Record the value in F2.

For most spreadsheets, you can press the 'F9' button to

re-generate another 50 random points. Record the new value in F2, and take the
average of the two values to find the mean area of the unit circle based on 100
random points.
Continue this process until you get 1000 random points.
(d) What is the mean area of the unit circle based on 1000 random points? Is it close
enough to the value of π?

Exercise
2C

1. Ethan has two bags each containing 5 black marbles 2. A bag contains 6 red balls and 4 yellow balls. A
and 4 red marbles. He takes one marble at random ball is chosen at random and then put back into
from each bag. the bag. The process is carried out twice.
(a) Copy and complete the tree diagram shown (a) Copy and complete the tree diagram shown
below. below.
First bag Second bag First draw Second draw
 
Black   Red
 
Black   Red
Red   Yellow
   
 
 
 
Black  
Red     Red
  Yellow
 
Red  
  Yellow
  
(b) Find the probability that Ethan draws (b) Find the probability of choosing
(i) a black marble from the first bag, (i) two red balls,
(ii) a red marble from the second bag, given (ii) one ball of each colour,
that he draws a black marble from the first (iii) a yellow ball on the second draw.
bag,
(iii) a black marble from the first bag and a red
marble from the second bag,
(iv) a red marble from the second bag.

Probability of Combined Events Chapter 2 056

3. The diagram below shows two discs, each with 4. Ethan takes either Bus A or Bus B to school
four equal sectors. Each disc has a pointer which, every day. Bus A and B either arrive punctually
when spun, is equally likely to come to rest in any or late. The probabilities of Bus A and B arriving
of the four equal sectors. 2 7
punctually are and respectively. Find the
In a game, the player spins each pointer once. His 3 8
score is the sum of the numbers shown by the probability that
pointers. (i) both buses are punctual,
(ii) Bus A is late while Bus B is punctual,

10 20 0 30 (iii) exactly one of the buses is late.

5. In a group of 8 boys, 3 are left-handed. The

20 30 30 30 remaining 5 boys are right-handed. If a boy is
chosen at random from the group, state the
probability that the boy chosen is left-handed.
First disc Second disc
(a) Copy and complete the tree diagram shown. (a) A second boy is then chosen at random from
the remaining 7 boys. What is the probability
First disc Second disc Sum that the second boy chosen is also left-handed,
0 10 given that the first boy chosen is left-handed?

1 On another occasion, 2 boys are chosen at random

  10
4 30 ( ) from the same group of 8 boys.
(b) Copy and complete the tree diagram shown
0 ( ) below.
20 First boy Second boy

30 50  
  L
 
 3
 8  L
0 ( )   R
  30  
    L: Left-handed
  R: Right-handed
30 ( )  
     L
  R
 
(b) With the help of the diagram, calculate the  
   R
probability that  

(i) the first number obtained is less than or
equal to the second number obtained, (c) From the tree diagram in (b), find the
(ii) the second number obtained is zero. probability that
(i) the first boy chosen is right-handed and
(c) If the player’s score is between 10 and 50 but
the second boy chosen is left-handed,
excluding 10 and 50, he receives $2. If his
score is more than 40, he receives $5. (ii) both boys chosen are left-handed,
Otherwise, he receives nothing. What is the (iii) the second boy chosen is left-handed.
probability that he receives
(i) $2, (ii) $5,
(iii) $2 or $5, (iv) nothing?

057 Chapter 2 Probability of Combined Events

6. A class has 30 girls and 15 boys. Two representatives (b) Jun Wei wants to find out the probability
are to be selected at random from the class. Find of selecting two rotten potatoes. He multiplies
the probability that the probabilities along the ‘RR’ branch
(i) the first representative is a girl, (highlighted in red) and he says that he is
using the ‘Multiplication Law of Probability’.
(ii) the second representative is a girl, given that
the first representative is a boy, Do you agree with what Jun Wei says? Explain
(iii) the first representative is a boy and the second your answer clearly.
representative is a girl,
9. A red die has the number 1 on one face, the
(iv) a boy and a girl are selected as representatives.
number 2 on two faces and the number 3 on three
faces. Two green dice each has the number 6 on
7. A bag contains 6 green and 4 blue cards.
one face and the number 5 on five faces. The three
(a) A card is drawn at random. Find the probability dice are rolled together.
that it is green.
(a) Copy and complete the tree diagram shown
(b) The card drawn is returned to the bag and below by writing the probabilities on the
after mixing the cards thoroughly, Shirley ‘branches’.
takes two cards at random from the bag,
First Second
one after another. Using a tree diagram, Red die Green die Green die
calculate the probability that Shirley has
5
taken out 5
(i) two green cards, 6
1 5
(ii) one card of each colour,
6
(iii) at least one blue card. 6
5
5
2 6
5
8. Bag A contains 20 potatoes, 4 of which are rotten. 6
Bag B contains 12 potatoes, 3 of which are rotten. 6
Jun Wei selects one potato at random from each 5
5
bag. 3 6
(a) Complete the tree diagram below to show 5
6
the possible outcomes of Jun Wei’s selections.
 6
Bag A Bag B (b) Using the tree diagram, calculate the
probability of obtaining
R
(i) 2 on the red die, 5 on the first green die
R G and 6 on the second green die,
R: Rotten (ii) 3 on the red die and 6 on each of the two
G: Good green dice,
R (iii) exactly two sixes,
G
 (iv) a sum of 12,
G
 (v) a sum which is divisible by 3.

Probability of Combined Events Chapter 2 058

10. A woman goes to the supermarket once a month 13. Ten cards are marked with the letters P, R, O, P, O,
for grocery shopping. R, T, I, O and N respectively. These cards are
4 placed in a box. Two cards are drawn at random,
The probability that she buys a sack of rice is .
9 without replacement. Calculate the probability
Find the probability that
that
(i) she will not buy a sack of rice in a particular
(i) the first card bears the letter ‘O’,
month,
(ii) the two cards bear the letters ‘P’ and ‘O’ in that
(ii) she will not buy a sack of rice in two particular
order,
consecutive months,
(iii) the two cards bear the letters ‘P’ and ‘O’ in any
(iii) she buys a sack of rice in just one of two
order,
particular months.
(iv) the two cards bear the same letter.
11. The table below shows the number of male and
female employees working in the front office, 14. Five balls numbered 1, 2, 5, 8 and 9 are put in
middle office and back office of an investment a bag.
bank. (a) One ball is selected at random from the
Department bag. Write down the probability that it is
Front Middle Back
Office Office Office numbered ‘8’.
Gender
Male 40 55 38 (b) On another occasion, two balls are selected at
random from the bag. Find the probability that
Female 36 35 52
(i) the number on each ball is even,
Three representatives, one from each department, (ii) the sum of the numbers on the balls is
are selected at random to attend a seminar. What more than 10,
is the probability that (iii) the number on each ball is not a prime
(i) all three representatives are females, number,
(ii) the representative from the front office is a (iv) only one ball bears an odd number.
male while the others are females,
(iii) exactly one of the representatives is a male? 15. Box A contains 7 blue balls and 5 yellow balls.
Box B contains 3 blue balls and 7 yellow balls.
12. In a wardrobe, there are 16 shirts, of which One ball is removed at random from Box A and
8 are black, 6 are white and 2 are blue. The shirts placed into Box B. After thoroughly mixing the
are identical except for their colour. balls, a ball is drawn at random from Box B and
placed back into Box A.
(a) If two shirts are taken out of the wardrobe,
find the probability that (a) Draw a tree diagram to illustrate this
(i) both are black, experiment.
(ii) one shirt is black and the other is white, (b) Find the probability that at the end of the
(iii) the two shirts are of the same colour. experiment, Box A has
(i) more yellow balls than blue balls,
(b) If a third shirt is taken out from the wardrobe,
calculate the probability that all three shirts (ii) exactly 7 blue and 5 yellow balls,
are black. (iii) twice as many blue balls as yellow balls.
(c) Can we use the Multiplication Law of
Probability to obtain the answer in (b)? Explain
your answer.

059 Chapter 2 Probability of Combined Events

16. Class A has 18 boys and 17 girls and Class B has 14 18. A bag contains 10 red balls, 9 blue balls and
boys and 22 girls. A student from Class A is 7 yellow balls. Three balls are drawn in succession
transferred to Class B. The teacher selects a without replacement. By drawing a tree diagram
student at random from the extended Class B. Find or otherwise, find the probability of obtaining
the probability that the student selected is
(i) a red and two blue balls in that order,
(i) the student who was initially from Class A,
(ii) a red, a yellow and a blue ball in that order,
(ii) a boy.
(iii) three balls of different colours.

19. A game is such that a fair die is rolled repeatedly

17. In any given year, the probabilities of a volcanic until a ‘6’ is obtained. Find the probability that
eruption in each of the countries A, B and C are (a) (i) the game ends on the third roll,
0.03, 0.12 and 0.3 respectively. For any given year,
(ii) the game ends on the fourth roll,
find the probability that
(iii) the game ends by the fourth roll.
(i) volcanic eruptions will occur in all three
countries, (b) Suppose now that the game is such that the
same die is rolled repeatedly until two ‘6’s are
(ii) no volcanic eruptions will occur,
obtained. Find the probability that
(iii) there is at least one volcanic eruption,
(i) the game ends on the third roll,
(iv) there are exactly two volcanic eruptions.
(ii) the game ends on the third roll and the
sum of the scores is odd.

1.
Example of Components of Representation of
Experiment Each Outcome Sample Space

Tossing 1 coin 1 List of outcomes in a set

Tossing 2 coins 2 Possibility diagram or tree diagram

Tossing 3 coins 3 Tree diagram

2. The Addition Law of Probability states that if A and B are mutually exclusive
events, then P(A or B) or P(A  B) = P(A) + P(B).

3. The Multiplication Law of Probability states that if A and B are independent

events, then P(A and B) or P(A  B) = P(A)  P(B).

Probability of Combined Events Chapter 2 060