Understanding Probability Concepts
Understanding Probability Concepts
hing (p.
Coaching
C oachi (p. 552)
552)
75 = p Simplify.
Making a Histogram
Example 2 The frequency table shows the ages of people at a gym. Display the data in
a histogram.
5. ABSTRACT REASONING You want to purchase either a sofa or an arm chair at a furniture
store. Each item has the same retail price. The sofa is 20% off. The arm chair is 10% off,
and you have a coupon to get an additional 10% off the discounted price of the chair. Are
the items equally priced after the discounts are applied? Explain.
Equally likely to
Words Impossible happen or not happen Certain
Unlikely Likely
Fraction 0 1 1 3 1
4 2 4
Decimal 0 0.25 0.5 0.75 1
Percent 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
Describing Likelihoods
SOLUTION
a. On any given day, it is likely that a meteoroid of this size will enter Earth’s atmosphere.
If you have ever seen a “shooting star,” then you have seen a meteoroid.
b. A probability of 0 means this event is impossible.
1
c. With a probability of —
435
≈ 0.23%, this event is very unlikely. Of 435 identical asteroids,
you would expect only one of them to hit Earth.
Monitoring Progress
In Exercises 1 and 2, describe the event as unlikely, equally likely to happen or not happen,
or likely. Explain your reasoning.
1. The oldest child in a family is a girl.
2. The two oldest children in a family with three children are girls.
3. Give an example of an event that is certain to occur.
3 2 5
5
a. How many ways can you spin a 1? 2? 3? 4? 5?
5 3
b. List the sample space.
2
c. What is the total number of outcomes? 5 4 3
You flip a coin and roll a six-sided die. How many possible outcomes are in the
sample space? List the possible outcomes.
SOLUTION
Use a tree diagram to find the outcomes in the sample space.
Find the number of possible outcomes in the sample space. Then list the
possible outcomes.
1. You flip two coins. 2. You flip two coins and roll a six-sided die.
Theoretical Probabilities
The probability of an event is a measure of the likelihood, or chance, that the
event will occur. Probability is a number from 0 to 1, including 0 and 1, and can be
expressed as a decimal, fraction, or percent.
Equally likely to
Impossible happen or not happen Certain
Unlikely Likely
0 1 1 3 1
4 2 4
0 0.25 0.5 0.75 1
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
SOLUTION
Step 1 Find the outcomes in the sample space. Let C represent a correct answer
and I represent an incorrect answer. The possible outcomes are:
Step 2 Identify the number of favorable outcomes and the total number of outcomes.
There are 6 favorable outcomes with exactly two correct answers and the total
number of outcomes is 16.
Step 3 Find the probability of the student guessing exactly two correct answers.
Because the student is randomly guessing, the outcomes should be equally
likely. So, use the theoretical probability formula.
Number of favorable outcomes
P(exactly two correct answers) = ———
Total number of outcomes
6
=—
16
3
=—
8
The probability of the student guessing exactly two correct answers is —38 ,
or 37.5%.
The sum of the probabilities of all outcomes in a sample space is 1. So, when you
know the probability of event A, you can find the probability of the complement of
event A. The complement of event A consists of all outcomes that are not in A and is
denoted by A —. The notation A— is read as “A bar.” You can use the following formula
—
to find P(A ).
Core Concept
Probability of the Complement of an Event
The probability of the complement of event A is
—) = 1 − P(A).
P(A
SOLUTION
5 31
a. P(sum is not 6) = 1 − P(sum is 6) = 1 − —
36
=—
36
≈ 0.861
6 30
b. P(sum ≤ 9) = 1 − P(sum > 9) = 1 − —
36
=—
36
= —56 ≈ 0.833
You throw a dart at the board shown. Your dart is equally likely to hit any point
inside the square board. Are you more likely to get 10 points or 0 points?
3 in.
SOLUTION
10 The probability of getting 10 points is
5
2
Area of smallest circle π 32
P(10 points) = —— = —
Area of entire board 182
⋅
9π π
= — = — ≈ 0.0873.
324 36
0
The probability of getting 0 points is
Area outside largest circle
P(0 points) = ———
Area of entire board
18 − (π 92)
= ——
2
182
⋅
324 − 81π
=—
324
4−π
=—
4
≈ 0.215.
3. You flip a coin and roll a six-sided die. What is the probability that the coin
shows tails and the die shows 4?
—).
Find P(A
1
4. P(A) = 0.45 5. P(A) = —4
6. P(A) = 1 7. P(A) = 0.03
8. In Example 4, are you more likely to get 10 points or 5 points?
9. In Example 4, are you more likely to score points (10, 5, or 2) or get 0 points?
Spinner Results Each section of the spinner shown has the same area. The
spinner was spun 20 times. The table shows the results. For
red green blue yellow which color is the experimental probability of stopping on
5 9 3 3 the color the same as the theoretical probability?
SOLUTION
The theoretical probability of stopping on each of the four colors is —4l .
Use the outcomes in the table to find the experimental probabilities.
5
P(red) = —
20
= —14 P(green) = —9
20
3 3
P(blue) = —
20
P(yellow) = —
20
2. WRITING Describe the difference between theoretical probability and experimental probability.
✗
probability that exactly two of the five contestants
win a prize during a week? (See Example 2.) The student can either guess two
incorrect answers, two correct answers,
or one of each. So the probability of
guessing both answers correctly is —13.
✗
draw one card from each deck. What is the probability
that you will draw two spades? The probability that the number is less
3 1
than 4 is —
30
, or —
10
. So, the probability that
9. PROBLEM SOLVING When two six-sided dice are the number is greater than 4 is 1 − — 1
,
10
rolled, there are 36 possible outcomes. Find the or —9
.
10
probability that (a) the sum is not 4 and (b) the sum
is greater than 5. (See Example 3.)
Favorite Sport
a. Texas b. Alabama 805
800
Number of adults
ll
ng
er
al
ba
ba
th
b
ci
ot
se
ot
Ra
O
Six-sided Die Results
Ba
Fo
Fo
o
ut
o
ge
Pr
A
lle
Co
Sport
11 14 7 10 6 12
16. DRAWING CONCLUSIONS A bag contains 5 marbles 20. DRAWING CONCLUSIONS A survey of 2392 adults
that are each a different color. A marble is drawn, ages 18 and over asked what type of food they would
its color is recorded, and then the marble is placed be most likely to choose at a restaurant. The results
back in the bag. This process is repeated until 30 are shown in the figure. What is the probability that an
marbles have been drawn. The table shows the results. adult chosen at random prefers Italian food?
For which marble is the experimental probability Survey Results
of drawing the marble the same as the theoretical
American
probability?
239 670 Italian
Drawing Results 167 Mexican
white black red green blue 383 526 Chinese
5 6 8 2 9 407 Japanese
Other
Chance of Rain Chance of Rain Chance of Rain Chance of Rain Consider the graph of f shown.
2 x
5% 30% 80% 90% What is the probability that the f
graph of y = f (x) + c intersects −2
the x-axis when c is a randomly
A. It rains on Sunday. −4
chosen integer from 1 to 6? (2, −4)
B. It does not rain on Saturday. Explain.
C. It rains on Monday.
D. It does not rain on Friday. 27. DRAWING CONCLUSIONS A manufacturer tests
1200 computers and finds that 9 of them have defects.
23. USING TOOLS Use the figure in Example 3 to answer Find the probability that a computer chosen at random
each question. has a defect. Predict the number of computers with
defects in a shipment of 15,000 computers. Explain
a. List the possible sums that result from rolling two your reasoning.
six-sided dice.
b. Find the theoretical probability of rolling each sum. 28. THOUGHT PROVOKING The tree diagram shows a
c. The table below shows a simulation of rolling sample space. Write a probability problem that can
two six-sided dice three times. Use a random be represented by the sample space. Then write the
number generator to simulate rolling two answer(s) to the problem.
six-sided dice 50 times. Compare the experimental
Box A Box B Outcomes Sum Product
probabilities of rolling each sum with the
theoretical probabilities. 1 (1, 1) 2 1
1
2 (1, 2) 3 2
A B C 1 (2, 1) 3 2
1 First Die Second Die Sum 2
2 (2, 2) 4 4
2 4 6 10
1 (3, 1) 4 3
3 3 5 8 3
2 (3, 2) 5 6
4 1 6 7
5
Maintaining Mathematical Proficiency Reviewing what you learned in previous grades and lessons
2y y 3x x+1 3x2 + 2x − 13
32. — ÷ — 33. — ÷ — 34. —— ÷ (x2 + 9)
5x 6x 12x − 11 5x 4 x
A student taking a quiz randomly guesses the answers to four true-false questions.
Use a sample space to determine whether guessing Question 1 correctly and guessing
Question 2 correctly are independent events.
SOLUTION
Using the sample space in Example 2 on page 539:
8
P(correct on Question 1) = —
16
= —12 8
P(correct on Question 2) = —
16
= —12
4
P(correct on Question 1 and correct on Question 2) = —
16
= —14
⋅
Because —12 —12 = —14 , the events are independent.
A group of four students includes one boy and three girls. The teacher randomly
selects one of the students to be the speaker and a different student to be the recorder.
Use a sample space to determine whether randomly selecting a girl first and randomly
selecting a girl second are independent events.
SOLUTION
Number
Outcome Let B represent the boy. Let G1, G2, and G3 represent the three girls. Use a table to list
of girls
the outcomes in the sample space.
1 G1B BG1
Using the sample space:
1 G2B BG2
9
1 G3B BG3 P(girl first) = —
12
= —34 P(girl second) = —9
12
= —34
2 G1G2 G2G1 6
P(girl first and girl second) = —
12
= —12
2 G1G3 G3G1
2 G2G3 G3G2
⋅
Because —34 —34 ≠ —12 , the events are not independent.
= —
9
12 ⋅ 6
—9 = 1
—2
As part of a board game, you need to spin the spinner, which is divided into equal
8 1 parts. Find the probability that you get a 5 on your first spin and a number greater
than 3 on your second spin.
2 3
6 7
SOLUTION
4 5 Let event A be “5 on first spin” and let event B be “greater than 3 on second spin.”
The events are independent because the outcome of your second spin is not affected
by the outcome of your first spin. Find the probability of each event and then multiply
the probabilities.
⋅ ⋅
P(A and B) = P(A) P(B) = —18 —58 = —
5
64
≈ 0.078
So, the probability that you get a 5 on your first spin and a number greater than 3
on your second spin is about 7.8%.
A bag contains twenty $1 bills and five $100 bills. You randomly draw a bill from
tthe bag, set it aside, and then randomly draw another bill from the bag. Find the
pprobability that both events A and B will occur.
Event A: The first bill is $100. Event B: The second bill is $100.
SOLUTION
S
T events are dependent because there is one less bill in the bag on your second draw
The
tthan on your first draw. Find P(A) and P(B A). Then multiply the probabilities.
5
P(A) = —
25
5 of the 25 bills are $100 bills.
4
P(B A) = —
24
4 of the remaining 24 bills are $100 bills.
⋅
P(A and B) = P(A) P(B A) = —5 4
25 24 ⋅
1 1 1
— = —5 —6 = —
30 ⋅
≈ 0.033.
So, the probability that you draw two $100 bills is about 3.3%.
You randomly select 3 cards from a standard deck of 52 playing cards. What is the
probability that all 3 cards are hearts when (a) you replace each card before selecting
the next card, and (b) you do not replace each card before selecting the next card?
Compare the probabilities.
STUDY TIP SOLUTION
The formulas for
finding probabilities Let event A be “first card is a heart,” event B be “second card is a heart,” and event C
of independent and be “third card is a heart.”
dependent events can a. Because you replace each card before you select the next card, the events are
be extended to three independent. So, the probability is
or more events.
⋅ ⋅
13 13 13 1
⋅ ⋅
P(A and B and C) = P(A) P(B) P(C) = — — — = — ≈ 0.016.
52 52 52 64
b. Because you do not replace each card before you select the next card, the events are
dependent. So, the probability is
⋅ ⋅
P(A and B and C) = P(A) P(B A) P(C A and B)
⋅ ⋅
13 12 11 11
= — — — = — ≈ 0.013.
52 51 50 850
1 11
So, you are — ÷ — ≈ 1.2 times more likely to select 3 hearts when you replace
64 850
each card before you select the next card.
3. In Example 3, what is the probability that you spin an even number and then an
odd number?
4. In Example 4, what is the probability that both bills are $1 bills?
5. In Example 5, what is the probability that none of the cards drawn are hearts
when (a) you replace each card, and (b) you do not replace each card? Compare
the probabilities.
A quality-control inspector checks for defective parts. The table shows the results of
Pass Fail
the inspector’s work. Find (a) the probability that a defective part “passes,” and
Defective 3 36 (b) the probability that a non-defective part “fails.”
Non-defective 450 11
SOLUTION
Number of defective parts “passed”
a. P(pass defective) = ———
Total number of defective parts
3 3 1
= — = — = — ≈ 0.077, or about 7.7%
3 + 36 39 13
STUDY TIP You can rewrite the formula for the probability of dependent events to write a rule for
Note that when A and B finding conditional probabilities.
are independent, this rule
still applies because ⋅
P(A) P(B A) = P(A and B) Write formula.
P(B) = P(B A). P(A and B)
P(B A) = — Divide each side by P(A).
P(A)
At a school, 60% of students buy a school lunch. Only 10% of students buy lunch and
dessert. What is the probability that a student who buys lunch also buys dessert?
SOLUTION
Let event A be “buys lunch” and let event B be “buys dessert.” You are given
P(A) = 0.6 and P(A and B) = 0.1. Use the formula to find P(B A).
P(A and B)
P(B A) = — Write formula for conditional probability.
P(A)
0.1
=— Substitute 0.1 for P(A and B) and 0.6 for P(A).
0.6
1
= — ≈ 0.167 Simplify.
6
So, the probability that a student who buys lunch also buys dessert is
about 16.7%.
6. In Example 6, find (a) the probability that a non-defective part “passes,” and
(b) the probability that a defective part “fails.”
7. At a coffee shop, 80% of customers order coffee. Only 15% of customers order
coffee and a bagel. What is the probability that a customer who orders coffee also
orders a bagel?
2. COMPLETE THE SENTENCE The probability that event B will occur given that event A has occurred is
called the __________ of B given A and is written as _________.
1
5
6. There are 22 novels of various genres on a shelf. You the probability that you 5
1
get more than $500 on
6
randomly choose a novel and put it back. Then you ,3
✗
of tropical cyclones that formed during the hurricane
P(A) = 0.6 P(B) = 0.2
seasons over a 12-year period. Find (a) the probability
P(A and B) = 0.6 + 0.2 = 0.8 to predict whether a future tropical cyclone in the
Northern Hemisphere is a hurricane, and (b) the
16. ERROR ANALYSIS A shelf contains 3 fashion probability to predict whether a hurricane is in the
magazines and 4 health magazines. You randomly Southern Hemisphere.
choose one to read, set it aside, and randomly choose
Type of Tropical Northern Southern
another for your friend to read. Describe and correct
Cyclone Hemisphere Hemisphere
the error in finding the probability that both events A
and B occur. tropical depression 100 107
Event A: The first magazine is fashion. tropical storm 342 487
Event B: The second magazine is health. hurricane 379 525
⋅
P(A and B) = —37 —47 = —
12
49
≈ 0.245
23. PROBLEM SOLVING At a school, 43% of students
attend the homecoming football game. Only 23%
of students go to the game and the homecoming
dance. What is the probability that a student who
attends the football game also attends the dance?
17. NUMBER SENSE Events A and B are independent. (See Example 7.)
Suppose P(B) = 0.4 and P(A and B) = 0.13. Find P(A).
Maintaining Mathematical Proficiency Reviewing what you learned in previous grades and lessons
Do Not Speak a
Foreign Language
Total
Class
marginal frequencies,
which you will find in Sophomore 80 32
READING Example 1.
A two-way table is also joint frequency
called a contingency table,
or a two-way frequency Making a Two-Way Table
table.
In another survey similar to the one above, 106 juniors and 114 seniors respond. Of
those, 42 juniors and 77 seniors plan on attending. Organize these results in a two-way
table. Then find and interpret the marginal frequencies.
SOLUTION
Step 1 Find the joint frequencies. Because 42 of the 106 juniors are attending,
106 − 42 = 64 juniors are not attending. Because 77 of the 114 seniors
are attending, 114 − 77 = 37 seniors are not attending. Place each joint
frequency in its corresponding cell.
Step 2 Find the marginal frequencies. Create a new column and row for the sums.
Then add the entries and interpret the results.
Attendance
1. You randomly survey students about whether they are in favor of planting a
community garden at school. Of 96 boys surveyed, 61 are in favor. Of 88 girls
surveyed, 17 are against. Organize the results in a two-way table. Then find and
interpret the marginal frequencies.
Core Concept
Relative and Conditional Relative Frequencies
STUDY TIP A joint relative frequency is the ratio of a frequency that is not in the total row or
Two-way tables can display the total column to the total number of values or observations.
relative frequencies based A marginal relative frequency is the sum of the joint relative frequencies in a
on the total number of row or a column.
observations, the row
totals, or the column A conditional relative frequency is the ratio of a joint relative frequency to the
totals. marginal relative frequency. You can find a conditional relative frequency using a
row total or a column total of a two-way table.
INTERPRETING Use the survey results in Example 1 to make a two-way table that shows the joint and
marginal relative frequencies.
MATHEMATICAL
RESULTS SOLUTION
Relative frequencies To find the joint relative frequencies, divide each frequency by the total number of
can be interpreted students in the survey. Then find the sum of each row and each column to find the
as probabilities. The marginal relative frequencies.
probability that a
randomly selected student Attendance
is a junior and is not About 29.1% of the
attending the concert Attending Not Attending Total students in the survey
is 29.1%. 42 64 are juniors and are not
Junior — ≈ 0.191 — ≈ 0.291 0.482 attending the concert.
Class
220 220
77 37
Senior — = 0.35 — ≈ 0.168 0.518 About 51.8% of the
220 220
students in the survey
Total 0.541 0.459 1 are seniors.
Use the survey results in Example 1 to make a two-way table that shows the
conditional relative frequencies based on the row totals.
SOLUTION
Use the marginal relative frequency of each row to calculate the conditional relative
frequencies.
Attendance
Given that a student is
Attending Not Attending
a senior, the conditional
0.191 0.291 relative frequency
Junior — ≈ 0.396 — ≈ 0.604
Class
2. Use the survey results in Monitoring Progress Question 1 to make a two-way table
that shows the joint and marginal relative frequencies.
3. Use the survey results in Example 1 to make a two-way table that shows the
conditional relative frequencies based on the column totals. Interpret the
conditional relative frequencies in the context of the problem.
4. Use the survey results in Monitoring Progress Question 1 to make a two-way table
that shows the conditional relative frequencies based on the row totals. Interpret
the conditional relative frequencies in the context of the problem.
A satellite TV provider surveys customers in three cities. The survey asks whether
they would recommend the TV provider to a friend. The results, given as joint relative
frequencies, are shown in the two-way table.
a. What is the probability that a randomly selected
Location
customer who is located in Glendale will recommend
Glendale Santa Monica Long Beach the provider?
Response
Yes 0.29 0.27 0.32 b. What is the probability that a randomly selected
customer who will not recommend the provider is
No 0.05 0.03 0.04 located in Long Beach?
c. Determine whether recommending the provider to a
friend and living in Long Beach are independent events.
SOLUTION
P(Glendale and yes) 0.29
a. P(yes Glendale) = —— = — ≈ 0.853
P(Glendale) 0.29 + 0.05
INTERPRETING
MATHEMATICAL So, the probability that a customer who is located in Glendale will recommend
RESULTS the provider is about 85.3%.
The probability 0.853 P(no and Long Beach) 0.04
is a conditional relative b. P(Long Beach no) =——= —— ≈ 0.333
P(no) 0.05 + 0.03 + 0.04
frequency based on
a column total. The So, the probability that a customer who will not recommend the provider is
condition is that the located in Long Beach is about 33.3%.
customer lives in Glendale.
c. Use the formula P(B) = P(B A) and compare P(Long Beach) and
P(Long Beach yes).
P(Long Beach) = 0.32 + 0.04 = 0.36
P(Yes and Long Beach) 0.32
P(Long Beach yes) = —— = —— ≈ 0.36
P(yes) 0.29 + 0.27 + 0.32
Because P(Long Beach) ≈ P(Long Beach yes), the two events are
independent.
∣∣̇∣∣∣ ̇∣∣̇∣∣∣ ̇∣
̇̇̇̇ ̇̇̇̇ ̇ ̇̇̇̇ ̇
route, and then determines the number of
calories he burns and whether he reaches Route B ̇̇̇̇ ̇̇̇̇ ̇
∣∣∣∣
̇̇̇̇
SOLUTION
Step 1 Use the findings to make a two-way Result
table that shows the joint and marginal
relative frequencies. There are a total Reaches Does Not
Total
of 50 observations in the table. Goal Reach Goal
Route
probabilities by
B 0.22 0.08 0.30
dividing each joint
relative frequency in
C 0.24 0.12 0.36
the “Reaches Goal”
column by the marginal Total 0.68 0.32 1
relative frequency in its
corresponding row.
P(Route A and reaches goal) 0.22
P(reaches goal Route A) = ——— = — ≈ 0.647
P(Route A) 0.34
Based on the sample, the probability that he reaches his goal is greatest when he
uses Route B. So, he should use Route B.
∣ ∣
Over a period of time, the manager
records whether the employees meet or Joy ∣̇̇∣̇∣̇∣̇ ̇∣̇̇∣̇̇∣̇̇∣̇
̇̇̇̇ ̇
∣̇̇∣̇∣̇∣̇ ̇∣̇
̇̇̇̇ ̇
2. WRITING Compare the definitions of joint relative frequency, marginal relative frequency, and
conditional relative frequency.
Gender
Fail 10 Female 11 104 115
Experience
Teacher 7 10 Expert 62 6 68
Total 49 Average 275 24 299
Novice 40 3 43
5. MODELING WITH MATHEMATICS You survey Total 377 33 410
171 males and 180 females at Grand Central Station
in New York City. Of those, 132 males and 151 9. MODELING WITH MATHEMATICS Use the survey
females wash their hands after using the public rest results from Exercise 5 to make a two-way table that
rooms. Organize these results in a two-way table. shows the joint and marginal relative frequencies.
Then find and interpret the marginal frequencies. (See Example 2.)
(See Example 1.)
10. MODELING WITH MATHEMATICS In a survey,
49 people received a flu vaccine before the flu season
and 63 people did not receive the vaccine. Of those
who receive the flu vaccine, 16 people got the flu.
Of those who did not receive the vaccine, 17 got the
flu. Make a two-way table that shows the joint and
marginal relative frequencies.
Response
12. MODELING WITH MATHEMATICS Use the survey Yes 0.049 0.136 0.171 0.356
results from Exercise 10 to make a two-way table that No 0.341 0.112 0.191 0.644
shows the conditional relative frequencies based on Total 0.39 0.248 0.362 1
the flu vaccine totals.
13. PROBLEM SOLVING Three different local hospitals 15. P(yes Tokyo)
in New York surveyed their patients. The survey
asked whether the patient’s physician communicated
efficiently. The results, given as joint relative
frequencies, are shown in the two-way table.
✗ P(Tokyo and yes)
P(yes | Tokyo) = ——
P(Tokyo)
0.049
(See Example 4.) = — ≈ 0.138
0.356
Location
Glens Falls Saratoga Albany 16. P(London no)
✗
Response
∣∣̇∣∣∣ ̇∣∣̇∣∣∣ ̇∣
̇̇̇̇ ̇̇ ̇̇̇̇
home state after graduation. The results, given as joint
Route B ̇̇̇̇ ̇̇̇̇ ̇
∣∣∣
̇̇̇
Location
Route C ̇̇̇̇ ̇̇̇̇ ̇̇
̇̇̇̇ ̇̇̇̇ ̇̇
∣∣∣∣
̇̇̇̇
̇̇̇̇
North Other
Nebraska 18. PROBLEM SOLVING A teacher is assessing three
Carolina States
groups of students in order to offer one group a prize.
Response
Yes 0.044 0.051 0.056 Over a period of time, the teacher records whether the
No 0.400 0.193 0.256 groups meet or exceed expectations on their assigned
tasks. The table shows the teacher’s results. Which
a. What is the probability that a randomly selected group should be awarded the prize? Explain.
student who lives in Nebraska plans to stay in his
or her home state after graduation? Exceed Meet
Expectations Expectations
b. What is the probability that a randomly selected
Group 1 ∣∣̇∣∣∣ ̇∣∣̇∣∣∣ ̇∣∣
̇̇̇̇ ̇̇̇̇ ̇̇
∣∣∣∣
̇̇̇̇
Maintaining Mathematical Proficiency Reviewing what you learned in previous grades and lessons
Core Vocabulary
probability experiment, p. 538 geometric probability, p. 540 joint frequency, p. 554
outcome, p. 538 experimental probability, p. 541 marginal frequency, p. 554
event, p. 538 independent events, p. 546 joint relative frequency, p. 555
sample space, p. 538 dependent events, p. 547 marginal relative frequency, p. 555
probability of an event, p. 538 conditional probability, p. 547 conditional relative frequency,
theoretical probability, p. 539 two-way table, p. 554 p. 555
Core Concepts
Section 10.1
Theoretical Probabilities, p. 538
Probability of the Complement of an Event, p. 539
Experimental Probabilities, p. 541
Section 10.2
Probability of Independent Events, p. 546
Probability of Dependent Events, p. 547
Finding Conditional Probabilities, p. 549
Section 10.3
Making Two-Way Tables, p. 554
Relative and Conditional Relative Frequencies, p. 555
Mathematical Practices
1. How can you use a number line to analyze the error in Exercise 12 on page 542?
2. Explain how you used probability to correct the flawed logic of your friend in
Exercise 21 on page 560.
Study Skills
Making a Mental
Cheat Sheet
• Write down important information on note cards.
• Memorize the information on the note cards, placing the
ones containing information you know in one stack and the
ones containing information you do not know in another
stack. Keep working on the information you do not know.
561
1. You randomly draw a marble out of a bag containing 8 green marbles, 4 blue marbles,
12 yellow marbles, and 10 red marbles. Find the probability of drawing a marble that is
not yellow. (Section 10.1)
5. You roll a six-sided die 30 times. A 5 is rolled 8 times. What is the theoretical probability
of rolling a 5? What is the experimental probability of rolling a 5? (Section 10.1)
6. Events A and B are independent. Find the missing probability. (Section 10.2)
P(A) = 0.25
P(B) = _____
P(A and B) = 0.05
7. Events A and B are dependent. Find the missing probability. (Section 10.2)
P(A) = 0.6
P(B A) = 0.2
P(A and B) = _____
8. Find the probability that a dart thrown at the circular target shown will hit the given region.
Assume the dart is equally likely to hit any point inside the target. (Section 10.1) 6
a. the center circle
b. outside the square 2
the number of students who said they eat fruit every day. 62 Male
(Section 10.2) 60 Female
11. Three schools compete in a cross country invitational. Of the 15 athletes on your team,
9 achieve their goal times. Of the 20 athletes on the home team, 6 achieve their goal
times. On your rival’s team, 8 of the 13 athletes achieve their goal times. Organize the
information in a two-way table. Then determine the probability that a randomly selected
runner who achieves his or her goal time is from your school. (Section 10.3)
A card is randomly selected from a standard deck of 52 playing cards. What is the
probability that it is a 10 or a face card?
SOLUTION
Let event A be selecting a 10 and event B be selecting a face card. From the diagram,
A B A has 4 outcomes and B has 12 outcomes. Because A and B are disjoint, the
10♠ 10♥ Κ♠Κ♥Q♠Q♥
probability is
10♦ 10♣ Κ♦Κ♣Q♦Q♣ P(A or B) = P(A) + P(B) Write disjoint probability formula.
J♠ J♥
J♦ J♣
4 12
=—+— Substitute known probabilities.
52 52
16
=— Add.
52
4
=— Simplify.
13
≈ 0.308. Use a calculator.
Out of 200 students in a senior class, 113 students are either varsity athletes or on the
honor roll. There are 74 seniors who are varsity athletes and 51 seniors who are on
the honor roll. What is the probability that a randomly selected senior is both a varsity
athlete and on the honor roll?
SOLUTION
Let event A be selecting a senior who is a varsity athlete and event B be selecting a
74
senior on the honor roll. From the given information, you know that P(A) = — 200
,
51 113
P(B) = —200
, and P(A or B) = —
200
. The probability that a randomly selected senior is
both a varsity athlete and on the honor roll is P(A and B).
P(A or B) = P(A) + P(B) − P(A and B) Write general formula.
113 74 51
— = — + — − P(A and B) Substitute known probabilities.
200 200 200
74 51 113
P(A and B) = — + — − — Solve for P(A and B).
200 200 200
12
P(A and B) = — Simplify.
200
3
P(A and B) = —, or 0.06 Simplify.
50
A card is randomly selected from a standard deck of 52 playing cards. Find the
probability of the event.
1. selecting an ace or an 8 2. selecting a 10 or a diamond
3. WHAT IF? In Example 3, suppose 32 seniors are in the band and 64 seniors are
in the band or on the honor roll. What is the probability that a randomly selected
senior is both in the band and on the honor roll?
The American Diabetes Association estimates that 8.3% of people in the United States
have diabetes. Suppose that a medical lab has developed a simple diagnostic test
for diabetes that is 98% accurate for people who have the disease and 95% accurate
for people who do not have it. The medical lab gives the test to a randomly selected
person. What is the probability that the diagnosis is correct?
SOLUTION
Let event A be “person has diabetes” and event B be “correct diagnosis.” Notice that
the probability of B depends on the occurrence of A, so the events are dependent.
When A occurs, P(B) = 0.98. When A does not occur, P(B) = 0.95.
A probability tree diagram, where the probabilities are given along the branches, can
help you see the different ways to obtain a correct diagnosis. Use the complements of
events A and B to complete the diagram, where A — is “person does not have diabetes”
—
and B is “incorrect diagnosis.” Notice that the probabilities for all branches from the
same point must sum to 1.
Event B:
Event A: 0.98
Correct diagnosis
Person has
0.083 diabetes. Event B:
0.02 Incorrect diagnosis
Population of
United States
Event B:
0.917 0.95
Event A: Correct diagnosis
Person does not
have diabetes. Event B:
0.05 Incorrect diagnosis
To find the probability that the diagnosis is correct, follow the branches leading to
event B.
— and B)
P(B) = P(A and B) + P(A Use tree diagram.
—) —)
= P(A) ⋅ P(B A) + P(A ⋅ P(B A Probability of dependent events
= (0.083)(0.98) + (0.917)(0.95) Substitute.
≈ 0.952 Use a calculator.
H T H T Coin is flipped.
1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 Spinner is spun.
A B
1 2 3 1 2 3
X Y X Y X Y X Y X Y X Y
A B A B A B A B A B A B A B A B A B A B A B A B
CONSTRUCTING a. How many events are shown? b. What outcomes are possible for each event?
VIABLE ARGUMENTS c. How many outcomes are possible? d. List the possible outcomes.
To be proficient in math,
you need to make
conjectures and build a Writing a Conjecture
logical progression of Work with a partner.
statements to explore the
truth of your conjectures. a. Consider the following general problem: Event 1 can occur in m ways and event 2
can occur in n ways. Write a conjecture about the number of ways the two events
can occur. Explain your reasoning.
b. Use the conjecture you wrote in part (a) to write a conjecture about the number of
ways more than two events can occur. Explain your reasoning.
c. Use the results of Explorations 1(a) and 2(c) to verify your conjectures.
Consider the number of permutations of the letters in the word JULY. In how many
ways can you arrange (a) all of the letters and (b) 2 of the letters?
SOLUTION
a. Use the Fundamental Counting Principle to find the number of permutations of the
REMEMBER letters in the word JULY.
Fundamental Counting
Principle: If one event permutations (
1st letter )(
2nd letter )(
Number of = Choices for Choices for Choices for Choices for
3rd letter 4th letter )( )
can occur in m ways and
another event can occur in
=4 3 2 1⋅ ⋅ ⋅
n ways, then the number = 24
of ways that both events
⋅
can occur is m n. The
Fundamental Counting
There are 24 ways you can arrange all of the letters in the word JULY.
Principle can be extended b. When arranging 2 letters of the word JULY, you have 4 choices for the first letter
to three or more events. and 3 choices for the second letter.
( )(
Number of = Choices for Choices for
permutations 1st letter 2nd letter )
=4 3 ⋅
= 12
There are 12 ways you can arrange 2 of the letters in the word JULY.
1. In how many ways can you arrange the letters in the word HOUSE?
2. In how many ways can you arrange 3 of the letters in the word MARCH?
⋅ ⋅ ⋅
In Example 1(a), you evaluated the expression 4 3 2 1. This expression can be
written as 4! and is read “4 factorial.” For any positive integer n, the product of the
integers from 1 to n is called n factorial and is written as
⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅
n! = n (n − 1) (n − 2) . . . 3 2 1.
As a special case, the value of 0! is defined to be 1.
In Example 1(b), you found the permutations of 4 objects taken 2 at a time. You can
find the number of permutations using the formulas on the next page.
Ten horses are running in a race. In how many different ways can the horses finish
first, second, and third? (Assume there are no ties.)
SOLUTION
To find the number of permutations of 3 horses chosen from 10, find 10P3.
10!
10P3 = — Permutations formula
(10 − 3)!
10!
=— Subtract.
7!
= —— ⋅ ⋅ ⋅
10 9 8 7!
7!
Expand factorial. Divide out common factor, 7!.
STUDY TIP
= 720 Simplify.
When you divide
out common factors, There are 720 ways for the horses to finish first, second, and third.
remember that 7! is a
factor of 10!.
Finding a Probability Using Permutations
For a town parade, you will ride on a float with your soccer team. There are 12 floats
in the parade, and their order is chosen at random. Find the probability that your float
is first and the float with the school chorus is second.
SOLUTION
Step 1 Write the number of possible outcomes as the number of permutations of the
12 floats in the parade. This is 12P12 = 12!.
Step 2 Write the number of favorable outcomes as the number of permutations of the
other floats, given that the soccer team is first and the chorus is second. This
is 10P10 = 10!.
Step 3 Find the probability.
10! Form a ratio of favorable
P(soccer team is 1st, chorus is 2nd) = —
12! to possible outcomes.
10! Expand factorial. Divide
= ——
⋅ ⋅
12 11 10! out common factor, 10!.
1
=— Simplify.
132
3. WHAT IF? In Example 2, suppose there are 8 horses in the race. In how many
different ways can the horses finish first, second, and third? (Assume there are
no ties.)
4. WHAT IF? In Example 3, suppose there are 14 floats in the parade. Find the
probability that the soccer team is first and the chorus is second.
Combinations
A combination is a selection of objects in which order is not important. For instance,
in a drawing for 3 identical prizes, you would use combinations, because the order
of the winners would not matter. If the prizes were different, then you would use
permutations, because the order would matter.
Counting Combinations
SOLUTION
List all of the permutations of 2 letters from the list A, B, C, D. Because order is not
important in a combination, cross out any duplicate pairs.
AB AC AD BA BC BD BD and DB are
CA CB CD DA DB DC the same pair.
4C2
4!
= —— = — = 6.
4 3 2!⋅ ⋅
⋅ ⋅ ⋅
(4 − 2)! 2! 2! (2 1)
You order a sandwich at a restaurant. You can choose 2 side dishes from a list of 8.
How many combinations of side dishes are possible?
SOLUTION
The order in which you choose the side dishes is not important. So, to find the number
of combinations of 8 side dishes taken 2 at a time, find 8C2.
8!
Check 8C2 = —— Combinations formula
⋅
(8 − 2)! 2!
8 nCr 2 8!
=— Subtract.
28
⋅
6! 2!
8 ⋅ 7 ⋅ 6!
=— Expand factorials. Divide out common factor, 6!.
6! ⋅ (2 ⋅ 1)
= 28 Multiply.
A yearbook editor has selected 14 photos, including one of you and one of your friend,
to use in a collage for the yearbook. The photos are placed at random. There is room
for 2 photos at the top of the page. What is the probability that your photo and your
friend’s photo are the 2 placed at the top of the page?
SOLUTION
Step 1 Write the number of possible outcomes as the number of combinations of
14 photos taken 2 at a time, or 14C2 , because the order in which the photos
are chosen is not important.
14!
14C2 = —— Combinations formula
⋅
(14 − 2)! 2!
14!
=— Subtract.
⋅
12! 2!
14 ⋅ 13 ⋅ 12!
= —— Expand factorials. Divide out common factor, 12!.
12! ⋅ (2 ⋅ 1)
= 91 Multiply.
Step 2 Find the number of favorable outcomes. Only one of the possible
combinations includes your photo and your friend’s photo.
Step 3 Find the probability.
1
P(your photo and your friend’s photos are chosen) = —
91
6. WHAT IF? In Example 5, suppose you can choose 3 side dishes out of the list of
8 side dishes. How many combinations are possible?
7. WHAT IF? In Example 6, suppose there are 20 photos in the collage. Find the
probability that your photo and your friend’s photo are the 2 placed at the top
of the page.
Core Concept
The Binomial Theorem
For any positive integer n, the binomial expansion of (a + b)n is
(a + b)n = nC0 anb0 + nC1 an − 1b1 + nC2 an − 2b2 + … + nCn a0bn.
Notice that each term in the expansion of (a + b)n has the form nCr an − rbr,
where r is an integer from 0 to n.
SOLUTION
a. (x2 + y)3 = 3C0(x2)3y0 + 3C1(x2)2y1 + 3C2(x2)1y2 + 3C3(x2)0y3
= x 6 + 3x 4y + 3x2y2 + y3
Each term in the expansion has the form 10Cr(3x)10 − r(2)r. The term containing x 4
occurs when r = 6.
8. Use the Binomial Theorem to write the expansion of (a) (x + 3)5 and
(b) (2p − q)4.
9. Find the coefficient of x5 in the expansion of (x − 3)7.
10. Find the coefficient of x3 in the expansion of (2x + 5)8.
2. WHICH ONE DOESN’T BELONG? Which expression does not belong with the other three? Explain
your reasoning.
7! 7!
— 7C5 7C2 —
⋅
2! 5! (7 − 2)!
34. PROBLEM SOLVING You want to purchase vegetable a. Are there more permutations of all 4 of the objects
dip for a party. A grocery store sells 7 different flavors or of 3 of the objects? Explain your reasoning.
of vegetable dip. You have enough money to purchase b. Are there more combinations of all 4 of the objects
2 flavors. How many combinations of 2 flavors of or of 3 of the objects? Explain your reasoning.
vegetable dip are possible?
c. Compare your answers to parts (a) and (b).
ERROR ANALYSIS In Exercises 35 and 36, describe and 44. OPEN-ENDED Describe a real-life situation where the
correct the error in evaluating the expression. number of possibilities is given by 5P2. Then describe
a real-life situation that can be modeled by 5C2.
✗
35.
11! 11! 45. REASONING Complete the table for each given value
11P7 = —
(11 − 7)
= — = 9,979,200
4 of r. Then write an inequality relating nPr and nCr .
Explain your reasoning.
✗
36.
9! 9! 3 Pr
9C4 = — = — = 3024
(9 − 4)! 5! 3 Cr
65. (— x − 4)
1
2
11
,n=4 66. (— x + 6) , n = 3
1
4
6 Contemporary Classical
Blues Opera
67. REASONING Write the eighth row of Pascal’s Country Concerto
Triangle as combinations and as numbers. Jazz Symphony
Rap
68. PROBLEM SOLVING The first four triangular numbers
Rock & Roll
are 1, 3, 6, and 10.
a. Use Pascal’s Triangle to write the first four
72. PROBLEM SOLVING Every student in your history
triangular numbers as combinations.
class is required to present a project in front of the
1 class. Each day, 4 students make their presentations in
1 1 an order chosen at random by the teacher. You make
your presentation on the first day.
2 1 1
13 1 3 a. What is the probability that you are chosen to be
the first or second presenter on the first day?
1 4 6 4 1
1 5 10 10 5 1 b. What is the probability that you are chosen to
be the second or third presenter on the first day?
b. Use your result from part (a) to write an explicit Compare your answer with that in part (a).
rule for the nth triangular number Tn.
Maintaining Mathematical Proficiency Reviewing what you learned in previous grades and lessons
80. A bag contains 12 white marbles and 3 black marbles. You pick 1 marble at random.
What is the probability that you pick a black marble? (Section 10.1)
81. The table shows the result of flipping two coins 12 times. For what
outcome is the experimental probability the same as the theoretical HH HT TH TT
probability? (Section 10.1) 2 6 3 1
Analyzing Histograms
Work with a partner. The histograms show the results when n coins are flipped.
STUDY TIP 3 3
2
When 4 coins are flipped
1 1 1 1 1 1
(n = 4), the possible
n=1 n=2 n=3
outcomes are
0 1 0 1 2 0 1 2 3
TTTT TTTH TTHT TTHH Number of Heads Number of Heads Number of Heads
1 1 1 1
n=4 n=5
0 1 2 3 4 0 1 2 3 4 5
Number of Heads Number of Heads
a. In how many ways can 3 heads occur when 5 coins are flipped?
b. Draw a histogram that shows the numbers of heads that can occur when 6 coins
are flipped.
c. In how many ways can 3 heads occur when 6 coins are flipped?
Core Concept
Probability Distributions
A probability distribution is a function that gives the probability of each
possible value of a random variable. The sum of all the probabilities in a
probability distribution must equal 1.
x 1 2 3 4 5 6
1 1 1 1 1 1
P (x) —6 —6 —6 —6 —6 —6
Let x be a random variable that represents the sum when two six-sided dice are rolled.
Make a table and draw a histogram showing the probability distribution for x.
SOLUTION
STUDY TIP
Step 1 Make a table. The possible values of x are the integers from 2 to 12. The
Recall that there are 36 table shows how many outcomes of rolling two dice produce each value of x.
possible outcomes when Divide the number of outcomes for x by 36 to find P(x).
rolling two six-sided
dice. These are listed in x (sum) 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Example 3 on page 540.
Outcomes 1 2 3 4 5 6 5 4 3 2 1
1 1 1 1 5 1 5 1 1 1 1
P (x) —
36
—
18
—
12
—9 —
36
—6 —
36
—9 —
12
—
18
—
36
Step 2 Draw a histogram where the intervals are given by x and the frequencies are
given by P(x).
1
9
1
18
0
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 x
Sum of two dice
580 Chapter 10 Probability
SOLUTION
a. The most likely sum when rolling two six-sided dice is the value of x for which
P(x) is greatest. This probability is greatest for x = 7. So, when rolling the two
dice, the most likely sum is 7.
b. The probability that the sum of the two dice is at least 10 is
P(x ≥ 10) = P(x = 10) + P(x = 11) + P(x = 12)
3 2 1
=—
36
+—
36
+—
36
6
=—
36
= —16
≈ 0.167.
1. Make a table and draw a histogram showing the probability distribution for x.
2. What is the most likely sum when rolling the two dice?
3. What is the probability that the sum of the two dice is at most 3?
Binomial Distributions
One type of probability distribution is a binomial distribution. A binomial
distribution shows the probabilities of the outcomes of a binomial experiment.
Core Concept
Binomial Experiments
A binomial experiment meets the following conditions.
• There are n independent trials.
• Each trial has only two possible outcomes: success and failure.
• The probability of success is the same for each trial. This probability is denoted
by p. The probability of failure is 1 − p.
For a binomial experiment, the probability of exactly k successes in n trials is
P(k successes) = nCk p k(1 − p)n − k.
According to a survey, about 33% of people ages 16 and older in the U.S. own an
electronic book reading device, or e-reader. You ask 6 randomly chosen people
(ages 16 and older) whether they own an e-reader. Draw a histogram of the binomial
ATTENDING TO distribution for your survey.
PRECISION
When probabilities are SOLUTION
rounded, the sum of the The probability that a randomly selected person has an e-reader is p = 0.33. Because
probabilities may differ you survey 6 people, n = 6.
slightly from 1.
P(k = 0) = 6C0(0.33)0(0.67)6 ≈ 0.090 Binomial Distribution for Your Survey
Probability
P(k = 2) = 6C2(0.33)2(0.67)4 ≈ 0.329
0.20
P(k = 3) = 6C3(0.33)3(0.67)3 ≈ 0.216
0.10
P(k = 4) = 6C4(0.33)4(0.67)2 ≈ 0.080
0
P(k = 5) = 6C5(0.33)5(0.67)1 ≈ 0.016 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 k
Number of persons
P(k = 6) = 6C6(0.33)6(0.67)0 ≈ 0.001 who own an e-reader
A histogram of the distribution is shown.
According to a survey, about 85% of people ages 18 and older in the U.S. use the
Internet or e-mail. You ask 4 randomly chosen people (ages 18 and older) whether
they use the Internet or e-mail.
2. WRITING Give an example of a binomial experiment and describe how it meets the conditions of
a binomial experiment.
4. c = 1 when a randomly chosen card out of a standard 13. MODELING WITH MATHEMATICS According to
deck of 52 playing cards is a heart and c = 2 otherwise. a survey, 27% of high school students in the
United States buy a class ring. You ask 6 randomly
5. w = 1 when a randomly chosen letter from the chosen high school students whether they own a
English alphabet is a vowel and w = 2 otherwise. class ring. (See Examples 3 and 4.)
your survey.
1
3 b. What is the most likely outcome of your survey?
1
6
c. What is the probability that at most 3 people
believe UFOs are watching Earth?
0
5 10 15 20 25 x
Number on spinner
✗
15.
your friend correct? Explain your reasoning.
P(k = 3) = 5C3 —16 ( )5 − 3 ( —56 )3
≈ 0.161 Experiment Results
P(x)
0.30
✗
16.
Probability
P(k = 3) = —16 ( )3 ( —56 )5 − 3 0.20
≈ 0.003
0.10
Maintaining Mathematical Proficiency Reviewing what you learned in previous grades and lessons
Core Vocabulary
compound event, p. 564 permutation, p. 570 random variable, p. 580
overlapping events, p. 564 n factorial, p. 570 probability distribution, p. 580
disjoint events, p. 564 combination, p. 572 binomial distribution, p. 581
mutually exclusive events, p. 564 Binomial Theorem, p. 574 binomial experiment, p. 581
Core Concepts
Section 10.4
Probability of Compound Events, p. 564
Section 10.5
Permutations, p. 571
Combinations, p. 572
The Binomial Theorem, p. 574
Section 10.6
Probability Distributions, p. 580
Binomial Experiments, p. 581
Mathematical Practices
1. How can you use diagrams to understand the situation in Exercise 22 on page 568?
2. Describe a relationship between the results in part (a) and part (b) in Exercise 74
on page 578.
3. Explain how you were able to break the situation into cases to evaluate the validity
ity of the
statement in part (a) of Exercise 21 on page 584.
Performance Task
A New Dartboard
You are a graphic artist working for a company on a new design for
the board in the game of darts. You are eager to begin the project,
but the team cannot decide on the terms of the game. Everyone
agrees that the board should have four colors. But some want the
probabilities of hitting each color to be equal, while others want them
to be different. You offer to design two boards, one for each group.
How do you get started? How creative can you be with your designs?
5
585
85
Each section of the spinner shown has the same area. The spinner Spinner Results
was spun 30 times. The table shows the results. For which color green 4
is the experimental probability of stopping on the color the
same as the theoretical probability? orange 6
red 9
SOLUTION blue 8
The theoretical probability of stopping on each of the five colors is —15 . yellow 3
Use the outcomes in the table to find the experimental probabilities.
4 2 6
P(green) = —
30
=—
15
P(orange) = —
30
= —15 P(red) = —
9
30
=—3
10
8
P(blue) = —
30
4
=—
15
3
P(yellow) = —
30
=—1
10
The experimental probability of stopping on orange is the same as the theoretical probability.
1. A bag contains 9 tiles, one for each letter in the word HAPPINESS. You
choose a tile at random. What is the probability that you choose a tile with
the letter S? What is the probability that you choose a tile with a letter other
5
than P?
2 in.
2. You throw a dart at the board shown. Your dart is equally likely to hit any 10
point inside the square board. Are you most likely to get 5 points, 10 points, 4 in.
or 20 points? 20
6 in.
You randomly select 2 cards from a standard deck of 52 playing cards. What is the probability that
both cards are jacks when (a) you replace the first card before selecting the second, and (b) you do not
replace the first card. Compare the probabilities.
SOLUTION
Let event A be “first card is a jack” and event B be “second card is a jack.”
a. Because you replace the first card before you select the second card, the events are independent.
So, the probability is
⋅ 4 4 16
52 52 2704 ⋅1
P(A and B) = P(A) P(B) = — — = — = — ≈ 0.006.
169
b. Because you do not replace the first card before you select the second card, the events are
dependent. So, the probability is
⋅ 4 3 12
⋅1
P(A and B) = P(A) P(B A) = — — = — = — ≈ 0.005.
52 51 2652 221
1 1
So, you are — ÷ — ≈ 1.3 times more likely to select 2 jacks when you replace the first card
169 221
before you select the second card.
Find the probability of randomly selecting the given marbles from a bag of 5 red, 8 green,
and 3 blue marbles when (a) you replace the first marble before drawing the second, and
(b) you do not replace the first marble. Compare the probabilities.
3. red, then green 4. blue, then red 5. green, then green
A survey asks residents of the east and west sides of a city whether they support the construction of
a bridge. The results, given as joint relative frequencies, are shown in the two-way table. What is the
probability that a randomly selected resident from the east side will support the project?
Location
East Side West Side
Response
Yes 0.47 0.36
No 0.08 0.09
SOLUTION
Find the joint and marginal relative frequencies. Then use these values to find the
conditional probability.
P(east side and yes) 0.47
P(yes east side) = —— = — ≈ 0.855
P(east side) 0.47 + 0.08
So, the probability that a resident of the east side of the city will support the project is
about 85.5%.
6. What is the probability that a randomly selected resident who does not support the project in
the example above is from the west side?
7. After a conference, 220 men and 270 women respond to a survey. Of those, 200 men and
230 women say the conference was impactful. Organize these results in a two-way table.
Then find and interpret the marginal frequencies.
Let A and B be events such that P(A) = —23 , P(B) = —12 , and P(A and B) = —13 . Find P(A or B).
SOLUTION
P(A or B) = P(A) + P(B) – P(A and B) Write general formula.
2 1 1
= + −
—3 —2 —3 Substitute known probabilities.
5
= —6 Simplify.
≈ 0.833 Use a calculator.
8. Let A and B be events such that P(A) = 0.32, P(B) = 0.48, and P(A and B) = 0.12.
Find P(A or B).
9. Out of 100 employees at a company, 92 employees either work part time or work 5 days each
week. There are 14 employees who work part time and 80 employees who work 5 days each
week. What is the probability that a randomly selected employee works both part time and
5 days each week?
A 5-digit code consists of 5 different integers from 0 to 9. How many different codes are possible?
SOLUTION
To find the number of permutations of 5 integers chosen from 10, find 10P5.
10!
10P5 =— Permutations formula
(10 – 5)!
10!
=— Subtract.
5!
⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅
10 9 8 7 6 5!
= ——
5!
Expand factorials. Divide out common factor, 5!.
= 30,240 Simplify.
14. Use the Binomial Theorem to write the expansion of (2x + y2)4.
15. A random drawing will determine which 3 people in a group of 9 will win concert tickets.
What is the probability that you and your 2 friends will win the tickets?
According to a survey, about 21% of adults in the U.S. visited an art museum last year. You ask
4 randomly chosen adults whether they visited an art museum last year. Draw a histogram of the
binomial distribution for your survey.
SOLUTION
The probability that a randomly selected Binomial Distribution
person visited an art museum is p = 0.21. P(k)
Because you survey 4 people, n = 4. 0.40
0.30
P(k = 4) = 4C4 (0.21)4(0.79)0 ≈ 0.002 Number of adults who visit the art museum
16. Find the probability of flipping a coin 12 times and getting exactly 4 heads.
17. A basketball player makes a free throw 82.6% of the time. The player attempts 5 free throws.
Draw a histogram of the binomial distribution of the number of successful free throws. What is
the most likely outcome?
⋅
9. Is it possible to use the formula P(A and B) = P(A) P(B A) when events A and B are
independent? Explain your reasoning.
10. According to a survey, about 58% of families sit down for a family dinner at least four
times per week. You ask 5 randomly chosen families whether they have a family dinner at
least four times per week.
a. Draw a histogram of the binomial distribution for the survey.
b. What is the most likely outcome of the survey?
c. What is the probability that at least 3 families have a family dinner four times per week?
11. You are choosing a cell phone company to sign with for the next Satisfied Not Satisfied
2 years. The three plans you consider are equally priced. You ask
several of your neighbors whether they are satisfied with their
Company A ∣∣∣∣
̇̇̇̇
̇̇̇̇
∣∣
̇̇
̇̇
current cell phone company. The table shows the results. According Company B ∣∣∣∣
̇̇̇̇
∣∣∣
̇̇̇
∣∣̇∣∣∣ ̇∣ ∣∣̇∣∣∣ ̇
̇̇̇̇ ̇̇̇
to this survey, which company should you choose? ̇̇̇̇ ̇ ̇̇̇̇
Company C ̇̇̇̇ ̇ ̇̇̇̇
12. The surface area of Earth is about 196.9 million square miles. The land area is about
57.5 million square miles and the rest is water. What is the probability that a meteorite that
reaches the surface of Earth will hit land? What is the probability that it will hit water?
13. Consider a bag that contains all the chess pieces in a set, as shown in the diagram.
a. You choose one piece at random. Find the probability that you choose a black piece or a queen.
b. You choose one piece at random, do not replace it, then choose a second piece at random. Find
the probability that you choose a king, then a pawn.
14. Three volunteers are chosen at random from a group of 12 to help at a summer camp.
a. What is the probability that you, your brother, and your friend are chosen?
b. The first person chosen will be a counselor, the second will be a lifeguard, and the third will
be a cook. What is the probability that you are the cook, your brother is the lifeguard, and
your friend is the counselor?
2. Order the acute angles from smallest to largest. Explain your reasoning.
1
tan θ1 = 1 tan θ2 = —
2
— 23
√3 tan θ4 = —
tan θ3 = — 4
3
38 —
tan θ5 = — tan θ6 = √ 3
5
3. You order a fruit smoothie made with 2 liquid ingredients and 3 fruit ingredients from
the menu shown. How many different fruit smoothies can you order?
1 1 1 1
6. For the sequence −—2 , −—4 , −—6 , −—8 , . . . , describe the pattern, write the next term,
graph the first five terms, and write a rule for the nth term.
7. A survey asked male and female students about whether they prefer to take gym class
or choir. The table shows the results of the survey.
Class
Gym Choir Total
Gender
Male 50
Female 23
Total 49 106
8. The owner of a lawn-mowing business has three mowers. As long as one of the
mowers is working, the owner can stay productive. One of the mowers is unusable
10% of the time, one is unusable 8% of the time, and one is unusable 18% of the time.
a. Find the probability that all three mowers are unusable on a given day.
b. Find the probability that at least one of the mowers is unusable on a
given day.
c. Suppose the least-reliable mower stops working completely. How does this
affect the probability that the lawn-mowing business can be productive on
a given day?
−4 2 4 x
−2
−6
(0, −6)