Probability

Probability

Probability is a measure of likelihood that an event will

occur.

Example: Tossing a coin: When a coin is tossed, there are two

possible outcomes : either heads (H) or tails (T). We say that
the probability of the coin landing H is ½. And the
probability of the coin landing T is ½
TERMINOLOGY
Random Experiment: Experiments whose outcomes are
unpredictable is known as Random Experiments. For
example: Tossing a coin

Sample Space(S): It is the collection of all possible

outcome of an experiment. Example: In tossing a coin
one time S={H,T}
Event: The outcome of an experiment is known as Event.
Mathematically we can say that event is a subset of sample
space.

Example: Getting a head while tossing a coin one time is an

event.

Types of Events:

For example If S={1,2,3,4,5,6} and E=[odd no.]={1,3,5}

Then E'=[Even number]={2,4,6}
2. Equally likely Events: If E and F are two events such that
P(E)= P(F) then these are called Equally Likely events. For e.g.
In Tossing a coin probability of coming up of head and tail is
Equal.

3. Mutually Exclusive Event: Two or more events are said to be

mutually exclusive if both cannot occur simultaneously in the
same experiment.

Example: In a throw of single coin, either head can come or tail

can come. There will be no common outcome in those events. It
means E∩F=Φ (null Set)
4. Collective Exhaustive Events: If E and F are two events and
both events gives complete sample space then these are called
Exhaustive events.
EUF=S

5. Independent Events: Two events are said to be independent

of each other when the happening of one event does not affect
the happening of other event and vice versa. Here sample
spaces are different for both cases.

When two events A and B are independent, the probability of

both occurring is:
P(A and B)= P(A). P(B)
Probability: The probability of an event is defined as the ratio
of no. of ways an event can happen to the no. of ways sample
space can happen.

Let S be the sample space and let E be the event.

PROBABILITY= n(E)/n(S)

6. Dependent Events: Two events are dependent if the

outcome or occurrence of the first affects the outcome or
occurrence of the second so that the probability is changed.
When two events, A and B, are dependent, the probability of
both occurring is: 
P(A and B)  =  P(A) · P(B|A)

where P(B|A) is the conditional probability  of an event B in

relationship to an event A is the Probability that event B occurs
given that event A has already occurred.

Example: The probability of choosing a jack on the second pick

given that a queen was chosen on the first pick (without
replacement) is called a conditional probability.
Rules of Probability

1.0 <P (E) <1
2. P(S) = 1 (Definite event)
3. P(Φ) = 0 (Impossible event)
4. If A’ denotes (not-A), then P(A’) = 1 - P(A).
5. For any events A and B we have :
P(AUB) = P(A) + P(B) - P(A∩B)
But for mutually exclusive event P(A∩B)=0

For mutually exclusive events

P(AUB) = P(A) + P(B)
6. P(A∩B)= P(A). P(B/A) = P(B). P(A/B)

7. P(AUBUC)=P(A)+P(B)+P(C)-P(A∩B)-P(B∩C)

-P(C∩A)+P(A∩B∩C)
Coins
One coin {H,T}= 2
Two coins={HH,HT,TH,TT}= 4
Three Coin={HHH,TTT,HHT,TTH,HTH,THT,THH,HTT}= 8
Four Coins={HHHH, TTTT
HHHT, TTTH
HHTH, TTHT
HTHH, THTT
THHH, HTTT,
HHTT, HTTT,
HTTH, HTHT
TTHH, THTH} =16
Question 1: In a simultaneous toss of 2 coins find the
probability of 2 Tails?

[A] 1/2
[B] 1/4
[C] 2/3
[D] 3/4
Question 2: In a simultaneous toss of 2 coins find the
probability of Exactly 1 Tail?

[A] 1/3
[B] 2/3
[C] 3/4
[D] 1/2
Question 3: In a simultaneous toss of 2 coins find the
probability of No Tail?

[A] 1/3
[B] 1/4
[C] 1/2
[D] 2/3
Question 4: In a simultaneous toss of 2 coins find the
probability of No head?

[A] 1/2
[B] 1/4
[C] 1/3
[D] 2/3
Question 5: Three coins are tossed simultaneously. Find the
probability of all are heads.

[A] 1/4
[B] 1/8
[C] 2/3
[D] 5/8
Question 6: Three coins are tossed simultaneously. Find the
probability of exactly two heads.

[A] 1/4
[B] 1/8
[C] 3/8
[D] 5/8
Question 7: Three coins are tossed simultaneously. Find the
probability of at least two heads.

[A] 1/3
[B] 1/8
[C] 1/8
[D] 3/8
Question 8: Three coins are tossed simultaneously. Find the
probability of no heads.

[A] 1/8
[B] 1/4
[C] 1/2
[D] 5/8
Question 9: Three coins are tossed simultaneously. Find the
probability of at least 1 head and 1 tail.

[A] 1/8
[B] 1/4
[C] 3/4
[D] 5/8
Question 10: 4 coins are tossed simultaneously. Find the
probability exactly 3 tails

[A] 1/8
[B] 1/4
[C] 1/2
[D] 5/8
Question 11: 4 coins are tossed simultaneously. Find the
probability at least 1 tail.

[A] 1/16
[B] 1/4
[C] 1/2
[D] 15/16
DICE
When a dice is thrown= {1, 2 , 3, 4, 5, 6}
=6
When two dice are thrown, S = {(1,1),
(1,2),(1,3),(1,4),(1,5),(1,6)
(2,1),(2,2),(2,3),(2,4),
(2,5),(2,6)
(3,1),(3,2),(3,3),(3,4),
(3,5),(3,6)
(4,1),(4,2),(4,3),(4,4),
(4,5),(4,6)
(5,1),(5,2),(5,3),(5,4),
(5,5),(5,6)
(6,1),(6,2),(6,3),(6,4),
(6,5),(6,6)} = 36
Question 1: In a single throw of 2 Dice, What is the probability
of a doublet?

[A] 1/3
[B] 1/36
[C] 1/6
[D] 1/12
Question 2: In a single throw of 2 Dice, What is the probability
of getting sum equals to:

I.5
II.Multiple of 5
III.7
IV.Multiple of 3
V.Greater than 9
Short Cut For Two Dice

SUM 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Fav. 1 2 3 4 5 6 5 4 3 2 1
Question 3: In a simultaneous throw of 3 Dice find the
probability of getting a total of 5.

[A] 1/6
[B] 1/36
[C] 1/216
[D] 5/216
Cards
1. There are four Suits in a deck of
Card viz. Spade, Diamond, Heart,
Club.

2. Red card=26 (13 Diamonds+ 13

Hearts)

3. 3. Black Card= 26 (13 Clubs+13

Spades)

4. Every suit contains 13 cards viz.

Ace, 2 to 10, Jack, Queen, King
Face cards and Honored Card

Note: When ace is included in Face cards the combination is

called Honored card.
Question 1: One card is drawn at random from the well shuffled
pack of 52 cards. What is the probability of picking a black card?

[A] 1/3
[B] 1/2
[C] 1/4
[D] 1/13
Question 2: One card is drawn at random from the well shuffled
pack of 52 cards. What is the probability of picking a Ace of
spades or the jack of diamonds?

[A] 1/52
[B] 1/26
[C] 1/13
[D] 1/4
Question 3: One card is drawn at random from the well shuffled
pack of 52 cards. What is the probability of picking an ace?

[A] 1/13
[B] 1/52
[C] 1/26
[D] 1/4
Question 4: One card is drawn at random from the well shuffled
pack of 52 cards. What is the probability that the card is either a
red card or a King?

[A] 5/13
[B] 7/13
[C] 9/13
[D] 1/52
Question 5: One card is drawn at random from the well
shuffled pack of 52 cards. What is the probability that it is
neither club nor queen?

[A] 4/13
[B] 5/13
[C] 7/13
[D] 9/13
 Balls in a Bag OR marbles in a Bag
Questions 1: .A bag contains 5 red balls and 7 blue balls. Two
balls are drawn at random without replacement, and then find
the probability of that one is red and other is blue.

[A] 33/65
[B] 35/66
[C] 37/66
[D] 41/65
Questions 2: . A urn contains 4 red balls, 5 green balls and 6
white balls, if one ball is drawn at random, find the probability
that it is neither red nor white.

[A] 1/3
[B] 1/4
[C] 1/5
[D] 2/3
Questions 3: . A bag contains 6 red balls and 7 white balls.
Another bag contains 5 red balls and 3 white balls. One ball is
selected from each. Find the probability that one ball is red and
one is white?

[A] 53/104
[B] 47/104
[C] 63/104
[D] 51/104
Questions 4: In a bag there are 4 white, 4 red and 2 green balls.
Two balls are drawn at random. What is the probability that at
least one ball is of red color?

[A] 4/3
[B] 7/3
[C] 1/3
[D] 2/3
Questions 5: . A bag contains 2 red caps, 4 blue caps, 3 yellow
caps and 5 green caps. If three caps are picked at random, what
is the probability that none is green?

[A] 2/13
[B] 3/13
[C] 1/13
[D] 5/13
Questions 6: A bag contains 5 red and 7 white balls. Four balls
are drawn out one by one and not replaced. What is the
probability that they are alternatively of different colors?

[A] 7/99
[B] 11/99
[C] 14/99
[D] 19/99
Questions 7: A basket contains 5 red 4 blue 3 green marbles. If
three marbles picked up random, What is the probability that
either all are green or all are red?

[A] 1/20
[B] 7/20
[C] 3/20
[D] 9/20
Questions 8: A bag contains 3 red balls and 8 blacks ball and
another bag contains 5 red balls and 7 blacks balls, one ball is
drawn at random from either of the bag, find the probability
that the ball is red.

[A] 93/264
[B] 95/264
[C] 91/264
[D] 97/264
Miscellaneous Questions:
Questions 1: A fair dice is rolled twice. The probability that an
odd number will follow on even number is? GATE-2005

[A] 1/2
[B] 1/6
[C] 1/3
[D] 1/4
Questions 2: An examination consists of two papers, Paper1 and
2. The probability of failing in Paper1 is 0.3 and that in paper 2 is
0.2. Given that a student has failed in paper2, the probability of
failing in paper 1 is 0.6. the probability of failing in both the
papers is? GATE-2007

[A] 0.5
[B] 0.18
[C] 0.12
[D] 0.06
Bayes' Theorem:
Let S be the sample space and let E1,E2,E3,……En be n
mutually exclusive and exhaustive events associated with a
random experiment. If A is any event which occurs with E1 or
E2 or E3…or En. then,
Question : A card from a pack of 52 cards is lost. From the
remaining cards of the pack, two cards are drawn and are found
to be both hearts. Find the probability of the lost card being a
heart?

[A] 12/50
[B] 8/50
[C] 11/50
[D] 9/50
Binomial Distribution:
If p is the probability of success of any event and q is the
probability of failure of that event, then probability of event
success x times in n trials( i.e. x success and n-x failure) is
given by:

Where X= Random variable, x= no. of success in n trials

P= probability of success, q= 1-p= probability of failure
Question: Find the probability of getting sum 9 exactly two in
three times with a pair of dice.