New Century Mathematics (Second Edition)

S3 Question Bank
3B Chapter 12 Introduction to Probability

Level 3

<code=10194292>
<bk=3B><ch=12><ex=12A><type=L3><mark=6><title=10194292><content>
Jason has a dictionary of 720 pages with page numbers from 1 to 720 inclusive. He chooses a page
at random to read. Find the probability that the page number of the page chosen is neither a
multiple of 5 nor a multiple of 9.
(6 marks)
Solution:
Total number of possible outcomes = 720 1M
720
Number of page numbers which are multiples of 5 = = 144 1M
5
720
Number of page numbers which are multiples of 9 = = 80
9
∵ The L.C.M. of 5 and 9 is 45. 1M
720
∴ Number of page numbers which are the common multiples of 5 and 9 = = 16
45
Number of page numbers which are multiples of 5 or multiples of 9
= 144 + 80 – 16 1M
= 208
Number of favourable outcomes = 720 – 208 1M
= 512
512
∴ The required probability =
720
32
= 1A
45

<end>

© OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS 2017 3B Chapter 12 Level 3 P.42

<code=10194302>
<bk=3B><ch=12><ex=12A><type=L3><mark=7><title=10194302><content>
A bag contains red balls and blue balls only. If a ball is randomly drawn from the bag, the
3
probability of drawing a red ball is greater than that of drawing a blue ball.
4
(a) Find the ratio of the number of red balls to that of blue balls in the bag.
(b) Frank adds 6 blue balls into the bag. If a ball is randomly drawn from the bag, the probability
2
of drawing a blue ball is less than . Find the least possible number of red balls in the bag.
5
(7 marks)
Solution:
Let n and m be the original numbers of red balls and blue balls in the bag respectively.
(a) Total number of possible outcomes = n + m 1M
3
∵ P(red ball) =  P (blue ball)
4
n 3 m
∴ =  1M
nm 4 nm
nm 3
=
nm 4
4n – 4m = 3n + 3m
n = 7m
n 7
=
m 1
∴ The required ratio is 7 : 1. 1A

(b) From (a), we have n = 7m.

New total number of balls = n + m + 6
= 7m + m + 6 1M
= 8m + 6
New total number of blue balls = m + 6
2
∵ P(blue ball) <
5
m6 2
∴ < 1M
8m  6 5
5m + 30 < 16m + 12
11m > 18
18
m> 1A
11
∴ The least possible value of m is 2.
∴ The least possible value of n = 2  7 = 14
i.e. The least possible number of red balls is 14. 1A
<end>

© OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS 2017 3B Chapter 12 Level 3 P.43

<code=10194316>
<bk=3B><ch=12><ex=12B><type=L3><mark=6><title=10194316><content>
The ages of seven students are 5, 9, 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18. Two students are chosen randomly at the
same time from these seven students. Find the probability that the median age of the five
remaining students is 12.
(6 marks)
Solution:
The table below lists out all the possible outcomes of the ages of the two students chosen.
Age of the 2nd student chosen
5 9 10 12 14 16 18
enoschtenudst1stethofeAg

5  (5 , 9) (5 , 10) (5 , 12) (5 , 14) (5 , 16) (5 , 18)

9 (9 , 5)  (9 , 10) (9 , 12) (9 , 14) (9 , 16) (9 , 18)
10 (10 , 5) (10 , 9)  (10 , 12) (10 , 14) (10 , 16) (10 , 18)
12 (12 , 5) (12 , 9) (12 , 10)  (12 , 14) (12 , 16) (12 , 18)
14 (14 , 5) (14 , 9) (14 , 10) (14 , 12)  (14 , 16) (14 , 18)
16 (16 , 5) (16 , 9) (16 , 10) (16 , 12) (16 , 14)  (16 , 18)
18 (18 , 5) (18 , 9) (18 , 10) (18 , 12) (18 , 14) (18 , 16)  1M+1A
Total number of possible outcomes = 6  7 = 42 1M
If the new median age is 12, then one of the students chosen is younger than 12, and the other is
older than 12. 1M
∴ Number of favourable outcomes = 18 1M
18
The required probability =
42
3
= 1A
7
<end>

<code=10194345>
<bk=3B><ch=12><ex=12B><type=L3><mark=9><title=10194345><content>
(a) The figure shows an equilateral triangle of side 3 m. Find its area.

3m
(Leave the radical sign ‘ ’ in the answer.)
(b) The figure shows a piece of grassland in the shape of a semi-circle, where its diameter PQ is
6 m. A dog is tied to a vertical pole at P by a string of length 3 m.

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 (i) The dog moves randomly inside the grassland. Using the result of (a), find the area of the
region that can be reached by the dog.
(ii) Suppose the dog moves to a point X at random. Find the probability that XPQ  30.
(Give the answers correct to 3 significant figures.)
(9 marks)
Solution:
(a) Refer to the notations in the figure.

In △ABN,
AN
sin ABN = 1M
AB
AN
sin 60 =
3m
3 3
AN = m
2
1 3 3 2
∴ The required area =  3 m
2 2
9 3 2
= m 1A
4

centre of the grassland, and

SO
(b) (i) The shaded region below consists of all the possible positions of the dog, where O is the

is drawn using P as the centre and 3 m (i.e. the length of

the string) as the radius.

1M

3m 3m

3m

The required area = area of sector POS + area of sector SPO – area of △POS

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  60 9 3 
=  2  360  π  3 2  4  m2 1M+1M
 
2
= 5.53 m , cor. to 3 sig. fig. 5.527 7 1A

(ii) The shaded region PTO as shown below consists of all the possible positions of X such that

XPQ  30. The region is a sector with angle of the sector 30 and radius 3 m.

3m

30

30
 π  32 m 2
∴ The required probability = 360 1M+1M
5.527 7 m 2
= 0.426, cor. to 3 sig. fig. 1A
<end>

<code=10194376>
<bk=3B><ch=12><ex=12C><type=L3><mark=9><title=10194376><content>
There are 2 000 candidates in an examination. If one of the candidates is chosen randomly, the
11
probability of choosing a female candidate is .
20
(a) Find the number of male candidates in the examination.
(b) In a survey, 50 male candidates and 50 female candidates are chosen randomly. Their results
in the examination are shown below.
Pass Fail
Male candidates 18 32
Female candidates 24 26
Based on the results of the survey, estimate the passing rate of the examination.
(9 marks)
Solution:
(a) Let x be the number of female candidates.
x 11
2 000
=
20

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 1M
11  2 000
x=
20
= 1 100
∴ Number of male candidates
= 2 000  1 100 1M
= 900 1A

(b) Let m be the number of male candidates who pass the examination.
Assume that
experimental probability  theoretical probability
18 m
 1M
50 900
18  900
m
50
= 324
∴ The number of male candidates who pass the examination is approximately 324. 1A
Let n be the number of female candidates who pass the examination.
Assume that
experimental probability  theoretical probability
24 n
 1 100 1M
50
24  1 100
n
50
= 528
∴ The number of female candidates who pass the examination is approximately 528. 1A
324  528
∴ Passing rate   100% 1M
2 000
= 42.6% 1A
<end>

<code=10194482>
<bk=3B><ch=12><ex=12D><type=L3><mark=7><title=10194482><content>

Sector A
Sector D

Sector B
Sector C

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The figure shows the circular wheel in a fair game. David pays $15.8 to turn the wheel once and
gets the prize indicated by the pointer. The prize is awarded according to the table below.
Sector A B C D
Angle of sector 108 42 75 135
Prize $(x + 2) $3x $9 $x
Find the probability that David loses money in the game.
(7 marks)
Solution:
The prize obtained and the corresponding probability for each possible outcome are as follows:
Sector A B C D
Prize $(x + 2) $3x $9 $x
108 3 42 7 75 5 135 3
Probability    
360 10 360 60 360 24 360 8 1M+1A
∵ The game is fair.
∴ Cost of playing the game = expected value of the prize obtained
3 7 5 3
15.8 = ( x  2)  3x   9  x 1M+1M
10 60 24 8
99 41x
15.8 = 
40 40
x = 13 1A
∴ Prize for sector A = $(13 + 2) = $15
Prize for sector B = $3  13 = $39
Prize for sector D = $13
P(losing money) = P(prize < $15.8)
sum of the angles of sectors A, C and D
= 1M
360
108  75  135
=
360
53
= 1A
60

<end>

© OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS 2017 3B Chapter 12 Level 3 P.48