CHAPTER
Probability
NUMBER OF QUESTIONS
2006 2007 2008 2009
2004
2005
FORM 5 (Paper 1)
07 Probability
FORM 5 (Paper 2)
06 Probability
2010
2011
Probability of an Event
Sample space, S is a set of all possible outcomes of an experiment.
Example :
(a) When a dice is rolled, all possible outcomes are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6
S = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6}
n(S) = 6
(b) When a coin is tossed, all possible outcomes are Head H and
Tail T
S = {H, T}
n(S) = 2
Event is the set of outcomes which satisfy certain conditions.
Example :
(a) A is the event that an odd number is obtained when a dice is
rolled.
A = {1, 3, 5}
n(A) = 3
(b) B is the event that an even number is obtained when a dice is
rolled.
B = {2, 4, 6}
n(B) = 3
Date
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n(A)
n(S)
n(A)
n(S)
3
6
1
=
2
=
Date
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TRY THIS
A box contains 6 blue pens, 2 red pens and 7 black pens. A pen is drawn
at random from the box. Calculate the probability of getting a red pen.
Strategy
Determine the number of possible outcomes of sample space, n(S) and
number of outcomes of getting a red pen.
n(A)
Use formulae P(A) =
to calculate the probability of getting a red pen.
n(S)
Solution :
Number of possible outcomes of sample space, n(S)
= Total number of pens
=
Let R = event of getting a red pen
R = {all red pens}
n(R) =
Therefore, the probability of getting a red pen, P(R) =
n(R)
n(S)
=
TRYTry
THIS
This 3
1
. Find
4
Strategy
Determine the number of possible outcomes of sample space, n(S) and
number of outcomes of getting a red marble.
n(A)
Use formulae P(A) =
to find the value of k.
n(S)
Date
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Solution :
Number of possible outcomes of sample space, n(S)
= Total number of marbles
=
Let R = event of getting a red marble
R = {all red marbles}
n(R) =
Given, the probability of obtaining a red marble is
1
4
1
(5 + k) = 5
4
5 1
+ k=5
4 4
1
5
k=5
4
4
1
15
k=
4
4
15 1
k=
4
4
k = 15
Date
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A B means A or B or both
S
A
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Solution
Sample space, S = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8}
n(S) = 8
Let A = event of card chosen has a number less than 5
A = {1, 2, 3, 4}
n(A) = 4
Let B = event of card chosen has an even number
B = {2, 4, 6, 8}
n(B) = 4
A B = {1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8}
n(A B) = 6
A B = {2, 4}
n(A B) = 2
The probability that the card chosen has a number less than 5 or an
even number is given by P(A B)
Method 1 (Set)
n(A B)
n(S)
6
=
8
3
=
4
P(A B) =
Method 2 (Formula)
P(A B) = P(A) + P(B) P(A B)
n(A) n(B) n(A B)
=
+
n(S) n(S)
n(S)
4 4 2
= +
8 8 8
=
Date
3
4
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TRY THIS
P(A)
P(B)
P(A or B)
P(A and B)
Solution
(a) S = {a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, I, j}
n(S) =
A = {a, b, c, d}
n(A) =
n(A)
P(A) =
n(S)
4
=
10
2
=
5
(b)
S = {a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, I, j}
n(S) =
B = {c, d, e, f, g, h}
n(B) =
n(B)
P(B) =
n(S)
6
=
10
3
=
5
Date
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(c)
P(A or B) = P(A B)
A = { a, b, c, d}
B = {c, d, e, f, g, h}
AB=
n(A B) =
AB=
n(A B) =
P(A B) =
(d)
n(A B)
n(S)
8
10
4
5
or
n(S) n(S)
n(S)
2
2 3
= +
5 5 10
4
=
5
=
n(A B)
n(S)
2
10
1
=
5
Date
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In general,
Two events A and B are mutually exclusive if and only if A B = or
AB={ }
P(A B) = 0
Therefore, for two events A and B which are mutually exclusive,
P(A B) = P(A) + P(B)
Example :
A number is chosen at random from a set S = {x : 1 x 20, x is an
integer }. What is the probability of getting an odd number or
multiples of 4?
Strategy
Determine the number of possible outcomes of sample space, n(S),
number of outcomes of getting an odd number [ Let n(A) ], number
of outcomes of getting multiples of 4 [ Let n(B) ], number of outcomes
of getting odd number and multiples of 4 [ Let n(A B) ].
If n(A B) = 0 (mutually exclusive event) then use
P(A B) = P(A) + P(B)
Solution
S = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20}
n(S) = 20
Let A = event of getting an odd number
A = {1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19}
n(A) = 10
Date
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TRY THIS
3
4
Given that A and B are two mutually exclusive events where P(A) =
P(B) =
2
. Find
5
(a)
P(A)
(b)
(c)
(d)
P(B)
P(A B)
P(A B)
1
and
3
Solution
(a) P(A) = 1 P(A)
1
=1
3
2
=
3
(b)
Date
P(B) = 1 P(B)
2
=1
5
3
=
5
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(c)
P(A B) =
(d)
TRY THIS
A and B are two events in which P(A B) = 0.8 and P(A) = 0.55. Find P(B) if
A and B are mutually exclusive.
Solution
Since A and B are mutually exclusive events
P(A B) = P(A) + P(B)
0.8 = 0.55 + P(B)
P(B) = 0.25
TRY THIS
A bag contains 6 blue chips, 5 green chips and 4 yellow chips. A chip is
selected at random from the bag. Find the probability of selecting
(a) a blue chip
(b) a green chip
(c) either a blue chip or a green chip
Solution
(a) Number of possible outcomes of sample space, n(S) =
Let B = event of selecting a blue chip
B = {all blue chips}
n(B) =
n(B)
n(S)
6
=
15
2
=
5
Date
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(b)
n(G)
n(S)
5
15
1
=
3
=
(c)
TRY THIS
The probability that Zhao Ming will win the 100m butterfly swimming
1
2
competition is while the probability that Muthu will win is
. Find the
10
5
probability that
(a) either Zhao Ming or Muthu wins
(b) someone else wins
Date
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Solution
(a)
Let Z = event that Zhao Ming will win the 100m butterfly swimming
competition
P(Z) =
Let M = event that Muthu will win the 100m butterfly swimming
competition
P(M) =
The probability that either Zhao Ming or Muthu wins is given by
P(Z M)
Since Zhao Ming and Muthu cannot win at the same time in the 100m
butterfly swimming competition, therefore the event Z and M are
mutually exclusive events.
P(Z M) = P(Z) + P(M)
1
2
= +
5 10
=
(b)
1
2
Someone else wins means there is another person who win in the
competition (beside Zhao Ming and Muthu)
OR
Someone else wins means either Zhao Ming or Muthu do not win
(Z U M)
The probability that someone else wins is given by :
1 Probability of either Zhao Ming or Muthu wins
1 P(Z M) = 1
1
=
2
Date
1
2
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S
Z
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TRY THIS
5
12
Date
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1
4
3
4
TRY THIS
1
4
A bag contains 3 whites balls, 4 blacks balls and 5 red balls. A ball is drawn
from the bag. Find the probability that the ball is
(a) either black or red
(b) neither white nor black
Solution
(a) Number of possible outcomes of sample space, n(S) =
Let W = event that the ball drawn is white
n(W) =
Let B = event that the ball drawn is black
n(B) =
Let R = event that the ball drawn is red
n(R) =
The probability that the ball is either black or red is given by P(B R)
Date
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Since we cannot get a black ball and a red ball at the same time
when a ball is drawn from the bag, therefore the event B and R are
mutually exclusive events.
P(B R) = P(B) + P(R)
n(B) n(R)
=
+
n(S) n(S)
4
5
+
12 12
3
=
4
(b)
neither white nor black ball is drawn means either white or black is not
drawn (W B)
Number of possible outcomes of sample space, n(S) =
Let W = event that the ball drawn is white
n(W) =
Let B = event that the ball drawn is black
n(B) =
The probability that the ball is either white or black is given by
P(W B) = P(W) + P(B)
n(W) n(B)
=
+
n(S)
n(S)
3
4
+
12 12
7
=
12
=
The probability that the ball is neither white nor black (The probability that
the ball either white or black is not drawn) is given by :
1 Probability that the ball is white or black
= 1 P(A B)
=1
=
5
12
Date
7
12
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Red Balls
4
7
Yellow Balls
5
3
The table shows two boxes A and B which contained red and yellow
balls. A ball is drawn at random from each box, find the probability
that
(a) a red ball is drawn from box A and a yellow ball is drawn from
box B.
(b) both balls drawn are yellow.
(c) both balls drawn are of different colour.
Date
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Solution
(a)
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Tree Diagram
Box A
4
9
5
9
Box B
Outcomes
Probability
7
10
RR
4
7
14
x
=
45
9 10
3
10
RY
4
3
2
x
=
9 10 15
7
10
YR
5
7
7
x
=
9 10 18
3
10
YY
5
3
1
x
=
9 10
6
(b)
(c)
Example 2 :
The probability that Amin and Zaki win in a table tennis match are
and
3
respectively. Find the probability that
4
(a)
Date
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(b)
1
3
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Solution
Let A = event that Amin win in a table tennis match
1
P(A) =
3
Let Z = event that Zaki win in a table tennis match
P(Z) =
(a)
3
4
The probability that both of them win = P(Amin and Zaki win)
P(A Z) = P(A) x P(Z)
1 3
= x
3 4
=
(b)
1
4
3
4
3 1
=
4 4
Date
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1 1 2 3
x + x
3 4 3 4
1
1
=
+
12 2
7
=
12
=
Example 3 :
The probability that Selina is chosen as a school traffic warden is
while the probability that Anne is chosen is
1
3
7
. Find the probability
12
that
(a) neither of them is chosen as a school traffic warden
(kedua-dua mereka tidak dipilih sebagai warden trafik sekolah)
(b) only one of them is chosen as a school traffic warden
(hanya seorang daripada mereka dipilih sebagai warden trafik
sekolah)
Solution
(a) The probability that neither of them is chosen as a school traffic
warden
= P(Selina is not chosen and Anne is not chosen)
Let S = event that Selina is chosen as a school traffic warden
1
P(S) =
3
S = event that Selina is not chosen as a school traffic
warden
1 2
P(S) = 1 =
3 3
Let A = event that Anne is chosen as a school traffic warden
P(A) =
7
12
Date
7
5
=
12 12
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7
12
7
5
=
12 12
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SPM
2015
Ans : k = 9
Ans : k = 19/66
Date
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(a)
(b)
(a)
Date
(b)
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SPM
2015
Ans : k = 10
Ans : 31/105
Ans : 44/105
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Ans : n = 3
Ans : 1/6
1
. Cari kebarangkalian bahawa
4
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1
dan
4
2
. Cari
3
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Ans : 83/253
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Date
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Date
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