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Typical Test Problems (With Solutions)
Typical Test Problems (With Solutions)
(with solutions)
4. The probabilities that a husband and wife will be alive 30 years from now
are given by 0.7 and 0.8 respectively. Find the probability that in 20 years (a)
both (b) neither (c) at least one, will be alive.
Answer (a) 0.56; (b) 0.06 (c) 0.94
5. Four different mathematics books, six different physics books, and two
different chemistry books are to be arranged on a shelf. How many different
arrangements are possible if (a) the books in each particular subject must
all stand together. (b) only the mathematics books must stand together
Answer: (a) 6!*4!*2*3!= 207360; (b) 12-4+1= 9; 9!4!= 8709120
6. An urn contains 6 red and 8 blue marbles. Five marbles are drawn at random
from it without replacement. Find the probability that 3 are red and 2 are blue.
Answer: C6,3 C8,2/C14,5=0.27972
Some comments This problem caused a very productive discussion in one of my
classes. The counterargument to our solution sounded as follows:
Lets consider one sequence of choices leading to 3 r and 2 b balls. Its probability is:
P(r,r,r,b,b)= (6/14)(5/13)(4/12)(8/11)(7/10). For any other sequence
(such as r-b-r-b-r) the probability is the same. For instance,
P(r,b,r,b,r)= (6/14)(8/13)(5/12)(7/11)(4/10) = P(r,r,r,b,b) = 0.027972 . Based
on this, it was suggested that this probability (which turned to be 1/10 of the previous
result), gives the correct answer to our problem.
This error has a historical parallel , the famous D Alamberts assertion.
DAlambert did not notice that the Head and Tail event for 2 coins corresponds to
two outcomes: HT and TH. However, DAlambert wrongly suggested that the
probability of H and T is 1/3, while our students calculated the probabilities of each
sequence correctly. They simply did not sum up the probabilities of various outcomes
corresponding to the event in question (3 red and 2 blue).
In our case, the number of outcomes is the number of possible
arrangements of 3 r and 2 b marbles: C5,3=C5,2=10. Thus, the total probability is
p(total) =10 P(r,r,r,b,b) = 0.27972.
7 (a) Find the probability of getting the sum 7 on at least one of three tosses
of a pair of fair dice.
(b) How many tosses (n) is needed in order that this probability
(getting 7 in at least 1of n tosses) is greater than 0.95.
Answer: (a) 1-(5/6)=91/216;(b) (5/6)<0.05,n17.
8. The odds in favor of A winning a game of chess against B are 3:2. If three
games are to be played, what are the odds (a) in favor of A winning at least 2
games; (b) against A of losing the first two games to B
Answer: (a) 3(3/5)(2/5)+(3/5)= 81/125 (81:44)(b) 4/25 (4:21)
9. Out of 800 families with 4 children each, how many would be expected to
(a) 2 boys and 2 girls, (b) at least 1 boy (c) no girls (d) at most 2 girls
Answer: the probabilities are: (a)C4,20.54 = 3/8.= 0.375 (b)1-(1/2.)4 =0.9375
(c)(1/2.)4= 0.0625 (d) F= BBBB + BBBG + BBGG; P= 0.375+4*0.0625
+0.0625 = 0.6875. The rest is obvious.
10. A pair of dice is tossed repeatedly. (a) Find the probability that the sum of 11
occurs for the first time on the 6-th toss.
Answer : (1/18)*(17/18)5= 0.262
11. Find the probability of scoring a total of 7 points (a) once, (b) at least once,
(c) twice, in two tosses of a pair of dice.
Answer: (a) 2*(1/6)(5/6)= 5/18 (b) 1-25/36 = 11/36 (c) 1/36
14. 15 students are evenly distributed among three groups. If three of them
are siblings, (a) what is the probability that all three are in the same group?
(b) What is the probability that each group gets one?
Solution: (a) The total number of outcomes: N=15!/(5!5!5!). The positive
outcomes are: 3 12!/(2!5!5!) (If you put all 3 in one of the groups, than you
have to distribute other 12 in the groups of 5,5,and 2. And then it should be
multiplied by 3.) (b) 3! 12!/(4!4!4!)
15. In how many ways can 4 boys and 4 girls pair off? In how many ways can they
stay in a row in alternating gender?
Answer: (a) 4! (b) 2*4! 4!