YEAR 11

Probability
CHAPTER Review
REVIEW 9
1 The combination lock on a safe has three concentric circular discs, each showing the digits 0 to 9. Only one
combination of digits will open the safe. What is the probability of opening the safe at your first attempt if you
do not know the combination?
2 One student has a pencil whose cross-section is square and whose faces are coloured black, white, green and
red. Another student has a pencil whose cross-section is hexagonal (six-sided) and whose faces are coloured
black, white, green, red, yellow and orange. Both pencils are rolled on a flat surface and the colours appearing
uppermost are noted. Find the probability of each event:
(a) both colours uppermost are the same
(b) both colours uppermost are different
(c) black is uppermost on at least one of the pencils
(d) neither black nor white appears uppermost.
3 Four names beginning with B and five names beginning with G are in a hat. If two names are randomly drawn
without replacement, find the probability that:
(a) two G names are drawn out (b) at least one B name is drawn out.
4 A jar contains red buttons and white buttons in a ratio of 3 : 2. If three buttons are chosen at random from the
jar, find the probability that:
(a) exactly two are red (b) not more than one is white.
5 A box contains four balls marked 1, 2, 3, 4. A spinner has an equal chance of
spinning R, G or W. A ball is selected at random from the box and the spinner is
spun. Illustrate on a tree diagram the 12 possible outcomes. R G
Find the probability of each outcome:
(a) R and an odd number
(b) W and a number greater than 2, or R and an even number.
W

6 In a group of 25 students, 18 study Biology, 12 study Chemistry and 5 study neither Biology nor Chemistry. If
a student is chosen at random, what is the probability that the student studies:
(a) Biology only (b) Chemistry only
(c) Biology or Chemistry or both (d) both Biology and Chemistry?
7 A coin is tossed and a die is rolled. What is the probability of ‘a head and a number greater than 3’ or ‘a tail and
a number not exceeding 4’?
8 Consider two spinners. One spinner shows the letters A, B, C, D and E, and the other spinner shows the digits
1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. When the spinners are spun, it is equally likely that they will stop on any letter or number. Find
the probability of each event:
(a) B and an even number (b) C or D, and an odd number
(c) E and an even number, or C and a number greater than 3
(d) a consonant and an odd number, or a consonant and a number greater than 2.
9 A die is rolled three times. What is the probability of:
(a) 3 sixes (b) 0 sixes (c) 3 odd numbers (d) 3 even numbers
(e) a six in the first two tosses only (f) a six, not a six, a six (in that order)?
10 Trinh and Oscar play three tennis matches. Trinh’s chance of winning any one match is 2 . What is the
3
probability that Trinh:
(a) wins all three matches (b) loses all three matches
(c) wins the first and third but loses the second (d) loses the first and wins the other two?

Chapter 9 Probability 257

YEAR 11

11 A man finds that he is late for work on 10% of occasions if he was on time the previous day, but late on 20% of
occasions if he was late the previous day. Given that he was on time on Monday and worked on Tuesday, what
is the probability that he is on time on Wednesday? Illustrate using a tree diagram.
12 A certain factory has three machines A, B and C, which manufacture 25%, 35% and 40% respectively of the
factory’s products. Of the machines’ products, 5%, 4% and 2% respectively are defective. A product from the
machines is selected at random. What is the probability that:
(a) it was manufactured by A and is defective (b) it was manufactured by B and is not defective?
13 From a group of 5 boys and 6 girls, two are selected at random for a class committee. What is the probability
that a boy and a girl are selected?
14 A carton contains 10 electric lights, 3 of which are defective. Two are drawn at random. What is the probability
that:
(a) the first drawn is defective (b) both are defective
(c) neither is defective (d) exactly one is defective?
15 Three cards are drawn at random from a standard deck of 52 playing cards. What is the probability that they
are all from the same suit?
16 A bag contains 6 red balls and 4 white balls. A random sample of 3 is withdrawn. What is the probability that
the balls are the same colour, if the sampling is done:
(a) without replacement (b) with replacement?
17 Three cards are taken without replacement from a standard deck of 52 playing cards. What is the
probability of taking:
(a) exactly 3 hearts (b) exactly 3 aces (c) at least 1 heart?
18 A manufacturer of metal pistons finds that on average 20% of pistons are rejected because they are either
oversize or undersize. What is the probability that a batch of three pistons will contain:
(a) no more than two rejects (b) at least two rejects?
19 In an assortment of bananas, the ratio of ripe bananas to unripe bananas is 3 to 5. If 3 bananas are chosen at
random, find the probability that:
(a) exactly 2 will be ripe (b) at least 1 will be unripe.
20 In an opinion poll, the ratio of those in favour to those against a particular proposal was 7 to 3. If three
randomly chosen people are interviewed about the proposal, what is the probability that:
(a) all will be in favour (b) the majority will be in favour
(c) not more than two will be against the proposal?
21 A container holds 10 cubes: 6 are white and the remainder are black. Two cubes are randomly selected without
replacement. What is the probability that:
(a) they are the same colour (b) they are different colours?
22 In a group of 10 birds, 5 are red and 5 are green. If two birds are selected at random, what is the
probability that:
(a) they are both red (b) at least one is green?

258 New Senior Mathematics Advanced for Years 11 & 12

 B
0.4 B
BB

Answers
30 0.305

CHAPTER REVIEW 9
1 0.001
1 5 3 1 5 13
2 (a) (b) 6 (c) 8 (d) 3 (a) (b)
6 3 18 18
54 81 1 1
4 (a) (b) 5 (a) (b)
125 125 6 3
8
6 (a) (b) 2 (c) 4 (d) 2
25 25 5 5
7 6
7 8 (a) 2 (b) (c) 4 (d) 12
12 25 25 25 25
1 125 1 1 5 5
9 (a) (b) 216 (c) 8 (d) 8 (e) 216 (f) 216
216
8
10 (a) (b) 1 (c) 4 (d) 4
27 27 27 27
11 0.89 Monday Tuesday Wednesday

0.2 Late 0.02

Late
0.1 On
0.8 0.08
On time
time
0.1 Late 0.09
0.9 On
time On
0.9 0.81
time
12 (a) 0.0125 (b) 0.336
7
13 6 14 (a) 3 (b) 1 (c) 7 (d) 15
11 10 15 15
1 7
15 22 16 (a) (b) 25
425 5
11 1 997 124 13
17 (a) (b) (c) 18 (a) (b)
850 5525 1700 125 125

Answers Chapter 10 641