PROBABILITY

Topic 16

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 Mathematics 4024 Topic 16 : Probability

1 Jun 2011 Paper 2 Q 3

The letters spelling the word BANANA are written on six tiles.
(a) Find the probability that a tile chosen at random has the letter N on it. Give your answer as a
fraction in its simplest form. [1]

(b) The six tiles are placed in a bag. Three tiles are chosen at random without replacement. The first
is placed in Position 1, the second in Position 2 and the third in Position 3.

(i) Find the probability that the three tiles spell BAN. Give your answer as a fraction in its
simplest form. [2]

(ii) The tiles are now replaced and the process is repeated. Find the probability that the three
tiles spell either ANN or ANA. Give your answer as a fraction in its simplest form. [2]

2 Nov 2011 Paper 2 Q 11(b)

(b) A bag contains 12 discs. There are 8 blue and 4 red discs. A disc is picked out at random and not
replaced. A second disc is then picked out at random and not replaced.
The tree diagram below shows the possible outcomes and one of their probabilities.

(i) Complete the tree diagram. [2]

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 Mathematics 4024 Topic 16 : Probability

(ii) Expressing each of your answers as a fraction in its lowest terms, calculate the
probability that
(a) both discs are red, [1]

(b) at least one disc is blue. [2]

(iii) A third disc is picked out at random. Calculate the probability that all three discs are red.
[1]

3 Jun 2012 Paper 1 Q 21

In class A there are 10 boys and 15 girls. In class B there are 20 boys and 10 girls. One student is picked
from each class at random.
(a) Complete the tree diagram to show the probabilities of the possible outcomes.

(b) Find the probability that one student is a boy and one is a girl.
Express your answer as a fraction in its lowest terms. [2]

4 Nov 2012 Paper 1 Q 16

Three cards, A, B and C are marked with the numbers 2, 3 and 4 respectively. One card is chosen, at
random.
A second card is then chosen, at random, from the remaining two cards. The sum of the numbers on the
two chosen cards is calculated.
(a) What is the probability that the sum is 3? [1]

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 Mathematics 4024 Topic 16 : Probability

(b) Complete the table to show all the possible outcomes. You may not need all the columns. [1]

(c) What is the probability that the sum is 7? [1]

5 Jun 2013 Paper 2 Q 10(a)

(a) A bag contains red and blue pegs. Altogether there are 25 pegs of which n are red. Rashid picks
two pegs without replacement.
The tree diagram shows the possible outcomes and their probabilities.

(i) Complete the tree diagram. [2]

(ii) (a) Write an expression, as a single fraction in terms of n, for the probability that
Rashid picks a red peg then a blue peg in that order. [1]

1
(b) The probability that Rashid picks a red peg then a blue peg in that order is .
p
Given that the number of red pegs, n, satisfies the equation
n2 – 25n + 150 = 0, find p. [2]

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 Mathematics 4024 Topic 16 : Probability

(iii) Solve n2 – 25n + 150 = 0 to find the possible values of n. [2]

(iv) Given that at the start there are more blue pegs than red pegs in the bag, find the
probability that Rashid picks two red pegs. [2]

6 Nov 2013 Paper 1 Q 21

The numbers 2, 3, 3, 4, 4, 4 are written on six cards. Two cards are chosen, at random, without
replacement, to form a 2-digit number. The first card chosen shows the number of Tens. The second
card chosen shows the number of Units.

Expressing each answer in its simplest form, find the probability that the two cards show
(a) a number greater than 20, [1]

(b) the number 33, [1]

(c) the number 43 or the number 32. [2]

7 Jun 2014 Paper 1 Q 21

Luis has 3 black pens and 7 red pens in a case. He takes two pens from the case at random without
replacement.
(a) Complete the tree diagram to show the possible outcomes and their probabilities.

[1]

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 Mathematics 4024 Topic 16 : Probability

(b) Find, as a fraction in its lowest terms, the probability that

(i) Luis takes two black pens, [1]

(ii) Luis takes two different coloured pens. [2]

8 Jun 2014 Paper 2 Q 4

A bag contains six identical balls numbered 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7.
(a) A ball is taken from the bag at random. Find, as a fraction in its lowest terms, the probability
that the number on the ball is
(i) a multiple of 3, [1]

(ii) prime. [1]

(b) All six balls are replaced in the bag. Two balls are taken from the bag, one after the other,
without replacement. The numbers on the two balls are added together.
(i) Complete this possibility diagram to show all the outcomes.

[1]
(ii) Find the probability that the sum of the numbers is
(a) odd, [1]

(b) less than 8. [1]

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 Mathematics 4024 Topic 16 : Probability

9 Nov 2014 Paper 1 Q 21

A bag contains 5 balls, 2 of which are blue and 3 are red. One ball is taken, at random, from the bag. If
it is red it is put back into the bag. If it is blue it is not put back into the bag.
A second ball is taken, at random, from the bag. Part of the tree diagram that represents these outcomes
is drawn below.

(a) Complete the tree diagram. [1]

(b) Expressing each answer as a fraction in its simplest form, find the probability that
(i) both balls taken are blue, [1]

(ii) the second ball taken is blue. [2]

10 Nov 2014 Paper 2 Q 3

In a game, when it is Mary’s turn, she spins each of these fair spinners once.
Mary’s score for the turn is worked out using the formula xm + yn, where x is the number on spinner X
and y is the number on spinner Y.
The possibility space diagram shows Mary’s possible scores.

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 Mathematics 4024 Topic 16 : Probability

(a) Find the probability that Mary’s score is less than 15. [1]

(b) Calculate the probability that on two consecutive turns, Mary scores less than 40 on one and
more than 75 on the other. [3]

(c) The diagram shows 7 on spinner X and –1 on spinner Y.

Using the formula, the score for this turn is 7m – n = 38.
(i) Using the table, find 7m + 3n. [1]

(ii) Hence find m and n. [2]

(d) Find p. [2]

11 Jun 2015 Paper 1 Q 4

A bag contains red counters, blue counters and yellow counters.
There are 60 counters in the bag.
2
The probability that a counter taken at random from the bag is red is .
5
5
The probability that a counter taken at random from the bag is blue is .
12
How many yellow counters are in the bag? [2]

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 Mathematics 4024 Topic 16 : Probability

12 Jun 2015 Paper 2 Q 11(a)

(a) Some people were asked which continent they visited on their last holiday.
The results are shown in the table below.
Continent Number of people
North America (NA) 7
Europe (E) 15
Asia (A) 8
(i) Find the probability that one of these people, chosen at random, visited North America.
[1]
(ii) Find the probability that one of these people, chosen at random, did not go to Asia. Give
your answer as a fraction in its lowest terms. [1]

(iii) Two of these people are chosen at random. The tree diagram opposite shows the possible
outcomes and some of their probabilities.
(a) Complete the tree diagram. [2]
(b) What is the probability that the two people went to the same continent? [2]

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 Mathematics 4024 Topic 16 : Probability

13 Nov 2015 Paper 1 Q 23

A fair 4-sided spinner is numbered 1, 2, 3 and 4.
(a) Anil spins it once. He gets his score by doubling the number obtained.
Complete the table to show the probabilities of his scores.
Score 2 4 6 8
Probability
[1]
(b) Billie spins it twice. She gets her score by adding the numbers obtained.
(i) Complete the possibility diagram.

[1]
(ii) Complete the table showing the probabilities for some of Billie’s scores.

[1]
(c) Find the probability that Billie scores more than Anil. [2]

14 Jun 2016 Paper 1 Q 20

A bag contains 10 counters of which 8 are blue and 2 are white.
Two counters are taken from the bag at random without replacement.
(a) Complete the tree diagram to show the possible outcomes and their probabilities.

[1]

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 Mathematics 4024 Topic 16 : Probability

(b) Find, as a fraction, the probability that

(i) both counters are blue, [1]

(ii) one counter is blue and the other is white. [2]

15 Nov 2016 Paper 1 Q 18

Four cards are marked with the numbers 1, 2, 3 and 4.

One card is chosen at random.
A second card is then chosen, at random, from the remaining three cards.
The sum of the numbers on the two chosen cards is calculated.
(a) Complete the table to show the possible outcomes.

[1]
(b) What is the probability that the sum is less than 2? [1]

(c) What is the probability that the sum is greater than 5? [1]

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 Mathematics 4024 Topic 16 : Probability

16 Nov 2016 Paper 2 Q 11(b)

(b) Amira has three $1 coins and two 20c coins in her purse.
She picks out coins at random, one after the other. The coins are not replaced.
The tree diagram shows the possible outcomes and their probabilities when picking out two
coins.

(i) Find x. [1]

(ii) Find the probability that the total value of the two coins picked out is 40 cents. [1]

(iii) Find the probability that the total value of the two coins picked out is $1.20. [2]

(iv) At a car park, the charge is $1.40.

Amira picks out three coins, one after the other.
Find the probability that the total value of the three coins is $1.40. [2]

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Mathematics 4024 Topic 16 : Probability

Answer Key
6
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7
2

8
3

10

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Mathematics 4024 Topic 16 : Probability

Answer Key
11 16

12

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