CHAPTER 9

PROBABILITY THEORY

ONE MARK QUESTIONS

1.Define an outcome ?
Ans – A result of an experiment is called an outcome.
2.What is a random experiment ?
Ans – Random experiment is an experiment which may not result in
the same outcome when repeated under the same conditions .It
doesn’t have a unique outcome .
Ex1: Tossing a fair coin is a random experiment because if a coin is
tossed, either head or tail will turn up.
3.Define a sample space ?
Ans - The set of all possible outcomes of a random experiment is a
Sample Space. It is denoted by ' ' S .
Ex: When a die is rolled its sample space S = 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
4. Write the sample space when 2 coins are tossed once .
Ans - When two coins are tossed once --- S= { HH, HT, TH, TT }
5. Write the sample space when the die is thrown once .
Ans- When a die is rolled its sample space S = 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
6. What is an event ?
Ans- An event is a set of outcomes of a random experiment. It is a subset of Sample Space.
Events are denoted by Capital letters A ,B,C etc and their outcomes are denoted by small letters a,b,c

7.What is union of events ?

Ans- Union of two or more events is the event of occurrence of at least one of those events.
8. What is intersection of events ?
Ans- Intersection of two or more events is the event of simultaneous occurrence of all those
events. Thus, intersection of two events A and B is event of occurrence of both of them and it is
denoted by ( A B  ) or ( AB ) or ( A and B ).

9. Give the classical [ mathematical ] definition of probability .

Ans- In a random experiment let S be the sample space and A be an event. Then P(A)=n(A) /n(S)
10.Give the statistical [empherical] definition of probability .
Ans -
11.Give the axiomatic definition of probability .
Ans- Let A and B be two events of a Sample space S . Let P (A)and P (B)are the real numbers
assigned to these events. Then, P (A) is the probability of A, if the following axioms are satisfied.
Axiom (i) : P (A) 0 (Non-negativity condition)

Axiom (ii) : P (S) =1 ' ' S being the Sure event.

Axiom (iii) : For any two disjoint events A and B

12.What is the probability of a null event ?

Ans – The probability of a null event is zero .
13. What is the probability of sample space ?
Ans- The probability of sample space is One.
14. Define conditional probability .
Ans- The probability of occurrence of one event under the condition that another event has
already occurred is known as conditional probability

15.If P(A) = ¼ , what is P(A’) ?

Ans –

TWO MARKS QUESTIONS

1.What is random experiment ? Give an example .
Ans - Random experiment is an experiment which may not result in the same outcome when
repeated under the same conditions. It does not have a Unique outcome.
Ex: Tossing a fair coin is a random experiment because if a coin is tossed, either head or tail will turn
up.

2.Define null event . Give examples .

Ans - An event which does not contain any outcome is null event. In other words, an event which
will never occur when a random experiment is performed is called an ‘impossible event’ and it is
denoted by  (phy). Ex:
A coin in tossed once and the event ' ' A denotes the event of getting 2 heads. Here the event ' ' A is
null event

3.Define simple event. Give an example .

Ans - An event which has only one outcome (a single sample point) is called Simple event.
Ex: A die is thrown once. Here S1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
A = Event of getting number 6 6 =  is a Simple event
B = Event of getting number 1 1 =   is a Simple event

4.Define compound event. Give an example .

Ans - An event which has more than one outcome is called compound event.
Ex: A die is thrown once. Here S =1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
A = Getting even number = 2, 4, 6
B = Getting multiple of 3 = 3, 6 are compound events

5. Define favourable outcomes with an example .

Ans - The outcomes which entail the occurrence of an event are said to be favourable outcomes
of that event.
Ex1: In drawing a card from a pack of cards, the number of cases favourable to drawing of an ace is
4, for drawing a spade is 13 and for drawing a red card is 26.

6. Define exhaustive events with an example .

Ans – A set of events is exhaustive if one or the other of the events in the set occurs whenever
the experiment is conducted.
Ex1: In tossing a coin, there are two exhaustive cases.In tossing ' n’ coins, exhaustive cases are
------2 n

7. Define equally likely event with an example .

Ans - Two or more events are said to be equally likely, if they have an equal chance of
occurrence. Here, we cannot expect one event to occur more often than the other.
Ex1: While tossing a fair coin, the events “Head” and “Tail” are equally likely events.

8. Define mutually exclusive event with an example .

Ans - Two or more events are said to be mutually exclusive, if occurrence of one event prevent
the occurrence of all other events in a single trial.
AND
Two or more events are mutually exclusive, if only one of them can occur at a time. That is, if
intersection of events is a null event then the events are said be mutually exclusive.
Ex1: While tossing a coin, the events ‘Head’ and ‘Tail’ are mutually exclusive because when the coin
is tossed once, the result cannot be Head as well as Tail.

9. What is complement of an event ? Give an example .

Ans –
10. Show that 0 <_ P(A) <_1
Ans - P(A) = m / n
----------the least possible value of m = 0 [ null event ]
----------the highest possible value of m = n [ sure event ]
is 0   m n  by
0/n <_m/n <_ n /n = 0 <_ P(A)<_1
11 . If A’ is the complementary event of A , then show that P
(A) + P (A’) = 1
Ans -That is, the sum of probabilities of complementary events is 1
Proof: Out of ' ' n outcomes, if ' m’ outcomes are favourable to event
A the remaining ( n-m ) outcomes are favourable to event A'
12 . Define independent events with an example .
Ans - If the occurrence or non – occurrence of one event does not influence the occurrence of
another event then those events are said to be independent
ex - If two balls are drawn from a box one after the other with replacement then the event of
drawing a ball in the first draw and event of drawing a ball in second draw are independent events.

13 . Define dependent event with an example .

Ans - : If the occurrence or non – occurrence of one event influences the occurrence of another
event then those events are said to be dependent.
Ex - If two balls are drawn from a box one after the other without replacement then the events of
drawing a ball in the first draw and event of drawing a ball in second draw are dependent event

14 . A coin is tossed once , find the probability of getting a head .

Ans - S={H , T }
Number of favourable outcomes is 1
P(E)=1 / 2
15. A coin is tossed once , find the probability of getting a head or a
tail .
Ans – S={H,T}
Number of favourable outcomes is 2
P(E)=2/2
16. A die is throw once , what is the probability of getting an odd
number .
Ans – S={1,2,3,4,5,6}
Number of favourable outcomes = { 1,3,5}
P( E ) = 3/6=1/2
17. When 2 coins are tossed , find the probability of getting 2 heads .
Ans – S={HH,HT,TH,TT} = 4
Number of favourable outcomes = {HH} = 1
P(E) = ¼
18. A card is drawn from a pack of cards , what is the probability of
getting a king or a queen card ?
Ans -Total number of cards=52
Total number of kings=4
Total number of queens = 4
Total number of favourable outcomes = 8
P(E)=8/52
=2/13
19. A card is drawn from a pack of cards , what is the probability that
it’s a black or a red card ?
Ans – Total number of cards in a pack=n(S)=52
Total number of red cards=n(R)=26
 Total number of black cards=n(B)=26
Total number of favourable outcomes=n(RUB)=52
P(E)=52/52=1
20.If P(A)=1/13 , P(B)=1/4 and P(A^B)=1/52 , then find the value of
P(AUB) ?
Ans – P(AUB)=P(A)+P(B) – P(A^B)
=1/13+1/4 – 1/52
= 4+13-1/52
=16/52
=4/13
21 .If P(A)=1/2 , P(B)=1/3 and p(A^B)=1/6 , find P(AUB) .
Ans – P(AUB)=P(A)+(B) – P(A^B)
=1/2+1/3 – 1/6
=3+2 – 1 /6
=4/6
=2/3
22 .