Tecnológico de Monterrey

PM6014 Mathematics for Decision Making

Activity Compound Events
Compiled by Ing. Rosario Imelda González Canales
Translated by Lic. Anilú Soriano
Sources
Miller, Charles D et. Al. Matematical Ideas.11th. edition. USA: Pearson,
2006
Mendenhall,William et Al. Introducción a la Probabilidad y Estadística. 1ª
Edición. México: Thomson,2002

INSTRUCTIONS: In each of the following exercises, find the sample space S in order to calculate
the probability.

1. A person tosses a fair coin twice.

a) Give the sample space.
S = {h, t}
b) Find the probability of tossing two tails.
P(T) = 2/4 = ½ = 0.25
c) Find the probability of tossing one head and one tail.
P(H or T) = ¼ = 0.5

2. There were 999 tickets issued for a raffle.

a) If a person buys one tickets, which is his or her probability of winning the prize?
P(W) = 1/999 = 0.001
b) If a person buys ten tickets, which is his or her probability of winning the raffle?
P(W) = 10/999 = 0.010

3. A card is chosen randomly from a deck of cards (containing 13 red diamonds, 13 black
clubs, 13 red hearts and 13 black spades). Determine: (A,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,j,Q,K)
S: {A,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,J,Q,K,R,B}
a) P(5) b) P(red 10)
P(5) = 4/52 = 0.07 P(R10) = 2/52 = 0.038
c) P(odd number) d) P(queen of hearts or J of diamonds)
P(O) = 16/52 = 0.307 P(Q or J) = 1/52 + 1/52 = 2/52 = 0.038

4. A roulette is separated in 10 equal areas that are numbered and have different colors, as
follow: 1-red, 2-purple, 3-yellow, 4-green, 5-yellow, 6-purple, 7-red, 8-yellow, 9-green,10-
yellow. Determine the following probabilities:
S: {1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,R,P,Y,G}
a) P(multiple of 3) b) P(even smaller than 8)
P(3) = 2/10 = 0.2 P(E) = 3/10 = 0.3
c) P(odd or purple) d) P(red or yellow)
P(O or P) = 5/10 + 2/10 = 7/10 = 0.7 P(R or Y) = 2/10 + 4/10 = 6/10 = 0.6

5. A tombola contains 70 dimes, 100 nickels, 80 quarters and 50 dollar coins. If one coin is
drawn randomly, find the probability, for the coin to be:
S = {D, N, Q, $}
a) A quarter b) A nickel
P(Q) = 80/300 = 0.26 P(N) = 100/300 = 0.33
c) A dime d) A quarter or a dime
P(D) = 70/300 = 0.23 P(Q or D) = 80/300 + 70/300 = 150/300 = 0.5

1/3
6. A pair of dice are thrown, and their sum has been observed. Find the probability for the
sum to be:
S: {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12}
a) P(less than 7) b) P(less or equal 8)
P(¿7) = 6/12 = 0.5 P(≤ 8) = 8/12 = 0.66
c) P(greater than 12) d) P(greater than 1)
P(≥ 12) = 0 P(¿11) = 11/12 = 0.91
e) P(between 5 and 10) f) P(between 2 and 9)
P(5 and 10) = 6/12 = 0.5 P(2 and 9) = 8/12 = 0.66

7. If someone was born on April. What is the probability that his or her birthday is on 29 th?
P(A) = 1/30 = 0.03

8. If a computer selects a random letter from the word “Parangaracutirimicuaro”, find the
probability for the letter to be:
S: {P, A, R, N, G, R, C, U, T, I, M, O}

a) P(a) = 5/22 = 0.22

b)P(v) = 0
c) P(vowel) = 11/22 = 0.5
d) P(consonant) = 11/22 = 0.5
e)P(r) = 4/22 = 0.18

9. Three coins are tossed, which is the probability of tossing at least one heads.

S = {1H, 1T, 2H, 2T, 3H, 3T}

P =1H2H3H, 1H2H3T, 1H2T3H, 1H2T3T, 1T2H3H, 1T2H3T, 1T2T3T, 1T2T3H

P(H) = ⅞ = 0.875

10. Among a group of students in the Calculus class, the following information was gathered:
1. 25 have a girlfriend or boyfriend (according to the gender).
2. 30 live in Monterrey
3. 8 passed the TOEFL test and live in Monterrey
4. 5 passed the TOEFL test, do not have neither a girlfriend nor a boyfriend, and
live in Monterrey.
5. 4 have a boyfriend or girlfriend, passed the TOEFL test and do not live in
Monterrey.
6. 9 Live in the Monterrey, do not have neither a girlfriend nor a boyfriend, and did
not pass the TOEFL test.
7. 6 do not have a girlfriend/boyfriend, are not from Monterrey, and did not pass the
TOEFL.
There are no students who have passed the TOEFL, are not from Monterrey and do not
have a boyfriend or girlfriend.
S = {BG, M, T}
If a student is chosen randomly. Answer the following:
a) What is the probability of him/her having a boyfriend or girlfriend?
P(BG) = 29/87 = 0.33
b) What is the probability of not being from Monterrey?

2/3
 P(M) = 35/87 = 0.40
c) What is the probability of student passing the TOEFL and being from Monterrey?
P(T and M) = 13/87 = 0.14

3/3