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STATISTICS PROBABILITY

1. Probability is a quantitative measure of certainty.

2. Random experiment:
Any activity, which is associated to certain outcome, is called random experiment.
e.g., (i) tossing a coin (ii) throwing a dice (iii) selecting a card from pack of cards, etc.

3. Events:
Outcomes associated with experiment is called event.
e.g., (i) getting a head when a coin is tossed.
(ii) getting a number 4 when a dice is thrown.
(iii) getting a king when one card is picked from a pack of 52 cards.

4. Probability of an event say ‘E’ is denoted as P(E ) and is calculated by the

formula.
Number of outcomes favourable to E
P (E ) =
Total number of outcomes

5. Sure Event:
Those events whose probability is one.

For Example:
What is probability of getting a number less than 7 in a single throw of a die?
There are only six possible outcomes in a single throw of a die. These outcomes are
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. So, the number of favourable outcomes is the same as the number
of all possible outcomes, which is 6.
6
 P (getting a number less than 7) = =1
6
6. Impossible Event:
Those events whose probability is zero.

For Example:
Cards each marked with one of the numbers, 4, 5, 6, …., 20 are placed in a box and
mixed thoroughly. One card is drawn at random from the box. What is the probability
of getting an even prime number?
Out of 17 (= 20 − 3) cards, one card can be drawn in 17 ways.
 Total number of possible outcomes = 17
There are 6 prime numbers, namely, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19
Here, there is no even prime number.
 Favourable number of outcomes out of 17 = 0
0
Hence, P (getting an even prime number) = = =0
17

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7. Probability of an event always lies between 0 and 1.

8. Probability of an event cannot be negative.

9. Some special sample spaces

9.1 A dice is thrown once S = 1,2,3,4,5,6; n(S ) = 6

For Example:
A die is thrown once. What is the probability of getting a prime number?
In a single throw of a die, all possible outcomes are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
Total number of possible outcomes = 6.
Let E be the event of getting a prime number.
Then, the favourable outcomes are 2, 3, 5.
Number of favourable outcomes = 3.
3 1
 P (getting a prime number) = P (E ) = = .
6 2

9.2 A coin is tossed once S = H,T ; n(S ) = 2

For Example:
A coin is tossed once. What is the probability of getting a head?
When a coin is tossed once, all possible outcomes are H and T.
Total number of possible outcomes = 2.
The favourable outcome is H.
Number of favourable outcome = 1
 P (getting a head)
number of favourable outcomes 1
P (H ) = = .
total number of possible outcomes 2

9.3 A coin is tossed twice S = HH , HT ,TH,TT ; n(S ) = 4 = 2 2

Or
Two coins are tossed
simultaneously
For example:
Two coins are tossed simultaneously. What is the probability of getting at least one
head?
When two coins are tossed simultaneously, all possible outcomes are HH, HT, TH, TT.
Total number of possible outcomes = 4.
Let E be the event of getting at least one head.
Then, the favourable outcomes are HT, TH, HH.
Number of favourable outcomes = 3.

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3
 P (getting at least one head) = P (E ) = .
4
9.4 A coin is tossed three times
Or HHH , HHT , HTH ,THH 
S=  ; n(S ) = 8 = 2
3

Three coins are tossed TTT , TTH , THT , HTT 

simultaneously

For example:
Three coins are tossed simultaneously. Find the probability of getting (i) exactly 2
heads, (ii) at most 2 heads.
When 3 coins are tossed simultaneously, all possible outcomes are HHH, HHT, HTH,
THH, HTT, THT, TTH, TTT.
Total number of possible outcomes = 8.
(i) Let E1 be the event of getting exactly 2 heads.
Then, favourable outcomes are HHT, HTH, THH.
Number of favourable outcomes = 3.
3
 P (getting exactly 2 heads) = P (E1 ) = .
8
(ii) Let E 2 be the event of getting at most 2 heads

Then, favourable outcomes are

HHT, HTH, THH, HTT, THT, TTH, TTT.
Number of favourable outcomes = 7
7
 P (at most 2 heads) =
8

9.5 Two dice are thrown together (1,1), (1,2), (1,3), (1,4), (1,5), (1,6) 
Or  
(2,1), (2,2), (2,3), (2,4), (2,5), (2,6) 
A dice is thrown twice (3,1), (3,2), (3,3), (3,4), (3,5), (3,6) 
S= 
( 4,1), ( 4,2), ( 4,3), ( 4,4), ( 4,5), ( 4,6)
(5,1), (5,2), (5,3), (5,4), (5,5), (5,6) 
 
(6,1), (6,2), (6,3), (6,4), (6,5), (6,6) 
n(S ) = 62
For example:
Two dice are thrown simultaneously. What is the probability of getting (i) 8 as the sum
of two numbers that turn up (ii) a doublet?
When two dice are thrown simultaneously, number of all possible outcomes = 36.
(i) Let E1 be the event of getting two numbers whose sum is 8. Then, the
favourable outcomes are:
(2, 6), (3, 5), (4, 4), (5, 3), (6, 2).

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5
 P(getting two numbers whose sum is 8) = P (E1 ) = .
36
(ii) Let E1 be the event of getting a doublet.
Then, the favourable outcomes are:
(1, 1), (2, 2), (3, 3), (4, 4), (5, 5), (6, 6).
Number of favourable outcomes = 6.
6 1
 P(getting a doublet) = P (E 2 ) = = .
36 6

10. A pack of playing cards consists of 52 cards, which are divided into 4 suits of 13 cards
each - spades (), hearts (), diamonds () and clubs ().

• Clubs and spades are of black colour, while hearts and diamonds are of red colour.
• The cards in each suit are ace, king, queen, jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, and 2.
• King, Queen and Jack are called Face cards.

For example:
A card is drawn at random from a well-shuffled pack of 52 cards. Find the probability
that the card drawn is neither a red card nor a queen.
There are 26 red cards, including two red queens in a pack of 52 cards.
There are 4 queens i.e., two red and two black.
Therefore, card drawn will be red card or a queen if it is any one of 28 cards (26 red
cards and 2 black queens).
Now, the card drawn will be neither a red card nor a queen
= Total number of cards − The card drawn will be a red or a
queen
= 52 − 28
= 24 cards
So, the favourable number of events = 24 cards
24 6
Hence, the required probability = =
52 13

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