Chapter 17 Probability TMJC 2023

JC2 H2 Mathematics (9758)

Chapter 17 Probability
Tutorial Questions
Tutorial Questions

1 N2010 (9740)/P2/8
The digits 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 are arranged randomly to form a five-digit number. No digit is
repeated. Find the probability that
(i) the number is greater than 30 000, [1]
(ii) the last two digits are both even, [2]
(iii) the number is greater than 30 000 and odd. [4]

2 N2013 (9740)/P2/11
A machine is used to generate codes consisting of three letters followed by two digits.
Each of the three letters generated is equally likely to be any of the twenty-six letters of
the alphabet A-Z. Each of the two digits generated is equally likely to be any of the nine
digits 1-9. The digit 0 is not used. Find the probablity that a randomly chosen code has
(i) three different letters and two different digits, [2]
(ii) the second digit higher than the first digit, [2]
(iii) exactly two letters the same or two digits the same, but not both, [4]
(iv) exactly one vowel (A, E, I, O or U) and exactly one even digit. [4]

3 N2000 (9233)/P2/11
In a probability experiment, three containers have the following contents.
A jar contains 2 white dice and 3 black dice.
A white box contains 5 red balls and 3 green balls.
A black box contains 4 red balls and 3 green balls.
One die is taken at random from the jar. If the die is white, two balls are taken from the
white box, at random and without replacement. If the die is black, two balls are taken
from the black box, at random and without replacement. Events W and M are defined as
follows.
W: A white die is taken from the jar.
M: One red ball and one green ball are obtained.
15
Show that P(M| W) = .
28
Find, giving each of your answers as exact fraction in its lowest terms,
(i) P M  W  (ii) P(W | M) (iii) P W  M 

All the dice and balls are now placed in a single container, and four objects are taken at
random, each object being replaced before the next one is taken. Find the probability that
one object of each colour is obtained.

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Chapter 17 Probability TMJC 2023

4 N2016 (9740)/P2/5
In a game of chance, a player has to spin a fair spinner. The spinner has 7 sections and an
arrow which has an equal chance of coming to rest over any of the 7 sections. The spinner
has 1 section labelled R, 2 sections labelled B and 4 sections labelled Y (see diagram).

Y Y
R B

Y Y
B

The player then has to throw one of three fair six-sided dice, coloured red, blue or yellow.
If the spinner comes to rest over R the red die is thrown, if the spinner comes to rest over
B the blue die is thrown and if the spinner comes to rest over Y the yellow die is thrown.
The yellow die has one face with  on it, the blue die has two faces with  on it and the
red die has three faces with  on it. The player wins the game if the die thrown comes to
rest with a face showing  uppermost.
(i) Find the probability that a player wins a game. [2]
(ii) Given that a player wins a game, find the probability that the spinner came to rest
over B. [1]
(iii) Find the probability that a player wins 3 consecutive games, each time throwing a
die of a different colour. [2]

5 N2014 (9740)/P2/10
A game has three sets of ten symbols, and one symbol from each set is randomly chosen
to be displayed on each turn. The symbols are as follows.
Set 1 + + + + × × × o o ★

Set 2 + + + × o o o o ★ ★

Set 3 + + × × × × o o o ★

For example, if a + symbol is chosen from set 1, a o symbol is chosen from set 2 and a ★
symbol is chosen from set 3, the display would be + o ★.
(i) Find the probability that, on one turn,
(a) ★★★ is displayed, [1]
(b) at least one ★ symbol is displayed [2]
(c) two × symbols and one + symbol are displayed, in any order [3]
(ii) Given that exactly one of the symbols displayed is ★, find the probability that the
other two symbols are + and o . [4]

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Chapter 17 Probability TMJC 2023

1 1 3
6 For events A and B, it is given that P(A)  , P(A B)  and P(A  B )  . Find
2 3 5
(i) P( A  B),
(ii) P(B A ' ),
(iii) P(A B ' ).
1
For a third event C, it is given that P(A  C )  and that A and C are independent.
8
(iv) Find P  C | A '  .

State, with a reason in each case, whether

(v) A and B are independent,
(vi) A and C are mutually exclusive.

7 N2013 (9740)/P2/8
For events A and B it is given that P  A  0.7 , P  B | A'   0.8 and P  A | B'   0.88 .
Find
(i) P( B  A' ) , [1]
(ii) P( A'  B' ) , [2]
(iii) P( A  B ) . [3]

8 2015/DHS/P2/9
For independent events A and B, it is given that P( A  B)  0.05 and P( A  B)  0.55.
(i) Find P( A) and P( B ) if P( A)  P(B). [4]
For a third event C, P(C ) = 0.5 and P ( A '  B ' | C ) = 0.95.
(ii) Find P( A  B  C ). [3]
(iii) State, with reason, whether the events A and C are mutually exclusive. [1]

9 N2009 (9740)/P2/7
Camera lenses are made by two companies, A and B. 60% of all lenses are made by A and
the remaining 40% by B. 5% of the lenses made by A are faulty. 7% of the lenses made
by B are faulty.
(i) One lens is selected at random. Find the probability that
(a) it is faulty, [2]
(b) it was made by A, given that it is faulty. [1]
(ii) Two lenses are selected at random. Find the probability that
(a) exactly one of them is faulty, [2]
(b) both were made by A, given that exactly one is faulty. [3]

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Chapter 17 Probability TMJC 2023

10 N2009 (9740)/P2/7
A company buys p% of its electronic components from supplier A and the remaining
100  p  % from supplier B. The probability that a randomly chosen component supplied
by A is faulty is 0.05. The probability that a randomly chosen component supplied by B
is faulty is 0.03.
(i) Given that p  25 , find the probability that a randomly chosen component is faulty.
[2]

(ii) For a general value of p, the probability that a randomly chosen component is faulty
0.05 p
was supplied by A is denoted by f  p  . Show that f  p   . Prove by
0.02 p  3
differentiation that f is an increasing function for 0  p  100 , and explain what this
statement means in the context of the question. [6]

Challenge Yourself
11 N2018 (9758)/P2/7
The events A, B and C are such that P(A) = a, P(B) = b and P(C) = c. A and B are
independent events. A and C are mutually exclusive events.
(i) Find an expression for P  A ' B '  and hence prove that A ' and B ' are independent
events. [2]
(ii) Find an expression for P  A ' C ' . Draw a Venn diagram to illustrate the case when
A ' and C ' are also mutually exclusive events. (You should not show event B on
your diagram.) [2]
2 1
You are now given that A ' and C ' are not mutually exclusive, P  A  , P  B  C  
5 5
1
and P  A ' B ' C '   .
10
(iii) Find exactly the maximum and minimum possible values of P  A  B  . [4]

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Chapter 17 Probability TMJC 2023

Answer Key

1 3 1 7
(i) (ii) (iii)
5 10 20
2 400 4 1201
(i) (ii) (iii) (iv) 0.186
507 9 6084
3 3 5 26
(i) (ii) (iii) ; 0.0486
14 13 35
4 11 4 4
(i) (ii) (iii)
42 11 1029
5 71
(i)(a) 0.002 (i)(b) 0.352 (i)(c) 0.0580 (ii)
306
6 1 1 3 1
(i) (ii) (iii) (iv) (v) Not independent (vi) Not mutually exclusive
5 5 7 4
7 (i) 0.24 (ii) 0.06 (iii) 0.26
8 (i) P( A)  0.1 ; P( B )  0.5 (ii) 0.025 (iii) Not mutually exclusive
9 (i)(a) 0.058 (i)(b) 0.517 (ii)(a) 0.109272 (ii)(b) 0.313
10 7
(i)
200
11 (i) P  A ' B '   1  a  b  ab
(ii) P  A ' C '  1  a  c
2 1
(iii) Minimum is , Maximum is .
15 3

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