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 oosh   数学   -­‐     Probability  &  Counting  

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Probability & Counting - 附解析

Section1 Probability

1 A box contains 6 black balls and 4 white balls. If two balls are selected at random
without replacement, what is the probability that both balls are white?
! 7/90
! 3/25
! 2/15
! 4/25
! 4/9

2 The probability that event A occurs is 0.4, and the probability that events A and B
both occur is 0.25. If the probability that either event A or event B occurs is 0.6, what
is the probability that event B will occur?
! 0.05
! 0.15
! 0.45
! 0.50
! 0.55
3 If four numbers are randomly selected without replacement from set {1, 2, 3, 4},
what is the probability that the four numbers are selected in ascending order?

! 1/256
! 1/64
! 1/48
! 1/24
! 1/12

4 Each circle has center O. The radius of the smaller circle is 2 and the radius of the
larger circle is 6. If a point is selected at random from the larger circular region, what
is the probability that the point will lie in the shaded region?
! 1/9
! 1/6
! 2/3
! 5/6
! 8/9

5
Events A and B are independent.

The probability that events A and B both occur is 0.6

Column A Column B
The probability that event A occurs 0.3
6 Set A: {1, 3, 4, 6, 9, 12, 15}

If three numbers are randomly selected from set A without replacement, what is the
probability that the sum of the three numbers is divisible by 3?
! 3/14
! 2/7
! 9/14
! 5/7
! 11/14
7 A box contains 4 red chips and 2 blue chips. If two chips are selected at random
without replacement, what is the probability that the chips are different colors?

! 1/2
! 8/15
! 7/12
! 2/3
! 7/10
8 A bag contains x blue chips and y red chips. If the probability of selecting a red chip
at random is 3/7, then x/y =
! 7/11
! 3/4
! 7/4
! 4/3
! 11/7

9
If points A and B are randomly placed on the circumference of a circle with radius
2, what is the probability that the length of chord AB is greater than 2?
! 1/4
! 1/3
! 1/2
! 2/3
! 3/4

First of all, the circle has what is called rotational symmetry, and we will take
advantage of this. Because of rotational symmetry, we can pick, at random, any
location we want for point A, and just consider how far away randomly chosen point B
locations would be. If the locations of points A & B that are, say, 3 cm apart, it will
not make any difference to the problem where A and B are individually on the circle
--- the only thing that matters to the problem is the distance between them. That's
why we can simply select an arbitration location for point A and consider only the
random possibilities for the location of point B.

Because we are interested in an inequality (chord > 2 cm), we will employ a standard
mathematical strategy of solving the equation first (chord = 2 cm). Even though this
particular chord would not satisfy the condition, this chord or location on the circle
will form, as it were, a "boundary" between the "allowed" region and the "not allowed"
region. Again, this is a standard mathematic strategy, often used in algebraic
inequalities for example: turn it into an equation and solve the equation first --- the
solutions to the equation form what mathematicians call the "boundary conditions" for
the solution to the inequality.

Also, keep in mind ---- because point B could be randomly located anywhere on the
circle, it could be on either side of point A --- clockwise from point A, or
counterclockwise from point A. Therefore, we have to consider the (chord = 2) case
on both sides of the circle.
In that diagram, chords AB1 and AB2 both have a length of exactly 2 cm, so those
points, and anything closer to point A than those points would be a "not allowed"
location, a place with a chord less than or equal to 2 cm. This is the red region on the
circle. The places where the chord would be greater than 2 cm is the green region of
the circle. The probability question really reduces to a geometric question: what
percent of the whole circle is the green arc?

Notice there's a most fortuitous set of connections in that diagram. There are five
chord ---- AO, AB1, AB2, OB1, & OB2 ---- that all have the length of 2 cm. The
segments AB1 & AB2, were chosen to have this length, and the other three are all
radii of the circle, and we are told that the length of a radius is 2 cm.

This means the two triangles --- triangle OAB1 & triangle OAB2 ---- are both
equilateral triangles. (In fact, any time you have chord = radius, and you connect
radii to the endpoints of the chord, you will get an equilateral triangle). This means
that each of angles is 60°. Since angle AOB1 = 60° and angle AOB2 = 60°, we know
that angle B1OB2 = 120°. This is the central angle associated with the red arc (see
the lesson on "Pieces of Pi" below).

There are 360° in a circle altogether. Since there are 120° in the angle associated
with the red arc, the green arc must have an angle of 360° – 120° = 240°:
If point B lands anywhere on the green arc, it meets the condition (chord > 2 cm), and
if point B lands anywhere on the red arc, it fails to meet the condition (chord ≤ 2
cm). The green arc takes up 240° of the full 360° of the circle.

Answer = D

10 The probability is 0.6 that an “unfair” coin will turn up tails on any given toss. If the
coin is tossed 3 times, what is the probability that at least one of the tosses will turn
up tails?

! 0.064
! 0.36
! 0.64
! 0.784
! 0.936
11 An integer is randomly selected from the integers from 200 to 900 inclusive.

Column A Column B
Probability that the number is either even or 14/13
prime.

12
The probability that event A will occur is 0.5

The probability that event B will occur is 0.4

The probability that event A or B will occur is 0.8

Column A Column B
Probability that A and B both occur 0.1

13 A box contains 10 balls numbered from 1 to 10 inclusive. If Ann removes a ball at

random and replaces it, and then Jane removes a ball at random, what is the
probability that both women removed the same ball?
! 1/100
! 1/90
! 1/45
! 1/10
! 41/45
14 A number, x, is randomly selected from the integers from 42 to 92 inclusive.

Column A Column B
The probability that x is odd. The probability that x is even.
15 When a coin is flipped, the probability of getting heads is 0.5, and the probability of
getting tails is 0.5

A coin is flipped 5 times

Column A Column B
Probability of getting exactly 2 Probability of getting exactly 3
heads heads

This is a deeply conceptual question and, like many on the GRE, it really doesn't
involve a single calculation. It requires imagination and the ability to shift
perspectives.

Scenario A is a result of 2 H's & 3 T's.

Scenario B is a result of 3 H's & 2 T's.
If we were to do a calculation, we would use combinations, which are discussed the
lesson video below.

nCr = the number of ways to choose r items from a pool of n items or another way to
think about it
nCr = the number of ways r identical items can be placed in n possible positions

Let's arbitrarily say that getting a single H when we flip the coin is a "success." Then
the probability of one success is 1/2. To figure out the number of ways exactly 2
successes could be distributed among the five trials, we would use combinations.

5C2 = the number of ways two successes could be distributed among 5 trials

For the purposes of this question, though, we don't even need that numerical value.
We just need to know (a) there are five trials; (b) the probability of success in each
trial is exactly 1/2; (c) we want exactly two successes in five trials, so there are 5C2
ways these successes could be distributed among the five trials. That's enough to
allow us to calculate P, the probability of getting exactly two H's in five tosses. P is
the value in Column A.

But wait! Notice, at the very beginning, I said: pretend H is a "success." That was
completely arbitrary. I could have equally well said that T was a "success." If we
treat T as a success, then conditions (a) & (b) & (c) in the previous paragraph would
remain true, and the probability that results from those conditions, P, now would be
the probability of getting exactly two T's in five tosses. Well, notice, if we toss the
coin five times, and get exactly two T's, then we would have to get exactly 3 H's.
Thus, P is also the value in Column B, and the columns are equal.

Answer = C

16 A box contains 10 pairs of shoes (20 shoes in total). If two shoes are selected at
random, what is the probability that they are matching shoes?

! 1/190
! 1/20
! 1/19
! 1/10
! 1/9
19 A: {71,73,79,83,87} B:{57,59,61,67}

If one number is selected at random from set A, and one number is selected at random
from set B, what is the probability that both numbers are prime?
! 9/20
! 3/5
! 3/4
! 4/5
! 1
18 When a certain coin is flipped, the probability of heads is 0.5. If the coin is flipped
6 times, what is the probability that there are exactly 3 heads?
! 1/4
! 1/3
! 5/16
! 31/64
! 1/2
Counting
1 From a group of 8 people, it is possible to create 56 different k-person committees.
Which of the following could be the value of k ?

Indicate all such values.

" 1
" 2
" 3
" 4
" 5
" 6
" 7
2

Column A Column B
Number of different triangles possible using 42
the given points as vertices.
3 An office has 6 employees. The manager must create a committee consisting of 3
employees.

Column A Column B
Number of different committees possible. 40
4

! 232
! 352
! 472
! 552
! 712

5 Joan is allowed to invite 3 of her friends to join her on a family camping trip. If Joan
has 10 friends, in how many ways can she invite 3 of them?

! 27
! 120
! 240
! 360
! 720
6 Car X can come with any of these 5 additional features: sunroof, stereo, tinted
windows, leather seats and cruise control.

Column A Column B
Number of different combinations possible 25
7 From a total of 5 boys and 4 girls, how many 4-person committees can be selected
if the committee must have exactly 2 boys and 2 girls?

! 16
! 24
! 60
! 120
! 240
8 Joan has 100 candies to distribute among 10 children. If each child receives at least
1 candy and no two children receive the same number of candies, what is the
maximum number of candies that a child can receive?

! 10
! 34
! 39
! 45
! 55
9 In how many ways can Ann, Bob, Chuck, Don and Ed be seated in a row such that
Ann and Bob are not seated next to each other?

! 24
! 48
! 56
! 72
! 96
10 How many integers between 1 and 1021 are such that the sum of their digits is 2?

! 190
! 210
! 211
! 230
! 231
11 There are 10 people in a room. If each person shakes hands with exactly 3 other
people, what is the total number of handshakes?

! 15
! 30
! 45
! 60
! 120
12 An office has 6 employees; there are 5 female employees and 1 male employee. In
how many ways can a 3-person committee be created if the committee must include
the male employee?

! 10

! 12

! 15

! 24

! 30
13 How many multiples of 5 are there between 81 and 358?

! 54
! 55
! 56
! 57
! 58
14 N equals the number of positive 3-digit numbers that contain odd digits only.

Column A Column B
N 125
15 A certain restaurant offers 8 different salads, 5 different main courses, 6 different
desserts. If customers choose one salad, one main course and two desserts for their
meal, how many different meals are possible?

! 120
! 240
! 480
! 600
! 1200
16 Hal has 4 girl friends and 5 boy friends. In how many different ways can Hal invite
2 girls and 2 boys to his birthday party?

! 54
! 60
! 72
! 120
! 240
17 A knockoff website requires users to create a password using letters from the
word MAGOSH. If each password must have at least 4 letters and no repeated letters
are allowed, how many different passwords are possible?

18 If k is the greatest positive integer such that 3k is a divisor of 15! then k =

19 Main course: Chicken, Beef, Tofu

Side dish: Rice, Salad, Soup, Pasta

Dessert: Pie, Cake

A meal at a certain restaurant consists of 1 main course, 2 different side dishes and 1
dessert.

Column A Column B
Number of different meals possible 36
20 How many three-digit numbers are there such that all three digits are different and
the first digit is not zero?
! 504
! 648
! 720
! 729
! 810

21
In a certain sock drawer, there are 4 pairs of black socks, 3 pairs of gray socks and 2
pairs of orange socks. If socks are removed at random without replacement, what is
the minimum number of socks that must be removed in order to ensure that two socks
of the same color have been removed?
! 4
! 7
! 9
! 10
! 11

22 In how many different ways can 3 boys and 3 girls be seated in a row of 6 chairs
such that the girls are not separated, and the boys are not separated?
! 24
! 36
! 72
! 144
! 288
23 In how many ways can 16 different gifts be divided among four children such that
each child receives exactly four gifts?

! 164
! (4!)4
! 16!/(4!)4
! 16!/4!
! 416
24 Kim is taking a math class, and the teacher gives a multiple choice test consisting
of 8 questions. If each question has 5 answer choices, and Kim answers every
question, in how many different ways can she complete the test?
! 40
! 400
! 58
! 85
! 4040
25 Sid intended to type a seven-digit number, but the two 3's he meant to type did not
appear. What appeared instead was the five-digit number 52115. How many different
seven-digit numbers could Sid have meant to type?

! 10
! 16
! 21
! 24
! 27

First of all, notice that the numerals 5-2-1-1-5 must be in that order --- the order
may be broken at any point but one or two 3's, but ignoring the 3's, those five must
have that order.

As is often the case, in this counting problem we have a variety of ways to frame the
question. I believe the most straightforward is as follows. Consider the seven "blank
spaces" into which we will write the seven digits of the original number.

_______

Now, select any two of those spaces, and put the two 3's there. The two 3's could be
next to each other or apart. Suppose, for example, we put them here:

_ _ 3 _ _3 _

At this point, notice that everything else about the number is determined: we simply
will put the digits 5-2-1-1-2 in order in the remaining spaces. Just picking two of the
seven spaces for the location of the two 3's is enough to determine the entire original
number. Well, there are 7C2 ways of selecting two slots from seven, so 7C2 must be
the number of possible original numbers that Sid intended to write.
See this post for various techniques on calculating combinations.

7C2 = 21

So there are 21 possible original numbers that Sid could have intended.

Answer = C

26 A popular website requires users to create a password consisting of digits only. If

no digit may be repeated and each password must be at least 9 digits long, how many
passwords are possible?
! 9! + 10!
! 2 x 10!
! 9! x 10!
! 19!
! 20!

27 In how many different ways can 3 identical green shirts and 3 identical red shirts
be distributed among 6 children such that each child receives a shirt?

! 20
! 40
! 216
! 720
! 729
28 How many positive integers less than 10,000 are such that the product of their
digits is 210?