DNL Première Probability Basic notions and exercises

1 Vocabulary
Random events happen by chance. Probability is a measure of how likely they are.

• In a (or experiment) the things that can happen are called .

• are groups of one or more outcomes (it might be it takes me less than a
minute to eat my dinner every day one week).

• When all outcomes are , you can work out the probability
of an event by the outcomes.

2 Exercises
Exercise 1 :
1) A bag contains black, grey and white marbles, as shown :

a) What is the probability that a random draw will be a black marble ?

b) What is the probability that a random draw will not be a grey marble ?

c) What is the probability that a random draw will be a grey or black marble ?

d) What is the probability that if two random draws are made (putting the marbles back
between draws) that both draws will be grey marbles ?

2) The statistics about some of the Social Science options taken at a school at Year 11.

History Geography Economics Total of students

Boys 22 25 28 110

Girls 19 30 15 105

a) What is the probability that a randomly selected student does Geography ?

b) What is the probability that an Economics student is a boy ?

c) Why can we not calculate from the information given the probability a boy does at least
one of History or Geography ?

3) A restaurant oers a xed menu, with two choices of starter (Soup or Mussels) and four
choices of main course (Fish, Chicken, Beef or Vegetarian) and three choices of dessert (Sor-
bet, Gateau or Cake)

a) How many dierent variations of meal are possible if you take one starter, one main
and one dessert ?

b) What is the probability that a random meal with one of each choice will have Mussels
but not Sorbet ?

c) What is the probability that choosing a meal randomly will give at least one of Fish
and Soup ?

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Exercise 2 :
1) When two normal six-sided dice are rolled, the range of outcomes is shown on the table.

a) How many dierent results are possible, if one takes care to distinguish between the two
dice ?

b) How many of those results give a total for the two dice of 7 ?

c) So what is the probability that a total of 7 will be rolled by two dice ?

2) In a jar there are an equal number of yellow lollies and red lollies.

What is the probability that in three random draws, putting them back, at least two lollies
drawn are yellow ?

3) Billy is in Year 13. His timetable is divided as follows :

Calculus Chemistry Physics English RE Free PE

4 4 4 4 4 2 3

a) What is the probability a randomly selected period is a free period ?

b) If you know he isn't in English or RE what is the probability he has a free period ?

4) Billy has some coins in a jar. He closes his eyes, and picks them at random :

The probability he picks a 50 cent piece is 0.32.

He knows there are eight 50 cent coins in the jar. How many other coins must there be ?

5) Acreeld College is a co-ed school (has both boys and girls). It has 80 Year 9 boys and 75
Year 9 girls. 20 of those boys play football, and 15 of those girls play football.

a) What is the probability a randomly selected Year 9 plays football ?

b) If we know a Year 9 student plays football, what it the probability it is a boy ?

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Exercise 3 :
1) Two spinners with ve equal sides, as shown, are spun together.

a) How many dierent results are possible ?

b) How many dierent ways can a total of 4 be scored ?

c) Bill says that there are two ways of getting a total of four (either a 3 and a 1 or two
2s) and also two ways of getting a total of ve (either a 1 and a 4 or a 2 and a 3), so
they are equally likely to happen. Explain why it is more likely that a total of ve will
be scored on any two spins added together than a total of four.

2) A spinner is made with the shape shown on the right.

1) Find the probability of getting a B with one spin.

2) Find the probability of getting a B twice with two spins ?

3) According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the U.S. population crossed the 300 Million mark in
the year 2006. In that year,

 One out of four were not considered White (that is belonged to minority groups).

 Children under 18 made up approximately one quarter of the population.

 Males and females were equally distributed.

a) In a room full of a hundred people randomly chosen from the U.S. 2006 population, how
many of them would you expect to be white ?

b) Of those, how many would you expect to be children ?

c) Of those, how many would you expect to be boys ?

d) So, what is the probability that a randomly chosen person in the U.S. in 2006 was a
white boy ?

e) What assumptionnot necessarily true, and not stated in the problemdo you have
to make in order to believe your answer to part (d) is accurate ?