Exercise 10 8: Solving probability problems using the fundamental counting

principle
1. A music group plans a concert tour in South Africa. They will perform in Cape
Town, Port Elizabeth, Pretoria, Johannesburg, Bloemfontein, Durban and East
London.
a) In how many different orders can they plan their tour if there are no restric-
tions?
b) In how many different orders can they plan their tour if their tour begins in
Cape Town and ends in Durban?
c) If the tour cities are chosen at random, what is the probability that their per-
formances in Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Durban and East London happen
consecutively? Give your answer correct to 3 decimal places.
2. A certain restaurant has the following course options available for a three-course
set menu:
STARTERS MAINS DESSERTS
Calamari salad Fried chicken Ice cream and chocolate sauce
Oysters Crumbed lamb chops Strawberries and cream
Fish in garlic sauce Mutton Bobotie Malva pudding with custard
Chicken schnitzel Pears in brandy sauce
Vegetable lasagne
Chicken nuggets
a) How many different set menus are possible?
b) What is the probability that a set menu includes a chicken course?
3. Eight different pairs of jeans and 5 different shirts hang on a rail.
a) In how many different ways can the clothes be arranged on the rail?
b) In howmany ways can the clothing be arranged if all the jeans hang together
and all the shirts hang together?
c) What is the probability, correct to three decimal places, of the clothing
being arranged on the rail with a shirt at one end and a pair of jeans at the
other?
4. A photographer places eight chairs in a row in his studio in order to take a
photograph of the debating team. The team consists of three boys and ve girls.
a) In how many ways can the debating team be seated?
b) What is the probability that a particular boy and a particular girl sit next to
each other?
5. If the letters of the word COMMITTEE are randomly arranged, what is the prob-
ability that the letter arrangements start and end with the same letter?
6. Four different Mathematics books, three different Economics books and two dif-
ferent Geography books are arranged on a shelf. What is the probability that all
the books of the same subject are arranged next to each other?
7. A number plate is made up of three letters of the alphabet (excluding F and S)
followed by three digits from 0 to 9. The numbers and letters can be repeated.
Calculate the probability that a randomly chosen number plate:
a) starts with the letter D and ends with the digit 3.
b) has precisely one D.
c) contains at least one 5.
439 Chapter 10. Probability