Question Bank for Statistics

Module 5 - Probability Theory

Weights for marks:

Part A Part B Part C Total

( 2marks) (5 Marks) (15 Marks)
No. of Questions 2 2 1 5
Total Marks 4 10 15 29

Part A

1. Define sample space.

2. Define mutually exclusive events.
3. What do you mean by exhaustive events?
4. What is compliment of an event?
5. Restate in your words equally likely events.
6. Briefly explain sure event with an example.
7. Describe impossible event with an example.
8. State the classical definition of probability.
9. What do you mean by statistical regularity?
10. State addition theorem for two events and its conditions.
11. List the sample space in throwing 2 dice.
12. List the sample space in selecting two from 3 men and 4 women.
13. Recall the sample space in tossing three unbiased coins.
14. What is the chance that a leap year would contains 53 Sundays?
15. Find the chance of getting more than 3 in one thrown of cubic die marked 1 to 6 on its six
faces.
16. One number is drawn from numbers 1 to 100. Find the probability that it is divisible by 3 or
5.
17. If P(A) = 0.2, P(B) = 0.3 and A and B are independent. Find P(A/B) and P(B/A)
18. Define conditional probability.
19. A box contains 8 tickets bearing the following numbers: (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 10). One ticket
is drawn at random and kept aside. Then a second ticket is drawn. Find the probability that
both tickets show even numbers.
20. The probability that a boy will get a scholarship is 0.9 and a girl will get is 0.8. What is the
probability that at least one of them will get the scholarship?
21. From the pack of 52 cards, two cards are drawn at random one after another, with
replacement. What is the probability that both cards are queen?
22. Explain permutation.
23. In how many ways can the letters of the word “ASSASSINATION” be arranged?
24. How many words can be formed out of the letters of the word “COLLEGE”?
25. A committee consisting of a President, a Vice – President and a Secretary is to be formed out
of 21 members. In how many ways this can be done?
26. In how many ways can the letters of ‘SALEM’ be arranged?
27. How many different signals can be made by 5 flags from 8 flags of different colours?

Part B

1. Define axiomatic approach to probability and state two of its limitations.

2. State and prove addition theorem for two events.
3. Tickets are numbered from 1 to 100. They are shuffled and a ticket is drawn at random.
What is the probability that the drawn ticket has: (i) an even number (ii) a number 5 or
multiple of 5 (iii) a number which is greater than 75 (iv) a number has perfect square?
4. Two six faced dice with face numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 are thrown simultaneously once. Find
the probability that (i) both the dice would show ‘4’ (ii) one of them show ‘3’ and other ‘5’
(iii) the sum of their face value works to be 8 (iv) the sum of numbers is an even number.
5. Two unbiased dice are thrown. Find the probability that sum of the faces is (i) not less than
10; (ii) equal to 10; (iii) greater than 10; (iv) less than 10
6. If P(A) = 0.3 , P(B) = 0.2 and P(A B) = 0 find the probabilities of
1) At least one of the events occurs 2) Exactly one of the events occurs
3) None of the events occur.
7. Three unbiased coins are tossed. What is the probability of obtaining:-
a) All heads b) two heads c) one head d) at least one head e) at least two heads
f) at most one head
8. A bag contains 7 red, 12 white and 4 green balls. Three balls are drawn. What is the
probability that a) 3 balls are white; b) 3 balls are one of each colour.
9. Four persons are chosen at random from a group contains 3 men, 2 women and 4 children.
Find the probability that 2 of them will be children.
10. If odds in favour of A solving a problem are 2: 3 and odds against B solving the same problem
are 3: 5. Find the probability that (a) A solving the problem (b) B solving the problem.
11. The odds that A speaks the truth is 3: 2 and the odds that B speaks the truth is 5: 3. In what
percentage of cases are they likely to contradict each other on an identical point?
12. Suppose the probability of a women entering a shop buys rice is 0.90 and the probability
that she buys sugar is 0.70. Assuming that she is free to choose the items for purchase, what
is the probability that she will buy both sugar and rice?
13. A university must select an examiner from the list of 50 persons. 20 of them women and 30
men, 10 of them knowing Hindi and 40 not, 15 of them being teachers and the remaining 35
are not. What is the probability of the university selecting a Hindi knowing woman teacher?
14. If the probability that ‘A’ project will have an economic life of 20 years is 0.7 and the
probability that ‘B’ project will have an economic life of 20 years is 0.5. What is the
probability that both will have an economic life of 20 years?
15. The odds against A speaking the truth are 4: 6 while the odds in favour of B speaking the
truth are 7: 3. (i) what is the probability that A and B contradict each other in stating the
same fact? (ii) If A and B agree on a statement, what is the probability that this statement is
true?
16. X and Y are two students who work on a problem independently. The probability that X will
solve it is 3/4 and probability that Y will solve it is 2/3. What is the probability that the
problem will be solved?
17. Three persons A, B and C are simultaneously shooting target. Probability of A hitting a target
is 1/4, that of B is 1/2 and that of C is 2/3. Find the probability that (1) exactly one of them
will hit the target (2) at least one of them will hit the target.
18. If P(A) = 0.5, P(B) = 0.2 and P(A B) = 0.1. Find P(A/B) and P(B/A)
19. A bag contains 5 white and 8 red balls. Two successive drawing of 3balls are made such that
1) The balls are replaced before the second trial 2) The balls are not replaced before the
second trial. Find the probability that the first drawing will give 3 white and the second
drawing will give 3 red balls in each case.
20. State Baye’s theorem and state its importance.
21. Probabilities that a husband and wife will be alive 20 years from now is given by 0.8 and 0.9
respectively. Find the probability that in 20 years (1) both will alive (2) neither will alive
(3) at least one will alive.
22. In how many ways can a cricket team be selected from a group of 25 players consisting of 10
Batsmen, 8 Bowlers, 5 All-rounders and 2 Wicketkeeper? Assume that the team of 11
players requires 3 Batsmen, 3 All-rounders, 2 Bowlers and 1 Wicket Keeper.
 Part C
1. (a) A bag contains 6 white, 4red and 10 black balls. Two balls are drawn at random. Find the
Probability that they will both be black.
(b) A bag contains 8 white and 4 red balls. Five balls are drawn at random. What is the
Probability that 2 of them are red and 3 white?
2. a) A bag contains 7 white and 9 black balls. Two balls are drawn in succession at random.
What is the probability that one of them is white and the other black?
b) A bag contains 3 red, 4 white and 5 black balls. Three balls are taken from the bag.
Find the probability that i) all are black ii) all are of different colour.
3. (a) State Baye’s theorem.
(b) There are three urns having the following composition of black and white balls (i) 7 white
and 3 black balls, (ii) 4 white and 6 black balls and (iii) 2 white and 8 black balls One of these
urns is chosen at random with probabilities 0.20, 0.60 and 0.20 respectively. From the
chosen urn two balls are drawn at random without replacement. Calculate the probability
that both these balls are white.
4. (a) Explain Conditional probability.
(b) A and B are consisting for the post of chairman in the company. The probability for their
winning is 0.6 and 0.4 respectively. If A wins, the probability of introducing a new product is
0.8 and if B wins the corresponding probability is 0.3. Find the Probability that the product
will be introduced.
5. (a) State Baye’s theorem.
(b) Three identical boxes contain two balls each. One has both red, one has one red and one
black and the third has two black balls. A person chose a box at random and takes out a ball.
If the ball is red find the Probability that the other ball is also red.
6. In a bolt factory, Machine M1, M2 and M3 manufacture respectively 25, 35 and 40percent of
total. Out of the output 5, 4 and 2 percent respectively are defective bolts. One bolt is drawn
at random from the product and is found to be defective. What is the probability that it was
manufactured in the machine M1?
7. Suppose a black ball is drawn from one of the three bags, the first contains 3 black and 7
white, the second 5 black and 3 white and the third 8 black and 4 white balls. What is the
probability that it was drawn from the first bag?
8. An insurance company insured 2000 scooter drivers, 4000 car drivers and 6000 truck drivers.
The probability of accident is 0.01, 0.03 and 0.15 respectively. One of the insured - person
meet with an accident. What is the probability that he is a scooter driver?
9. The results of an investigation by an expert on fire accident are summarized below:
i) Probability (there could have been a short-circuit) = 0.8
ii) Probability (LPG cylinder explosion)= 0.2
iii) Chance on fire accident is 30% given a short-circuit and 95% given an LPG explosion.
Based on these, what do you think is the most probable cause of fire?