Review: probability

Probability, grade 11 (5 units) Lesson 16 of 16Practice

Review: probability

The tool that fits an experiment

The tool to choose depends on the experiment’s structure:

The two-way table – one population and two variables, for example the year group and volunteering. Each cell is an intersection; a conditional probability is a cell divided by the total of its row or column.
The probability tree – an experiment in stages, where the probabilities at a stage depend on what happened before it (choosing without putting back, a box chosen first). A path – a product; an event of several paths – a sum.
Bernoulli’s formula – the same trial $\displaystyle n$ times, independently, with the same probability of success $\displaystyle p$ each time. When $\displaystyle n$ is large the tree is too big, and the formula counts the paths.
The reverse question – what happened at the end is known, and the question is about the start: the paths that answer the question, divided by the probability of what is known.
Independence is tested by $\displaystyle {P(A\cap B)}={P(A)\cdot P(B)}$ ; “at least one” is worked out by the complement.

1

A survey found that 45% of people read the news on a phone, 30% read the news on a computer, and 20% read on both.
A person is chosen at random.

a

What is the probability that the person reads the news on at least one of the two?

/ – fraction bar · Tab or the arrows – between numerator and denominator, then a note above or below · Enter – check and a new line · * – times · ^ – power, ↓ – end of the power

/ – fraction bar · Tab or the arrows – between numerator and denominator, then a note above or below · Enter – a new line · * – times · ^ – power, ↓ – end of the power

b

The person is known to read the news on a computer. What is the probability that the person also reads it on a phone?

/ – fraction bar · Tab or the arrows – between numerator and denominator, then a note above or below · Enter – check and a new line · * – times · ^ – power, ↓ – end of the power

/ – fraction bar · Tab or the arrows – between numerator and denominator, then a note above or below · Enter – a new line · * – times · ^ – power, ↓ – end of the power

c

Are “reads on a phone” and “reads on a computer” independent events? Explain.

2

A factory works in three shifts.
40% of the products are made on the morning shift, 35% on the evening shift, and the rest on the night shift.
2% of the morning shift’s products are defective, 3% of the evening shift’s, and 6% of the night shift’s.
Write the area of each rectangle in the area model, and mark the rectangles of the defective products.

a

What is the probability that a product chosen at random is defective?

/ – fraction bar · Tab or the arrows – between numerator and denominator, then a note above or below · Enter – check and a new line · * – times · ^ – power, ↓ – end of the power

/ – fraction bar · Tab or the arrows – between numerator and denominator, then a note above or below · Enter – a new line · * – times · ^ – power, ↓ – end of the power

b

A defective product was found. What is the probability that it was made on the night shift?

/ – fraction bar · Tab or the arrows – between numerator and denominator, then a note above or below · Enter – check and a new line · * – times · ^ – power, ↓ – end of the power

/ – fraction bar · Tab or the arrows – between numerator and denominator, then a note above or below · Enter – a new line · * – times · ^ – power, ↓ – end of the power

3

A bag holds 5 red balls and 3 blue balls.
3 balls are taken out at random, one after another, without putting back.
Complete the tree.

a

What is the probability that exactly two of the balls are red?

/ – fraction bar · Tab or the arrows – between numerator and denominator, then a note above or below · Enter – check and a new line · * – times · ^ – power, ↓ – end of the power

/ – fraction bar · Tab or the arrows – between numerator and denominator, then a note above or below · Enter – a new line · * – times · ^ – power, ↓ – end of the power

b

At least one of the balls is known to be blue. What is the probability that exactly two of the balls are red?

/ – fraction bar · Tab or the arrows – between numerator and denominator, then a note above or below · Enter – check and a new line · * – times · ^ – power, ↓ – end of the power

/ – fraction bar · Tab or the arrows – between numerator and denominator, then a note above or below · Enter – a new line · * – times · ^ – power, ↓ – end of the power

4

A basketball player scores a free throw with the probability $\displaystyle 0.8$ , independently of other throws.
She takes 6 free throws.

a

What is the probability that she scores exactly 5 throws?

/ – fraction bar · Tab or the arrows – between numerator and denominator, then a note above or below · Enter – check and a new line · * – times · ^ – power, ↓ – end of the power

/ – fraction bar · Tab or the arrows – between numerator and denominator, then a note above or below · Enter – a new line · * – times · ^ – power, ↓ – end of the power

b

What is the probability that she scores at least 5 throws?

/ – fraction bar · Tab or the arrows – between numerator and denominator, then a note above or below · Enter – check and a new line · * – times · ^ – power, ↓ – end of the power

/ – fraction bar · Tab or the arrows – between numerator and denominator, then a note above or below · Enter – a new line · * – times · ^ – power, ↓ – end of the power

c

She is known to have scored at least 5 throws. What is the probability that she scored all 6?

/ – fraction bar · Tab or the arrows – between numerator and denominator, then a note above or below · Enter – check and a new line · * – times · ^ – power, ↓ – end of the power

/ – fraction bar · Tab or the arrows – between numerator and denominator, then a note above or below · Enter – a new line · * – times · ^ – power, ↓ – end of the power

5

A box holds two coins.
One coin is fair, and on the other the probability of heads is $\displaystyle 0.8$ .
A coin is chosen at random and tossed 3 times.

a

What is the probability of exactly two heads?

/ – fraction bar · Tab or the arrows – between numerator and denominator, then a note above or below · Enter – check and a new line · * – times · ^ – power, ↓ – end of the power

/ – fraction bar · Tab or the arrows – between numerator and denominator, then a note above or below · Enter – a new line · * – times · ^ – power, ↓ – end of the power

b

Exactly two heads are known to have come up. What is the probability that the coin chosen is the unfair one?

/ – fraction bar · Tab or the arrows – between numerator and denominator, then a note above or below · Enter – check and a new line · * – times · ^ – power, ↓ – end of the power

/ – fraction bar · Tab or the arrows – between numerator and denominator, then a note above or below · Enter – a new line · * – times · ^ – power, ↓ – end of the power

6

A fair die is thrown $\displaystyle n$ times.
The probability of at least one 6 should be greater than $\displaystyle 0.9$ .

a

Work out the probability of at least one 6 in 12 throws. Round to three decimal places.

/ – fraction bar · Tab or the arrows – between numerator and denominator, then a note above or below · Enter – check and a new line · * – times · ^ – power, ↓ – end of the power

/ – fraction bar · Tab or the arrows – between numerator and denominator, then a note above or below · Enter – a new line · * – times · ^ – power, ↓ – end of the power

b

Work out the probability of at least one 6 in 13 throws. Round to three decimal places.

/ – fraction bar · Tab or the arrows – between numerator and denominator, then a note above or below · Enter – check and a new line · * – times · ^ – power, ↓ – end of the power

/ – fraction bar · Tab or the arrows – between numerator and denominator, then a note above or below · Enter – a new line · * – times · ^ – power, ↓ – end of the power

c

What is the smallest number of throws for which the probability of at least one 6 is greater than $\displaystyle 0.9$ ? Explain.

/ – fraction bar · Tab or the arrows – between numerator and denominator, then a note above or below · Enter – check and a new line · * – times · ^ – power, ↓ – end of the power

/ – fraction bar · Tab or the arrows – between numerator and denominator, then a note above or below · Enter – a new line · * – times · ^ – power, ↓ – end of the power

Formulas: probability, grade 11 (5 units)

The rules of probability

Equally likely outcomes – $\displaystyle k$ the outcomes in the event $\displaystyle A$ , $\displaystyle n$ the outcomes in the sample space
$\displaystyle P(A)=\frac{k}{n}$
Every event; $\displaystyle {P(\emptyset)}={0}$ , and $\displaystyle {P(U)}={1}$ for the sample space $\displaystyle U$
$\displaystyle 0\le P(A)\le1$
An event contained in another event
$\displaystyle P(A)\le P(B)$ $\displaystyle A\subseteq B$
The complement $\displaystyle \overline{A}$ – $\displaystyle A$ does not happen
$\displaystyle P(\overline{A})$ $\displaystyle =$ $\displaystyle 1-P(A)$
The union – $\displaystyle A$ or $\displaystyle B$ (or both); $\displaystyle A\cap B$ – the intersection, both $\displaystyle A$ and $\displaystyle B$
$\displaystyle P(A\cup B)$ $\displaystyle =$ $\displaystyle P(A)+P(B)-P(A\cap B)$
Disjoint events – no two of them have an outcome in common
$\displaystyle P(A_1\cup A_2\cup\dots\cup A_n)=P(A_1)+P(A_2)+\dots+P(A_n)$

Conditional probability and independence

The probability of $\displaystyle A$ given $\displaystyle B$
$\displaystyle P(A/B)=\frac{P(A\cap B)}{P(B)}$
A path in a tree – the product of the probabilities on its branches
$\displaystyle P(A\cap B)$ $\displaystyle =$ $\displaystyle P(B)\cdot P(A/B)$
Independent events
$\displaystyle P(A\cap B)$ $\displaystyle =$ $\displaystyle P(A)\cdot P(B)$
Independent events – knowing that $\displaystyle B$ happened does not change the probability of $\displaystyle A$
$\displaystyle P(A/B)$ $\displaystyle =$ $\displaystyle P(A)$
The law of total probability – the paths that end in $\displaystyle A$ , added up
$\displaystyle P(A)=P(B)\cdot P(A/B)+P(\overline{B})\cdot P(A/\overline{B})$

Counting and Bernoulli's formula

$\displaystyle n$ factorial; $\displaystyle {0!}={1}$
$\displaystyle n!=1\cdot2\cdot3\cdot\dots\cdot n$
Ordered selections – $\displaystyle k$ different objects out of $\displaystyle n$ , one after another
$\displaystyle n\cdot(n-1)\cdot\dots\cdot(n-k+1)=\frac{n!}{(n-k)!}$
The binomial coefficient – the ways to choose $\displaystyle k$ objects out of $\displaystyle n$ , order not counted
$\displaystyle \binom{n}{k}=\frac{n!}{k!(n-k)!}$
Bernoulli’s formula – the probability of $\displaystyle k$ successes in $\displaystyle n$ independent trials, with the probability of success $\displaystyle p$ in each
$\displaystyle P_n(k)=\binom{n}{k}p^k(1-p)^{n-k}$
At least one success in $\displaystyle n$ trials – by the complement
$\displaystyle 1-P_n(0)=1-(1-p)^n$