and F denote respectively the events that first and second ball drawn are black. We have
to find P(E ∩ F).

14. In a hostel, 60% of the students read Hindi newspaper, 40% read English newspaper and 20% read
both Hindi and English newspaper. A student is selected at random.
(a) If she reads Hindi newspaper, find the probability that she reads English newspaper.
(b) If she reads English newspaper, find the probability that she reads Hindi newspaper.
Ans: Let A be the event that a student reads Hindi newspaper and B be the event that a student reads
English newspaper.
P(A) = 60/100 = 0.6, P(B)= 40/100 = 0.4 and P(A ∩ B) = 20/100 = 0.2
P( A  B) 0.2 1
(a) P( B / A)   
P( A) 0.6 3
P( A  B) 0.2 1
(b) P( A / B)   
P( B) 0.4 2

SECTION – C
Questions 15 to 17 carry 3 marks each.
15. In a group of 50 scouts in a camp, 30 are well trained in first aid techniques while the remaining are
well trained in hospitality but not in first aid. Two scouts are selected at random from the group.
Find the probability distribution of number of selected scouts who are well trained in first aid.
 Ans:
Let X be no. of selected scouts who are well trained in first aid. Here random variable X may have
value 0, 1, 2.
20
C 20 19 38
Now, P(X = 0) = 50 2  
C2 50  49 245
20
C1  30C1 20  30  2 120
P(X = 1) = 50
 
C2 50  49 245
30
C2 30  29 87
P(X = 2) = 
50

C2 50  49 245
Now probability distribution table is
X 0 1 2
38 120 87
P(X)
245 245 245

16. An urn contains 5 white and 8 white black balls. Two successive drawing of three balls at a time are
made such that the balls are not replaced before the second draw. Find the probability that the first
draw gives 3 white balls and second draw gives 3 black balls.
Ans:

17. Two numbers are selected at random (without replacement) from first 7 natural numbers. If X
denotes the smaller of the two numbers obtained, find the probability distribution of X.
Ans: First 7 natural numbers are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.
(1, 2) (1, 3) (1, 4) (1, 5) (1, 6) (1, 7) 
(2, 1) (2, 3) (2, 4) (2, 5) (2, 6) (2, 7) 
 
(3, 1) (3, 2) (3, 4) (3, 5) (3, 6) (3, 7) 
 
S = (4, 1) (4, 2) (4, 3) (4, 5) (4, 6) (4, 7)  i.e. 42 ways
(5, 1) (5, 2) (5, 3) (5, 4) (5, 6) (5, 7) 
 
(6, 1) (6, 2) (6, 3) (6, 4) (6, 5) (6, 7) 
 
(7, 1) (7, 2) (7, 3) (7, 4) (7, 5) (7, 6) 
12 2 10 5 8 4
P( X  1)   , P ( X  2)   , P ( X  3)  
42 7 42 21 42 21
6 1 4 2 2 1
P( X  4)   , P ( X  5)   , P ( X  6)  
42 7 42 21 42 21
 ∴ Probability distribution is
X 1 2 3 4 5 6
2 5 4 1 2 1
P(X)
7 21 21 7 21 21

SECTION – D
Questions 18 carry 5 marks.
18. There are three coins, one is a two headed coin (having head on both the faces), another is a biased
coin that comes up heads 75% of the time and the third is an unbiased coin. One of the three coins is
chosen at random and tossed. If it shows head. What is probability that it was the two headed coin?
Ans: Let E1 : Two headed coin is chosen
E2 : Coin chosen is biased
E3 : Coin chosen is unbiased
A : Coin shows head
1 1 1
P( E1 )  , P( E2 )  , P ( E3 ) 
3 3 3
75 3 1
P( A / E1 )  1, P ( A / E2 )   , P ( A / E3 ) 
100 4 2
Using Baye’s theorem,
P( E1 )  P( A∣E1 )
P( E1 ∣ A) 
P( E1 )  P( A∣ E1 )  P( E2 )  ( A∣ E2 )  P( E3 )  ( A∣E3 )
1 1 1
1
3 3 3 1 12 4
     
 1   1 3   1 1  1  3  1 4 3 2 3 9 9
  1         3 12 6 12
3  3 4 3 2

SECTION – E (Case Study Based Questions)

Questions 19 to 20 carry 4 marks each.
19. Case-Study 1: Read the following passage and answer the questions given below.
An electric circuit includes a device that gives energy to the charged particles constituting the
current, such as a battery or a generator; devices that use current, such as lamps, electric motors, or
computers; and the connecting wires or transmission lines.

An electric circuit consists of two subsystems say A and B as shown below:

For previous testing procedures, the following probabilities are assumed to be known.
P(A fails) = 0.2, P(B fails alone) = 0.15, P(A and B fail) = 0.15
Based on the above information answer the following questions:
 (a) What is the probability that B fails? [1]
(b) What is the probability that A fails alone? [1]
(c) Find the probability that the whole of the electric system fails? [2]
OR
Find the conditional probability that B fails when A has already failed. [2]
Ans:
(a) Consider the following events
E = A fails, F = B fails 
Given P(E)  = 0.2, P ( E ∩ F) = 0.15, F(E ∩ F) = 0.15
Since, P( E ∩ F) = 0.15
⇒ P(F) – P(E ∩ F) = 0.15
⇒ P(F) = 0.15 + P(E ∩ F)
⇒ P(F) = 0.15 + 0.15
⇒ P(F) = 0.30
(b) P(E ∩ F ) = P(E) – P(E ∩ F)
= 0.2 – 0.15
= 0.05
(c) If the electric system fails, we mean that A is also failed and B is also failed.
i.e., we have to find P(E ∪ F), where E is an event when A fails and B is an event when B fails.
∴ P(E ∪ F) = P(E) + P(F) – P(E ∩ F)
= 0.2 + 0.3 – 0.15
= 0.5 – 0.15
= 0.35
OR
Let E = A fail, F = B fail 
∴ P(E) = 0.2, P(E ∩ F) = 0.15, P( F ∩ F) = 0.15
 B fails   F  P( F  E ) 0.15 3
P   P    
 A fails  E P( E ) 0.20 4

20. Case-Study 1: Read the following passage and answer the questions given below.
In a town, it’s rainy one-third of the day. Given that it is rainy, there will be heavy traffic with
probability 1/2. Given that it is not rainy, there will be heavy traffic with probability 1/4. If it’s rainy
and there is heavy traffic, I arrive late for work with probability 1/2. On the other hand, the
probability of being late is reduced to 1/8 if it, is not rainy and there is no heavy traffic. In other
situations (rainy and no heavy traffic, net rainy and heavy traffic), the probability of being late is 1/4.
You pick a random day.

Based on the above information, answer the following questions:

(i) What is the probability that it’s not raining and there is heavy traffic and I am not late?
(ii) What is the probability that I am late?
(iii) Given that I arrived late at work, what is the probability that it rained that day?
OR
(iii) If P(not A) = 0.7, P(B) = 0.7 and P(B/A) = 0.5, then find the P(A/B)
Ans: From the given passage we can form a tree as below:

(i) P(RCTLC) = 1/8

(ii) P(I am late) = Sum of probabilities corresponds to “I am late”
= P(RTL) + (RTCL) + (RCTL) + (RCTCL)
1 1 1 1 11
    
12 24 24 16 48
 R  P( R  L)
(iii) P   
L P ( L)
Now, P(R ∩ L) = Sum of probabilities in which R and L are common
1 1 3 1 11
    and P( L) 
12 24 24 8 48
1
R
  P ( R  L ) 1 48 6
P     8   
L P( L) 11 8 11 11
48
OR
Given, P(A') = 0.7 and P(B') = 0.7 and P(B/A) = 0.5
Clearly, P(A) = 1 – P(A') = 1 – 0.7 = 0.3
 B  P( A  B) P( A  B)
Now, P     0.5   P( A  B)  0.15
 A P( A) 0.3
 A  P( A  B) 0.15 3
P     
B P( B) 0.7 14