PROBABILITY

1. Tickets numbered 1 to 20 are mixed up and then a ticket is drawn at random. What is the probability that the
ticket drawn has a number which is a multiple of 3 or 5?
8 9
A 1 2
B. C. 1 D. 2
. 2 5
5 0
Answer: Option D
Explanation:
Here, S = {1, 2, 3, 4, ...., 19, 20}.
Let E = event of getting a multiple of 3 or 5 = {3, 6 , 9, 12, 15, 18, 5, 10, 20}.

P(E) = n(E) = 9 .
n(S) 20
2. A bag contains 2 red, 3 green and 2 blue balls. Two balls are drawn at random. What is the probability that
none of the balls drawn is blue?
A 10
. 21

B 11
. 21

C 2
. 7

D 5
. 7
Answer: Option A
Explanation:
Total number of balls = (2 + 3 + 2) = 7.
Let S be the sample space.
= Number of ways of drawing 2 balls out of
Then, n(S)
7

= 7C2 `

(7 x 6)
=
(2 x 1)

= 21.

Let E = Event of drawing 2 balls, none of which is blue.

n(E) = Number of ways of drawing 2 balls out of (2 + 3) balls.

= 5 C2

(5 x 4)
=
(2 x 1)

= 10.

P(E) = n(E) = 10.

n(S) 21
3. In a box, there are 8 red, 7 blue and 6 green balls. One ball is picked up randomly. What is the probability
that it is neither red nor green?
A 1
 . 3

B 3
. 4

C 7
. 19

D 8
. 21

E 9
. 21
Answer: Option A
Explanation:
Total number of balls = (8 + 7 + 6) = 21.
= event that the ball drawn is neither red nor
Let E
green

= event that the ball drawn is blue.

n(E) = 7.
P(E) n(E) 7 1
= = .
= n(S) 21 3
4. What is the probability of getting a sum 9 from two throws of a dice?
A 1
. 6

B 1
. 8

C 1
. 9

D 1
. 12
Answer: Option C
Explanation:
In two throws of a dice, n(S) = (6 x 6) = 36.
Let E = event of getting a sum ={(3, 6), (4, 5), (5, 4), (6, 3)}.
P(E) n(E) 4 1
= = .
= n(S) 36 9
5. Three unbiased coins are tossed. What is the probability of getting at most two heads?
A 3
. 4

B 1
. 4

C 3
. 8

D 7
. 8
Answer: Option D
Explanation:
Here S = {TTT, TTH, THT, HTT, THH, HTH, HHT, HHH}
Let E = event of getting at most two heads.
Then E = {TTT, TTH, THT, HTT, THH, HTH, HHT}.
n(E) = 7.
 P(E) = n(S) 8
6. Two dice are thrown simultaneously. What is the probability of getting two numbers whose product is
even?
A 1
. 2

B 3
. 4

C 3
. 8

D 5
. 16
Answer: Option B
Explanation:
In a simultaneous throw of two dice, we have n(S) = (6 x 6) = 36.
Then, E = {(1, 2), (1, 4), (1, 6), (2, 1), (2, 2), (2, 3), (2, 4), (2, 5), (2, 6), (3, 2), (3, 4),
(3, 6), (4, 1), (4, 2), (4, 3), (4, 4), (4, 5), (4, 6), (5, 2), (5, 4), (5, 6), (6,
1),
(6, 2), (6, 3), (6, 4), (6, 5), (6, 6)}

n(E) = 27.
P(E) n(E) 27 3
= = .
= n(S) 36 4
7. In a class, there are 15 boys and 10 girls. Three students are selected at random. The probability that 1 girl
and 2 boys are selected, is:
A 21
. 46

B 25
. 117

C 1
. 50

D 3
. 25
Answer: Option A
Explanation:
Let S be the sample space and E be the event of selecting 1 girl and 2 boys.
= Number ways of selecting 3 students out of
Then, n(S)
25

= 25C3 `

(25 x 24 x 23)
=
(3 x 2 x 1)

= 2300.

n(E) = (10C1 x 15C2)

(15 x 14)
= 10 x (2 x 1)

= 1050.
 P(E) n(E) 1050 21
= = .
= n(S) 2300 46
8. In a lottery, there are 10 prizes and 25 blanks. A lottery is drawn at random. What is the probability of
getting a prize?
A 1
. 10

B 2
. 5

C 2
. 7

D 5
. 7
Answer: Option C
Explanation:
10 10 2
P (getting a prize) = = = .
(10 + 25) 35 7

9. From a pack of 52 cards, two cards are drawn together at random. What is the probability of both the cards
being kings?
1
A.
15

25
B.
57

35
C.
256

1
D.
221
Answer: Option D
Explanation:
Let S be the sample space.
(52 x 51)
Then, n(S) = 52C2 = = 1326.
(2 x 1)
Let E = event of getting 2 kings out of 4.

n(E) = 4C2 = (4 x 3) = 6.
(2 x 1)
n(E) 6 1
P(E) = = = .
n(S) 1326 221

10. Two dice are tossed. The probability that the total score is a prime number is:
1
A.
6

5
B.
12

1
C.
2

D. 7
 9
Answer: Option B
Explanation:
Clearly, n(S) = (6 x 6) = 36.
Let E = Event that the sum is a prime number.
Then E = { (1, 1), (1, 2), (1, 4), (1, 6), (2, 1), (2, 3), (2, 5), (3, 2), (3, 4), (4, 1), (4,
3),
(5, 2), (5, 6), (6, 1), (6, 5) }

n(E) = 15.
P(E) n(E) 15 5
= = .
= n(S) 36 12

11. A card is drawn from a pack of 52 cards. The probability of getting a queen of club or a king of heart is:
1
A.
13

2
B.
13

1
C.
26

1
D.
52
Answer: Option C
Explanation:
Here, n(S) = 52.
Let E = event of getting a queen of club or a king of heart.
Then, n(E) = 2.
P(E) n(E) 2 1
= = .
= n(S) 52 26

12. A bag contains 4 white, 5 red and 6 blue balls. Three balls are drawn at random from the bag. The probability
that all of them are red, is:
1
A.
22

3
B.
22

2
C.
91

2
D.
77
Answer: Option C
Explanation:
Let S be the sample space.
= number of ways of drawing 3 balls out of
Then, n(S)
15

= 15C3
 (15 x 14 x 13)
=
(3 x 2 x 1)

= 455.

Let E = event of getting all the 3 red balls.

n(E) = 5C3 = 5C2 = (5 x 4) = 10.

(2 x 1)
P(E) n(E) 10 2
= = .
= n(S) 455 91

13. Two cards are drawn together from a pack of 52 cards. The probability that one is a spade and one is a
heart, is:
3
A.
20

29
B.
34

47
C.
100

13
D.
102
Answer: Option D
Explanation:
Let S be the sample space.
(52 x 51)
Then, n(S) = 52C2 = = 1326.
(2 x 1)
Let E = event of getting 1 spade and 1 heart.

n(E) = number of ways of choosing 1 spade out of 13 and 1 heart out of

13

= (13C1 x 13C1)

= (13 x 13)

= 169.

P(E) = n(E) = 169 = 13 .

n(S) 1326 102

14. One card is drawn at random from a pack of 52 cards. What is the probability that the card drawn is a face
card (Jack, Queen and King only)?
1
A.
13

3
B.
13

1
C.
4

9
D.
52
 Answer: Option B
Explanation:
Clearly, there are 52 cards, out of which there are 12 face cards.

P (getting a face card) = 12 = 3 .

52 13

15. A bag contains 6 black and 8 white balls. One ball is drawn at random. What is the probability that the ball
drawn is white?
3
A.
4

4
B.
7

1
C.
8

3
D.
7
Answer: Option B
Explanation:
Let number of balls = (6 + 8) = 14.
Number of white balls = 8.
8 4
P (drawing a white ball) = = .
14 7