*

AP Statistics
Review

Probability

Teacher Packet

Advanced Placement and AP are registered trademark of the College Entrance Examination Board.
The College Board was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse, this product.

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 Probability
Page 1 of 15

Probability Rules
A sample space contains all the possible outcomes observed in a trial of an experiment, a
survey, or some random phenomenon.
The sum of the probabilities for all possible outcomes in a sample space is 1.
The probability of an outcome is a number between 0 and 1 inclusive. An
outcome that always happens has probability 1. An outcome that never happens
has probability 0.
The probability of an outcome occurring equals 1 minus the probability that it
doesnt occur.
The probability that two mutually exclusive (disjoint) events occur is 0.

Strategies for solving probability problems:

Draw a picture of the situation
Use a chart, table, tree diagram, Venn Diagram, normal curve

When is a binomial distribution appropriate?

If there are exactly 2 outcomes, usually designated success and failure, for each
trial.
If the number of trials is fixed.
If the trials are independent.
If the probability of success is the same for each trial.

When is a geometric distribution appropriate?

If there are exactly 2 outcomes for each trial.
If the trials are independent.
If the probability of success is the same for each trial.
If there is not a fixed number of trials. The trials continue until a success/failure
is achieved.

When is a normal distribution appropriate?

If the data is modeled by a continuous distribution and is given as normal or the
sample size is large enough (second semester topic).
If the data is modeled by a binomial distribution and np and n(1 p ) are large
enough.

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 Probability
Page 2 of 15

Is there a formula on the AP formula sheet that applies?

P ( A B ) = P ( A) + P ( B ) P ( A B )
P( A B)
P( A B) =
P( B)
x = E ( X ) = xi P( xi )
x 2 = ( xi x ) 2 P( xi )
n
P( X = k ) = p k (1 p ) n k
k

Is there a formula/idea that is not on the formula sheet that applies?
If events are disjoint, then P ( A B ) = 0
If events are independent, P( A B) = P( A) or P ( A B ) = P ( A) P ( B )
For any 2 random variables X and Y, x y = x y .
For any 2 independent random variables X and Y, 2 x y = 2 x + 2 y
Value of interest - mean
Z-score =
standard deviation

What steps are needed if a simulation is appropriate?

Model the component of interest in the problem with some chance mechanism.
State any assumptions being made (usually independent trials and constant
probability).
Describe how the simulation will be run. If using random digits, be sure to state
whether duplicates are allowed. Be sure to give a stopping rule.
Conduct the simulation with a reasonable number of replications.
State the conclusion reached in the context of the problem.

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 Probability
Page 3 of 15

Multiple Choice Questions on Probability

Questions 1 and 2 refer to the following situation. The class of 1968 and 1998 held a
joint reunion in 2008 at the local high school. Attendees were asked to complete a survey
to determine what they did after graduation. Here is the information obtained.

College Job Military Other

1968 56 73 85 7
1998 173 62 37 20

1. What is the probability that a randomly selected attendee graduated in 1998 and
went into the military?

(A) 0.072
(B) 0.127
(C) 0.303
(D) 0.596
(E) 0.669

2. What is the probability that a randomly selected 1968 graduate went to college after
graduation?

(A) 0.245
(B) 0.253
(C) 0.560
(D) 0.592
(E) 0.755

3. A fair die is rolled 3 times. The first 2 rolls resulted in 2 fives. What is the
probability of not rolling 5 on the next roll?

(A) 1
5
(B)
6
3 1 5
2

(C)
1 6 6
2
1 5
(D)
6 6
(E) 0

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 Probability
Page 4 of 15

4. In a game, a spinner with five equal-sized spaces is labeled from A to E. If a player

spins an A they win 15 points. If any other letter is spun the player loses 4 points. What
is the expected gain or loss from playing 40 games?

(A) Gain of 360 points

(B) Gain of 55 points
(C) Gain of 8 points
(D) Loss of 1 point
(E) Loss of 8 points

5. Let X be a random variable whose distribution is normal with mean 30 and

standard deviation 4. Which of the following is equivalent to P ( X 26) ?

(A) P ( X < 34)

(B) P ( X 26)
(C) P (26 X 34)
(D) 1 P ( X 34)
(E) P ( X 34)

6. The distribution of heights of male high school students has a mean of 68 inches
and variance of 1.52 square inches. The distribution of female high school students has a
mean of 66 inches and a variance of 1.64 square inches. If the heights of the male and
female students are independent, what is the standard deviation of the difference in their
heights?

(A) 0.12 inches

(B) 0.35 inches
(C) 1.48 inches
(D) 1.78 inches
(E) 2.24 inches

7. If P ( A) = 0.34 and P ( A or B ) = 0.71 , which of the following is false?

(A) P ( B ) = 0.37 , if A and B are mutually exclusive.

(B) P ( B ) = 0.561 , if A and B are independent.
(C) P ( B ) cannot be determined if A and B are neither mutually exclusive nor
independent.
(D) P ( A and B ) = 0.191 , if A and B are independent.
(E) P( A B) = 0.34 , if A and B are mutually exclusive.

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 Probability
Page 5 of 15

8. In a litter of eight puppies, 5 are female. 2 of the puppies are picked at random.
Which of the following is true?

2
2
(A) The probability that both puppies are female is .
5
2
5
(B) The probability that both puppies are female is
8
5 4
(C) The probability that both puppies are female is
8 7
(D) The expected number of female puppies is 1.25.
(E) The situation can be described by a binomial model.

9. Homes built in the suburbs typically have none to three-car garages. Let X be the
number of garage stalls per home found in a sample of 200 homes in a local suburban
area. From the data obtained, P ( X = 0) = 0.06, P ( X = 1) = 0.45, and P ( X = 2) = 0.32 .
Find the mean number of garage stalls per home for the sample of homes.

(A) 1.09
(B) 1.15
(C) 1.5
(D) 1.6
(E) 2

10. The probability that a randomly chosen American is a Republican is 0.35. What is
the probability that in a sample of 10 Americans, that at least 1 will be a Republican?

(A) 0.9865
(B) 0.2275
(C) 0.0725
(D) 0.0135
(E) 0.0072

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 Probability
Page 6 of 15

Free Response Questions on Probability

1. A one-mile relay race has 4 horses running a quarter of a mile each. The riders of
each horse must pass a ribbon to the next rider at the end of each leg. Each of these
horses has participated in many quarter-mile races before and the table below summarizes
the mean and standard deviation of their previous times.

Horses Mean Standard Deviation

Morning Spark 32.6 sec 2.5 sec.
Dew on the Meadow 29.4 sec 2.1 sec
April Shower 37.7 sec 3.9 sec
Night Sky 26.8 sec 1.9 sec

(a) Assuming the times follow a normal model, what is the probability that Night Sky
can run a quarter mile in under 24.5 seconds?

(b) What is the probability that in the next twelve races that Night Sky enters, that he
will run under 24.5 seconds in 5 of those races?

(c) If the times of the horses are independent, what is the mean and standard deviation of
the combined team score for a one-mile relay race?

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 Probability
Page 7 of 15

2. Anna and Paulina are playing video games. Anna has a 60% chance of winning the
first game that they play, but this grows to 70% for winning the second game in a row. If
Anna loses the first game, she only has a 30% chance of winning the second game.

(a) What is the probability that they each win one of two games played?

(b) What is the probability distribution of the number of games that Anna wins?

(c) What is the mean and standard deviation of the number of games Anna wins?

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 Probability
Page 8 of 15

3. A survey at a local college asked a random sample of faculty and a random sample of
students the color of the car that they would like to drive. The results are given in the
table.

Faculty Students
Silver 40 10
Black 20 147
Red 35 86
Other 25 17

(a) If a person is chosen at random from all those surveyed, what is the probability that
they would like a black car?

(b) If the person chosen at random is a faculty member, what is the probability that they
would prefer a black car? Show your work.

(c) Based on your answers in part (a) and part (b), is car color choice independent of
college role (faculty, student) for those in this sample?

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 Probability
Page 9 of 15

Key to Probability Multiple Choice

37
1. A
513
2. B P(College given 1968 graduation) = 56/221
3. B What happens on the first two rolls does not affect the chance of getting a 5 again.
4. E E (onegame) = 15 (15) + 54 (4) = 15 . There is an average loss of 8 points over 40
games.
5. A The symmetry of the graph and the continuity give this result.
6. D 1.52 + 1.64 = 1.78 (the variances are already squared)
7. E Statement is true if mutually exclusive is replaced by independent. Using the
formula for P ( A B ) shows the others are true.
8. C The situation is not binomial because the probability of success is not the same for
each trial. A (using an incorrect probability), B, D, and E are based on binomial models.
9. D E ( X ) = 0(.06) + 1(.45) + 2(.32) + 3(.17)
10. A 1 P(no Republicans in the group of 10) = 1- (.65)10 . Here because of the large
population from which the sample is drawn, the situation can be modeled with a binomial
model. (the 10% rule applies)

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 Probability
Page 10 of 15

Rubric for Probability Free Response

1. Solution
Part (a)
For Night Sky
24.5 26.8
P (time < 24.5) = P ( z < ) = 0.1131
1.9
The probability that Night Sky runs a quarter mile in less than 24.5 seconds is
.1131

Part (b)
X = the number of races that Night sky runs in less than 24.5 seconds
X is binomial with n = 12 races and p = .1131
12
P ( X = 5) = (.1131)5 (.8869)7 = .0063
5
Part (c)
total = MS + DM + AS + NS = 32.6 + 29.4 + 37.7 + 26.8 = 126.5 seconds
Total = MS 2 + DM 2 + AS 2 + NS 2
= 2.52 + 2.12 + 3.92 + 1.92 = 5.43

Scoring

Each part is essentially correct (E), partially correct (P), or incorrect (I).

Part (a) is essentially correct if the probability is correctly calculated and work is shown
to support this result.

Part (a) is partially correct if:

the probability is correctly calculated but no work is shown
OR
reasonable work is shown (including calculator output) but the answer is not
correct. Score part(a) as incorrect if the probability is not between 0 and .5.

Part (b) is essentially correct if:

1. the student recognizes the setting as binomial
2. the probability in part (a) is used for p
3. work is shown the correct values for n and x are given and the desired
probability calculated, or the binomial formula is correctly evaluated.

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 Probability
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Part (b) is partially correct if:

the student recognizes the situation as binomial and identifies p from part (a) but
does not compute the desired probability
OR
12
the student computes the probability as either (.1131)5 (.8869)7 or (.1131)5
5
OR
the student gives the correct probability, but no work is shown.

Part (c) is essentially correct if both the mean and standard deviation of the team time are
correctly calculated (except for arithmetic mistakes)

Part (c) is partially correct if only one of these is correctly computed(except for
arithmetic mistakes)

4 Complete Response (3E)

All three parts essentially correct

3 Substantial Response (2E 1P)

Two parts essentially correct and one part partially correct

2 Developing Response (2E 0P or 1E 2P or 3P)

Two parts essentially correct and no parts partially correct
OR
One part essentially correct and two parts partially correct
OR
Three parts partially correct

1 Minimal Response (1E 1P or 1E 0P or 2P)

No parts essentially correct and either zero or one parts partially correct
OR
No parts essentially correct and two parts partially correct

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 Probability
Page 12 of 15

2. Solution

Part (a)
Each girl wins one game if Anna wins first and then Paulina OR if Paulina wins
and then Anna. The probability that they each win one game is
P ( AP or PA) = (.6)(.3) + (.4)(.3) = .18 + .12 = .3
Part (b)
Let X be the number of games Anna wins. She wins 0, 1, or 2 games. The
probability that she wins no games is (.4)(.7) = .28. The probability that she wins 2
games is (.6)(.7) = .42. The probability distribution is given in the table:
X 0 1 2
P(X) .28 .3 .42

Part (c)
x = (0)(.28) + 1(.3) + 2(.42) = 1.14 games
x = (0 1.14) 2 (.28) + (1 1.14) 2 (.3) + (2 1.14) 2 (.42) = .825 games

Scoring

Each part is essentially correct (E), partially correct (P), or incorrect (I).

Part (a) is essentially correct if the probability is correctly calculated AND a formula,
chart, or tree diagram is used to support the answer.

Part (a) is partially correct if

the probability is correctly calculated (except for a minor arithmetic error) but no
supporting work is shown
OR
the probability is not correctly calculated because students used one of (.6)(.3) or
(.4)(.3) but supporting work is shown. The calculation is incorrect if the student
uses the formula P ( A B ) as if the events were not disjoint.

Part (b) is essentially correct if the student shows the possible number of games won by
Anna AND the correct associated probabilities. If the probability in part (a) was incorrect
then reasonable values for the remaining probabilities can be counted as correct.

Part (b) is partially correct if the student shows the possible number of games won but
does not have the correct probabilities (except as noted above).

Part (c) is essentially correct if both the mean and standard are calculated correctly AND
work is shown, with the exception of minor arithmetic errors.

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 Probability
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Part (c) is partially correct if either the mean or standard deviation is calculated correctly
AND the work is shown. If the variance is reported instead of the standard deviation the
question is scored a P.

Part (c) is incorrect if both the mean and standard deviation are calculated incorrectly OR
no work is shown.

4 Complete Response (3E)

All three parts essentially correct

3 Substantial Response (2E 1P)

Two parts essentially correct and one part partially correct

2 Developing Response (2E 0P or 1E 2P or 3P)

Two parts essentially correct and no parts partially correct
OR
One part essentially correct and two parts partially correct
OR
Three parts partially correct

1 Minimal Response (1E 1P or 1E 0P or 2P)

No parts essentially correct and either zero or one parts partially correct
OR
No parts essentially correct and two parts partially correct

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 Probability
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3. Solution

Part(a)
167
P (black car ) = = .4395
380
Part (b)
20
P (black car faculty member ) = = .1667
120

Part (c)
If color choice and college role were independent, then the answers in part(a) and
part (b) would be equal. Since these probabilities are not equal, role and color choice are
not independent for those in this sample.

Part (a) is essentially correct (E) (may be minor arithmetic errors) or incorrect (I)

Part (b) is essentially correct if the conditional probability is correctly calculated.

Part (b) is partially correct if:

the student reverses the conditioning, calculating P( facultymember black car )
OR
147
calculates the correct probability for the wrong column, e.g.
260
20
Part (b) is incorrect if the student calculates the joint probability:
380

Part (c) is essentially correct if

the student indicated that the variables are not independent
AND
the explanation is tied to the fact that the probabilities in part (a) and part (b) are
not equal.

Part (c) is partially correct if the student indicates that the variables are not independent,
but the explanation is incorrect or not based on parts (a) and (b)

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 Probability
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Part (c) is incorrect if

the student fails to give a numerical justification to support the argument
OR
does one of the following
Performs an incorrect additional calculation
Says the variables are independent based on context
Performs a chi-square test of independence
Only states yes with no attempt at justification

4 Complete Response (EEE)

All three parts essentially correct

3 Substantial Response (EEP, EPE, EPP, IEE)

Part (a) essentially correct and parts (b) and (c) at least partially correct
OR
Part (a) incorrect and parts (b) and (c) essentially correct

2 Developing Response (EEI, EIE, EPI, EIP, IEP, IPE, IPP)

Part (a) essentially correct and one of parts (b) and (c) essentially correct
OR
Part (a) incorrect and both parts (b) and (c) at least partially correct

1 Minimal Response (EII, IPI, IIP, IEI, IIE)

Part (a) essentially correct and parts (b) and (c) incorrect
OR
Part (a) incorrect and one of parts (b) and (c) at least partially correct

Copyright 2008 Laying the Foundation, Inc., Dallas, Texas. All rights reserved.
These materials may be used for face-to-face teaching with students only.