Problem Set #2: Basic Probability

1. The proportions of blood phenotypes A, B, AB, and O in the population of all

Caucasians in the United States are reported as .41, .10, .04, and .45, respectively.1
If a single Caucasian is chosen randomly from the population, what is the
probability that he or she will have either type A or type AB blood?

2. A candy dish contains one yellow and two red candies. You close your eyes, choose
two candies one at a time from the dish, and record their colors. What is the
probability that both candies are red?

3. Three lottery tickets are drawn from a total of 50. If the tickets will be distributed to
each of three employees in the order in which they are drawn, the order will be
important. How many simple events are associated with the experiment?

4. Five cards are selected from a 52-card deck for a poker hand. (a) How many simple
events are in the sample space? (b) A royal flush is a hand that contains the A, K, Q,
J, and 10, all in the same suit. How many ways are there to get a royal flush? (c)
What is the probability of being dealt a royal flush?

5. An oil-prospecting firm plans to drill two exploratory wells. Past evidence is used to
assess the possible outcomes listed in Table 1 below.

Table 1: Outcomes of Oil Drilling Experiment

Event Description Probability
A Neither well produces oil or gas 0.80
B Exactly one well produces oil or gas 0.18
C Both wells produce oil or gas 0.02