Cambridge IGCSE Mathematics

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Worked example 7
In a group of 50 students, 36 students work on tablet computers, 20 work on
laptops and 12 work on neither of these.
A student is chosen at random. What is the probability that this student
a works on a tablet and a laptop computer.
b works on at least one type of computer.
c works on a tablet given that he or she works on a laptop.
d doesn’t work on a laptop, given that he or she works on a tablet.

Start by identifying the sets and drawing a Venn diagram.

T = {students who work on tablets}
n(T) = 36
L = {students who work on laptops}
n(L) = 20
50 − 12 = 38, so there are 38 students in T and L combined.
36 + 20 = 56, but there are only 38 students in T and L combined
58 − 38 = 18, so 18 students work on both (T ∩ L)

T L

18 18 2

12

a 18 9
P(works on both) = P(T ∩ L) = =
50 25
Tip
P(T given that L has b 12 38 19
happened) is dependent P(works on at least one) = 1 − P(works on neither) = 1 − = =
50 50 25
on students already using a
laptop, so the probability c P(L and T) n(L ∩ T)
is calculated using the P(T given that L has happened) = =
P(L) n(L)
total number of students
18 9
who use a laptop not the = =
20 10
total number of students.
n(T and L) is the number of
d P(L’ and T) 18 1
students in the intersection P(Not L given T has happened) = = =
P(T) 36 2
of the two sets.

Exercise 24.4 1 A card is randomly selected from a pack of 52 playing cards, and its suit is recorded.
The card is not replaced. Then a second card is chosen.
A set of 52 playing cards contains a Draw a tree diagram to represent this situation.
13 each of hearts, diamonds, clubs b Use the tree diagram to find the probability that:
and spades. Diamonds and hearts
are red. Clubs and spades are i both cards are hearts
black. There are no jokers in a ii both cards are clubs
52 card pack. iii the first card is red and the second card is black.
2 Mohammed has four scrabble tiles with the letters A, B, C and D on them. He draws
a letter at random and places it on the table, then he draws a second letter and a
third, placing them down next to the previously drawn letter.

606 Unit 6: Data handling

 24 Probability using tree diagrams and Venn diagrams

a Draw a tree diagram to show the possible outcomes. E

b What is the probability that the letters he has drawn spell the words:
i CAD ii BAD iii DAD?
c What is the probability that he won’t draw the letter B?
d What is Mohammed’s chance of drawing the letters in alphabetical order?
3 In a group of 25 people, 15 like coffee (C), 17 like tea (T) and 2 people like neither.Using
an appropriate sample space diagram, calculate the probability that a person will:
a like coffee
b like coffee given that he or she likes tea

4 100 teenagers went on a computer camp. 80 of them learned coding and 42 learned
animation techniques. Each student did at least one of these activities.
a Draw a Venn diagram to show how many teenagers did both activities.
b A teenager is randomly selected. Find the probability that he or she:
i learned coding but not animation techniques.
ii learned animation techniques given that he or she learned coding.

Applying your skills

5 Clarissa is having a baby. She knows that the baby will be a girl and she wants her
to have a first and a second name. The names she is considering are Olga, Shirley,
Karen and Anne.
a Draw a tree diagram to show all possible combinations of names for the baby.
b If Clarissa chooses two names at random, what are the chances that the baby
will be called Karen Anne?
c What is the chance of the baby being named Anne Shirley?
6 Sindi, Lee, Marita, Roger, Bongile and Simone are the six members of a school
committee. The committee needs to choose a chairperson and a treasurer. One
person cannot fill both positions.
a Draw a tree diagram to show how many ways there are of choosing a
chairperson and a treasurer.
b If the chairperson and treasurer are chosen at random, what is the probability
of choosing Sindi as chairperson and Lee as treasurer?
7 A cleaner accidentally knocked the name labels off three students’ lockers. The
name labels are Raju, Sam and Kerry. The tree diagram shows the possible ways of
replacing the name labels.
Locker 1 Locker 2 Locker 3

Sam Kerry
Raju
Kerry Sam
Raju Kerry
Sam
Kerry Raju
Raju Sam
Kerry
Sam Raju

a Copy the diagram and write the probabilities next to each branch.
b Are these events conditional or independent? Why?
c How many correct ways are there to match the name labels to the lockers?
d How many possible ways are there for the cleaner to label the lockers?
e If the cleaner randomly stuck the names back onto the lockers, what are his
chances of getting the names correct?

Unit 6: Data handling 607

Cambridge IGCSE Mathematics

8 In a group of 120 students, 25 are in the sixth form and 15 attend maths tutorials. E
Four of the students are sixth formers who attend maths tutorials.
What is the probability that a randomly chosen student who attends maths tutorials
will be in the sixth form?
9 A climatologist reports that the probability of rain on Friday is 0.21. If it rains on
Friday, there is a 0.83 chance of rain on Saturday, if it doesn’t rain on Friday, the
Rain Sun chance of rain on Saturday is only 0.3.
a Draw a tree diagram to represent this situation.
Friday Saturday b Use your diagram to work out the probability of rain on:
1
10 i Friday and Saturday
1 ii Saturday.
5 9
10 10 Look at this tree diagram sketched by a weather forecaster.
4 1
5 25
a Give the tree diagram a title.
24 b What does it tell you about the weather for the next two days in this place?
25
(Make sure you include probabilities as part of your answer).
11 Mahmoud enjoys flying his kite. On any given day, the probability that there is a
3 5
good wind is . If there is a good wind, the probability that the kite will fly is . If
Good wind
Kite flies 4 8
Kite does not fly 1
there is not a good wind, the probability that the kite will fly is .
Kite flies 16
Not a good wind
Kite does not fly a Copy this tree diagram. Write the probabilities next to each branch.
b What is the probability of good wind and the kite flying?
c Find the probability that, whatever the wind, the kite does not fly.
1
d If the kite flies, the probability that it gets stuck in a tree is . Calculate the
2
probability that, whatever the wind, the kite gets stuck in a tree.

Summary
Do you know the following? Are you able to …?
• The sample space of an event is all the possible outcomes • draw a tree diagram to organise the outcomes for simple
of the event. combined events
• When an event has two or more stages it is called a • find the probability of each branch of a tree diagram
combined event. • calculate the probability of events using tree diagrams
• Tree diagrams and Venn diagrams are useful for • draw a Venn diagram to represent sets of information
organising the outcomes of different stages in an event. and use it to calculate probabilities
They are particularly useful when there are more than two
stages because a probability space diagram can only show • use tree diagrams and Venn diagrams to determine E
conditional probability.
outcomes for two events.
• The outcomes are written at the end of branches on a
tree diagram. The probability of each outcome is written
next to the branches as a fraction or decimal.
• For independent events you find the probability by
multiplying the probabilities on each branch of the tree.
P(A and then B) = P(A) × P(B).
• When events are mutually exclusive, you need to add the
probabilities obtained by multiplication.
• The probability that an event happens, given that E
another event has already happened is called
conditional probability.

608 Unit 6: Data handling