CHAPTER 4—INTRODUCTION TO PROBABILITY

MULTIPLE CHOICE

1. Each individual outcome of an experiment is called

a. the sample space
b. a sample point
c. an experiment
d. an individual
ANS: B PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

2. The collection of all possible sample points in an experiment is

a. the sample space
b. a sample point
c. an experiment
d. the population
ANS: A PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

3. A graphical method of representing the sample points of an experiment is

a. a frequency polygon
b. a histogram
c. an ogive
d. a tree diagram
ANS: D PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

4. An experiment consists of selecting a student body president and vice president. All undergraduate
students (freshmen through seniors) are eligible for these offices. How many sample points (possible
outcomes as to the classifications) exist?
a. 4
b. 16
c. 8
d. 32
ANS: B PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

5. Any process that generates well-defined outcomes is

a. an event
b. an experiment
c. a sample point
d. a sample space
ANS: B PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

6. The sample space refers to

a. any particular experimental outcome
b. the sample size minus one
c. the set of all possible experimental outcomes
d. an event
ANS: C PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts
 7. In statistical experiments, each time the experiment is repeated
a. the same outcome must occur
b. the same outcome can not occur again
c. a different outcome may occur
d. a different out come must occur
ANS: C PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

8. When the assumption of equally likely outcomes is used to assign probability values, the method used
to assign probabilities is referred to as the
a. relative frequency method
b. subjective method
c. probability method
d. classical method
ANS: D PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

9. The counting rule that is used for counting the number of experimental outcomes when n objects are
selected from a set of N objects where order of selection is not important is called
a. permutation
b. combination
c. multiple step experiment
d. None of these alternatives is correct.
ANS: B PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

10. The counting rule that is used for counting the number of experimental outcomes when n objects are
selected from a set of N objects where order of selection is important is called
a. permutation
b. combination
c. multiple step experiment
d. None of these alternatives is correct.
ANS: A PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

11. From a group of six people, two individuals are to be selected at random. How many possible
selections are possible?
a. 12
b. 36
c. 15
d. 8
ANS: C PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

12. When the results of experimentation or historical data are used to assign probability values, the method
used to assign probabilities is referred to as the
a. relative frequency method
b. subjective method
c. classical method
d. posterior method
ANS: A PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

13. A method of assigning probabilities based upon judgment is referred to as the

a. relative method
b. probability method
 c. classical method
d. subjective method
ANS: D PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

14. A sample point refers to the

a. numerical measure of the likelihood of the occurrence of an event
b. set of all possible experimental outcomes
c. individual outcome of an experiment
d. sample space
ANS: C PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

15. A graphical device used for enumerating sample points in a multiple-step experiment is a
a. bar chart
b. pie chart
c. histogram
d. None of these alternatives is correct.
ANS: D PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

16. The intersection of two mutually exclusive events

a. can be any value between 0 to 1
b. must always be equal to 1
c. must always be equal to 0
d. can be any positive value
ANS: C PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

17. Two events are mutually exclusive

a. if their intersection is 1
b. if they have no sample points in common
c. if their intersection is 0.5
d. None of these alternatives is correct.
ANS: B PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

18. The range of probability is

a. any value larger than zero
b. any value between minus infinity to plus infinity
c. zero to one
d. any value between -1 to 1
ANS: C PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

19. Which of the following statements is always true?

a. -1 P(Ei) 1
b. P(A) = 1 - P(Ac)
c. P(A) + P(B) = 1
d. P 1
ANS: B PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

20. Events that have no sample points in common are

a. independent events
b. posterior events
 c. mutually exclusive events
d. complements
ANS: C PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

21. Initial estimates of the probabilities of events are known as

a. sets
b. posterior probabilities
c. conditional probabilities
d. prior probabilities
ANS: D PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

22. Two events with nonzero probabilities

a. can be both mutually exclusive and independent
b. can not be both mutually exclusive and independent
c. are always mutually exclusive
d. are always independent
ANS: B PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

23. Two events, A and B, are mutually exclusive and each have a nonzero probability. If event A is known
to occur, the probability of the occurrence of event B is
a. one
b. any positive value
c. zero
d. any value between 0 to 1
ANS: C PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

24. The addition law is potentially helpful when we are interested in computing the probability of
a. independent events
b. the intersection of two events
c. the union of two events
d. conditional events
ANS: C PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

25. The sum of the probabilities of two complementary events is

a. Zero
b. 0.5
c. 0.57
d. 1.0
ANS: D PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

26. Events A and B are mutually exclusive if their joint probability is

a. larger than 1
b. less than zero
c. zero
d. infinity
ANS: C PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

27. The set of all possible outcomes of an experiment is

a. an experiment
 b. an event
c. the population
d. the sample space
ANS: D PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

28. Assuming that each of the 52 cards in an ordinary deck has a probability of 1/52 of being drawn, what
is the probability of drawing a black ace?
a. 1/52
b. 2/52
c. 3/52
d. 4/52
ANS: B PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

29. If a dime is tossed four times and comes up tails all four times, the probability of heads on the fifth
trial is
a. smaller than the probability of tails
b. larger than the probability of tails
c. 1/2
d. 1/32
ANS: C PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

30. If a six sided die is tossed two times and "3" shows up both times, the probability of "3" on the third
trial is
a. much larger than any other outcome
b. much smaller than any other outcome
c. 1/6
d. 1/216
ANS: C PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

31. If A and B are independent events with P(A) = 0.65 and P(A  B) = 0.26, then, P(B) =
a. 0.400
b. 0.169
c. 0.390
d. 0.650
ANS: A PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

32. If P(A) = 0.4, P(B | A) = 0.35, P(A  B) = 0.69, then P(B) =

a. 0.14
b. 0.43
c. 0.75
d. 0.59
ANS: B PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

33. Of five letters (A, B, C, D, and E), two letters are to be selected at random. How many possible
selections are possible?
a. 20
b. 7
c. 5!
d. 10
 ANS: D PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

34. Given that event E has a probability of 0.31, the probability of the complement of event E
a. cannot be determined with the above information
b. can have any value between zero and one
c. 0.69
d. is 0.31
ANS: C PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

35. Three applications for admission to a local university are checked, and it is determined whether each
applicant is male or female. The number of sample points in this experiment is
a. 2
b. 4
c. 6
d. 8
ANS: D PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

36. Assume your favorite soccwr team has 2 games left to finish the season. The outcome of each game
can be win, lose or tie. The number of possible outcomes is
a. 2
b. 4
c. 6
d. 9
ANS: D PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

37. Each customer entering a department store will either buy or not buy some merchandise. An
experiment consists of following 3 customers and determining whether or not they purchase any
merchandise. The number of sample points in this experiment is
a. 2
b. 4
c. 6
d. 8
ANS: D PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

38. An experiment consists of tossing 4 coins successively. The number of sample points in this
experiment is
a. 16
b. 8
c. 4
d. 2
ANS: A PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

39. An experiment consists of three steps. There are four possible results on the first step, three possible
results on the second step, and two possible results on the third step. The total number of experimental
outcomes is
a. 9
b. 14
c. 24
d. 36
ANS: C PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts
40. Since the sun must rise tomorrow, then the probability of the sun rising tomorrow is
a. much larger than one
b. zero
c. infinity
d. None of these alternatives is correct.
ANS: D PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

41. If two events are independent, then

a. they must be mutually exclusive
b. the sum of their probabilities must be equal to one
c. their intersection must be zero
d. None of these alternatives is correct.
ANS: D PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

42. Bayes' theorem is used to compute

a. the prior probabilities
b. the union of events
c. intersection of events
d. the posterior probabilities
ANS: D PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

43. On a December day, the probability of snow is .30. The probability of a "cold" day is .50. The
probability of snow and "cold" weather is .15. Are snow and "cold" weather independent events?
a. only if given that it snowed
b. no
c. yes
d. only when they are also mutually exclusive
ANS: C PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

44. One of the basic requirements of probability is

a. for each experimental outcome Ei, we must have P(Ei) 1
b. P(A) = P(Ac) - 1
c. if there are k experimental outcomes, then P(Ei) = 1
d. P(Ei) 1
ANS: C PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

45. The symbol  shows the

a. union of events
b. intersection of two events
c. sum of the probabilities of events
d. sample space
ANS: B PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

46. The symbol  shows the

a. union of events
b. intersection of two events
c. sum of the probabilities of events
d. sample space
 ANS: A PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

47. The multiplication law is potentially helpful when we are interested in computing the probability of
a. mutually exclusive events
b. the intersection of two events
c. the union of two events
d. conditional events
ANS: B PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

48. If two events are mutually exclusive, then their intersection

a. will be equal to zero
b. can have any value larger than zero
c. must be larger than zero, but less than one
d. will be one
ANS: A PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

49. The union of events A and B is the event containing all the sample points belonging to
a. B or A
b. A or B
c. A or B or both
d. A or B, but not both
ANS: C PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

50. If a penny is tossed three times and comes up heads all three times, the probability of heads on the
fourth trial is
a. zero
b. 1/16
c. 1/2
d. larger than the probability of tails
ANS: C PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

51. If a coin is tossed three times, the likelihood of obtaining three heads in a row is
a. zero
b. 0.500
c. 0.875
d. 0.125
ANS: D PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

52. The union of two events with nonzero probabilities

a. cannot be less than one
b. cannot be one
c. could be larger than one
d. None of these alternatives is correct.
ANS: D PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

53. If P(A) = 0.5 and P(B) = 0.5, then P(A  B)

a. is 0.00
b. is 1.00
c. is 0.5
d. None of these alternatives is correct.
 ANS: D PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

54. If A and B are independent events with P(A) = 0.4 and P(B) = 0.6, then P(A  B) =
a. 0.76
b. 1.00
c. 0.24
d. 0.20
ANS: C PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

55. If A and B are independent events with P(A) = 0.2 and P(B) = 0.6, then P(A  B) =
a. 0.62
b. 0.12
c. 0.60
d. 0.68
ANS: D PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

56. If A and B are independent events with P(A) = 0.05 and P(B) = 0.65, then P(A  B) =
a. 0.05
b. 0.0325
c. 0.65
d. 0.8
ANS: A PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

57. If A and B are mutually exclusive events with P(A) = 0.3 and P(B) = 0.5, then P(A  B) =
a. 0.30
b. 0.15
c. 0.00
d. 0.20
ANS: C PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

58. If A and B are mutually exclusive events with P(A) = 0.3 and P(B) = 0.5, then P(A  B) =
a. 0.00
b. 0.15
c. 0.8
d. 0.2
ANS: C PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

59. A lottery is conducted using three urns. Each urn contains chips numbered from 0 to 9. One chip is
selected at random from each urn. The total number of sample points in the sample space is
a. 30
b. 100
c. 729
d. 1,000
ANS: D PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

60. Of the last 100 customers entering a computer shop, 25 have purchased a computer. If the classical
method for computing probability is used, the probability that the next customer will purchase a
computer is
a. 0.25
 b. 0.50
c. 1.00
d. 0.75
ANS: B PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

61. Events A and B are mutually exclusive with P(A) = 0.3 and P(B) = 0.2. Then, P(Bc) =
a. 0.00
b. 0.06
c. 0.7
d. 0.8
ANS: D PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

62. An experiment consists of four outcomes with P(E1) = 0.2, P(E2) = 0.3, and P(E3) = 0.4. The
probability of outcome E4 is
a. 0.500
b. 0.024
c. 0.100
d. 0.900
ANS: C PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

63. Events A and B are mutually exclusive. Which of the following statements is also true?
a. A and B are also independent.
b. P(A  B) = P(A)P(B)
c. P(A  B) = P(A) + P(B)
d. P(A  B) = P(A) + P(B)
ANS: C PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

64. A six-sided die is tossed 3 times. The probability of observing three ones in a row is
a. 1/3
b. 1/6
c. 1/27
d. 1/216
ANS: D PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

65. The probability of the occurrence of event A in an experiment is 1/3. If the experiment is performed 2
times and event A did not occur, then on the third trial event A
a. must occur
b. may occur
c. could not occur
d. has a 2/3 probability of occurring
ANS: B PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

66. A perfectly balanced coin is tossed 6 times, and tails appears on all six tosses. Then, on the seventh
trial
a. tails can not appear
b. heads has a larger chance of appearing than tails
c. tails has a better chance of appearing than heads
d. None of these alternatives is correct.
ANS: D PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts
67. In an experiment, events A and B are mutually exclusive. If P(A) = 0.6, then the probability of B
a. cannot be larger than 0.4
b. can be any value greater than 0.6
c. can be any value between 0 to 1
d. cannot be determined with the information given
ANS: A PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

68. The set of all possible sample points (experimental outcomes) is called
a. a sample
b. an event
c. the sample space
d. a population
ANS: C PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

69. A method of assigning probabilities which assumes that the experimental outcomes are equally likely
is referred to as the
a. objective method
b. classical method
c. subjective method
d. experimental method
ANS: B PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

70. A method of assigning probabilities based on historical data is called the

a. classical method
b. subjective method
c. relative frequency method
d. historical method
ANS: C PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

71. The probability assigned to each experimental outcome must be

a. any value larger than zero
b. smaller than zero
c. at least one
d. between zero and one
ANS: D PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

72. If P(A) = 0.58, P(B) = 0.44, and P(A  B) = 0.25, then P(A  B) =
a. 1.02
b. 0.77
c. 0.11
d. 0.39
ANS: B PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

73. If P(A) = 0.50, P(B) = 0.60, and P(A  B) = 0.30, then events A and B are
a. mutually exclusive events
b. not independent events
c. independent events
d. not enough information is given to answer this question
 ANS: C PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

74. If P(A) = 0.62, P(B) = 0.47, and P(A  B) = 0.88, then P(A  B) =
a. 0.2914
b. 1.9700
c. 0.6700
d. 0.2100
ANS: D PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

75. If P(A) = 0.68, P(A  B) = 0.91, and P(A  B) = 0.35, then P(B) =
a. 0.22
b. 0.09
c. 0.65
d. 0.58
ANS: D PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

76. If A and B are independent events with P(A) = 0.4 and P(B) = 0.25, then P(A  B) =
a. 0.65
b. 0.55
c. 0.10
d. 0.75
ANS: B PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

77. If a penny is tossed three times and comes up heads all three times, the probability of heads on the
fourth trial is
a. smaller than the probability of tails
b. larger than the probability of tails
c. 1/16
d. 1/2
ANS: D PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

78. If P(A) = 0.50, P(B) = 0.40, then, and P(A  B) = 0.88, then P(B  A) =
a. 0.02
b. 0.03
c. 0.04
d. 0.05
ANS: C PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

79. If A and B are independent events with P(A) = 0.38 and P(B) = 0.55, then P(A  B) =
a. 0.209
b. 0.000
c. 0.550
d. 0.38
ANS: D PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

80. If X and Y are mutually exclusive events with P(X) = 0.295, P(Y) = 0.32, then P(X  Y) =
a. 0.0944
b. 0.6150
c. 1.0000
d. 0.0000
 ANS: D PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

81. If a six sided die is tossed two times, the probability of obtaining two "4s" in a row is
a. 1/6
b. 1/36
c. 1/96
d. 1/216
ANS: B PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

82. If A and B are independent events with P(A) = 0.35 and P(B) = 0.20, then, P(A  B) =
a. 0.07
b. 0.62
c. 0.55
d. 0.48
ANS: D PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

83. If P(A) = 0.7, P(B) = 0.6, P(A  B) = 0, then events A and B are
a. not mutually exclusive
b. mutually exclusive
c. independent events
d. complements of each other
ANS: B PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

84. If P(A) = 0.45, P(B) = 0.55, and P(A  B) = 0.78, then P(A  B) =
a. zero
b. 0.45
c. 0.22
d. 0.40
ANS: D PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

85. If P(A) = 0.48, P(A  B) = 0.82, and P(B) = 0.54, then P(A  B) =
a. 0.3936
b. 0.3400
c. 0.2000
d. 1.0200
ANS: C PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

86. Some of the CDs produced by a manufacturer are defective. From the production line, 5 CDs are
selected and inspected. How many sample points exist in this experiment?
a. 10
b. 25
c. 30
d. 32
ANS: D PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

87. An experiment consists of selecting a student body president, vice president, and a treasurer. All
undergraduate students, freshmen through seniors, are eligible for the offices. How many sample
points (possible outcomes as to the classifications) exist?
a. 12
 b. 16
c. 64
d. 100
ANS: C PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

88. Six applications for admission to a local university are checked, and it is determined whether each
applicant is male or female. How many sample points exist in the above experiment?
a. 64
b. 32
c. 16
d. 4
ANS: A PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

89. Assume your favorite soccer team has 3 games left to finish the season. The outcome of each game
can be win, lose, or tie. How many possible outcomes exist?
a. 7
b. 27
c. 36
d. 64
ANS: B PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

90. Each customer entering a department store will either buy or not buy some merchandise. An
experiment consists of following 4 customers and determining whether or not they purchase any
merchandise. How many sample points exist in the above experiment? (Note that each customer is
either a purchaser or non-purchaser.)
a. 2
b. 4
c. 12
d. 16
ANS: D PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

91. From nine cards numbered 1 through 9, two cards are drawn. Consider the selection and
classification of the cards as odd or even as an experiment. How many sample points are there for
this experiment?
a. 2
b. 3
c. 4
d. 9
ANS: C PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

PROBLEM

1. A college plans to interview 8 students for possible offer of graduate assistantships. The college has
three assistantships available. How many groups of three can the college select?

ANS:
56

PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

2. A student has to take 9 more courses before he can graduate. If none of the courses are prerequisite to
others, how many groups of four courses can he select for the next semester?

ANS:
126

PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

3. From among 8 students how many committees consisting of 3 students can be selected?

ANS:
56

PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

4. From a group of seven finalists to a contest, three individuals are to be selected for the first and second
and third places. Determine the number of possible selections.

ANS:
210

PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

5. Ten individuals are candidates for positions of president, vice president of an organization. How many
possibilities of selections exist?

ANS:
90

PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

6. Assume you have applied for two jobs A and B. The probability that you get an offer for job A is
0.23. The probability of being offered job B is 0.19. The probability of getting at least one of the
jobs is 0.38.

a. What is the probability that you will be offered both jobs?

b. Are events A and B mutually exclusive? Why or why not? Explain.

ANS:
a. 0.04
b. No, because P(A  B)  0

PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

7. Assume you have applied for two scholarships, a Merit scholarship (M) and an Athletic scholarship
(A). The probability that you receive an Athletic scholarship is 0.18. The probability of receiving both
scholarships is 0.11. The probability of getting at least one of the scholarships is 0.3.

a. What is the probability that you will receive a Merit scholarship?

b. Are events A and M mutually exclusive? Why or why not? Explain.
c. Are the two events A, and M, independent? Explain, using probabilities.
d. What is the probability of receiving the Athletic scholarship given that you have been awarded
the Merit scholarship?
 e. What is the probability of receiving the Merit scholarship given that you have been awarded
the Athletic scholarship?

ANS:

a. 0.23
b. No, because P(A  M)  0
c. No, because P(A  M)  P(A) P(M)
d. 0.4783
e. 0.6111

PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

8. A survey of a sample of business students resulted in the following information regarding the genders
of the individuals and their selected major.

Selected Major

Gender Management Marketing Others Total

Male 40 10 30 80

Female 30 20 70 120

Total 70 30 100 200

a. What is the probability of selecting an individual who is majoring in Marketing?

b. What is the probability of selecting an individual who is majoring in Management, given that
the person is female?
c. Given that a person is male, what is the probability that he is majoring in Management?
d. What is the probability of selecting a male individual?

ANS:

a. 0.15
b. 0.25
c. 0.50
d. 0.40

PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

9. Sixty percent of the student body at UTC is from the state of Tennessee (T), 30% percent are from
other states (O), and the remainder are international students (I). Twenty percent of students from
Tennessee live in the dormitories, whereas, 50% of students from other states live in the dormitories.
Finally, 80% of the international students live in the dormitories.

a. What percentage of UTC students live in the dormitories?

b. Given that a student lives in the dormitory, what is the probability that she/he is an international
student?
c. Given that a student lives in the dormitory, what is the probability that she/he is from
Tennessee?

ANS:
 a. 35%
b. 0.2286 (rounded)
c. 0.3429 (rounded)

PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

10. The probability of an economic decline in the year 2008 is 0.23. There is a probability of 0.64 that we
will elect a republican president in the year 2008. If we elect a republican president, there is a 0.35
probability of an economic decline. Let "D" represent the event of an economic decline, and "R"
represent the event of election of a Republican president.

a. Are "R" and "D" independent events?

b. What is the probability of a Republican president and economic decline in the year 2008?
c. If we experience an economic decline in the year 2008, what is the probability that there will a
Republican president?
d. What is the probability of economic decline or a Republican president in the year 2008? Hint:
You want to find P(D  R).

ANS:

a. No, because P(D)  P(D  R)

b. 0.224
c. 0.9739
d. 0.646

PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

11. As a company manager for Claimstat Corporation there is a 0.40 probability that you will be promoted
this year. There is a 0.72 probability that you will get a promotion, a raise, or both. The probability of
getting a promotion and a raise is 0.25.

a. If you get a promotion, what is the probability that you will also get a raise?
b. What is the probability that you will get a raise?
c. Are getting a raise and being promoted independent events? Explain using probabilities.
d. Are these two events mutually exclusive? Explain using probabilities.

ANS:

a. 0.625
b. 0.57
c. No, because P(R)  P(R  P)
d. No, because P(R  P)  0

PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

12. A company plans to interview 10 recent graduates for possible employment. The company has three
positions open. How many groups of three can the company select?

ANS:
120

PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

13. A student has to take 7 more courses before she can graduate. If none of the courses are prerequisites
to others, how many groups of three courses can she select for the next semester?

ANS:
35

PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

14. How many committees, consisting of 3 female and 5 male students, can be selected from a group of 5
female and 8 male students?

ANS:
560

PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

15. Six vitamin and three sugar tablets identical in appearance are in a box. One tablet is taken at random
and given to Person A. A tablet is then selected and given to Person B. What is the probability that

a. Person A was given a vitamin tablet?

b. Person B was given a sugar tablet given that Person A was given a vitamin tablet?
c. neither was given vitamin tablets?
d. both were given vitamin tablets?
e. exactly one person was given a vitamin tablet?
f. Person A was given a sugar tablet and Person B was given a vitamin tablet?
g. Person A was given a vitamin tablet and Person B was given a sugar tablet?

ANS:

a. 6/9
b. 3/8
c. 1/12
d. 5/12
e. 1/2
f. 1/4
g. 1/4

PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

16. The sales records of a real estate agency show the following sales over the past 200 days:

Number of Number
Houses Sold of Days
0 60
1 80
2 40
3 16
4 4

a. How many sample points are there?

b. Assign probabilities to the sample points and show their values.
c. What is the probability that the agency will not sell any houses in a given day?
d. What is the probability of selling at least 2 houses?
 e. What is the probability of selling 1 or 2 houses?
f. What is the probability of selling less than 3 houses?

ANS:

a. 5

b. Number of
Houses Sold Probability
0 0.30
1 0.40
2 0.20
3 0.08
4 0.02

c. 0.3
d. 0.3
e. 0.6
f. 0.9

PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

17. A bank has the following data on the gender and marital status of 200 customers.

Male Female
Single 20 30
Married 100 50

a. What is the probability of finding a single female customer?

b. What is the probability of finding a married male customer?
c. If a customer is female, what is the probability that she is single?
d. What percentage of customers is male?
e. If a customer is male, what is the probability that he is married?
f. Are gender and marital status mutually exclusive?
g. Is marital status independent of gender? Explain using probabilities.

ANS:

a. 0.15
b. 0.5
c. 0.375
d. 60%
e. 0.833
f. No, the intersection is not zero.
g. They are not independent because P(male) = 0.6 P(malesingle) = 0.4

PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

18. An applicant has applied for positions at Company A and Company B. The probability of getting an
offer from Company A is 0.4, and the probability of getting an offer from Company B is 0.3. Assuming
that the two job offers are independent of each other, what is the probability that

a. the applicant gets an offer from both companies?

 b. the applicant will get at least one offer?
c. the applicant will not be given an offer from either company?
d. Company A does not offer her a job, but Company B does?

ANS:

a. 0.12
b. 0.58
c. 0.42
d. 0.18

PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

19. An experiment consists of throwing two six-sided dice and observing the number of spots on the upper
faces. Determine the probability that

a. the sum of the spots is 3.

b. each die shows four or more spots.
c. the sum of the spots is not 3.
d. neither a one nor a six appear on each die.
e. a pair of sixes appear.
f. the sum of the spots is 7.

ANS:

a. 2/36
b. 9/36
c. 34/36
d. 16/36
e. 1/36
f. 6/36

PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

20. Two of the cylinders in an eight-cylinder car are defective and need to be replaced. If two cylinders are
selected at random, what is the probability that

a. both defective cylinders are selected?

b. no defective cylinder is selected?
c. at least one defective cylinder is selected?

ANS:

a. 2/56
b. 30/56
c. 26/56

PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

21. Assume two events A and B are mutually exclusive and, furthermore, P(A) = 0.2 and P(B) = 0.4.

a. Find P(A  B).

b. Find P(A  B).
 c. Find P(A  B).

ANS:

a. 0.0
b. 0.6
c. 0.0

PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

22. A government agency has 6,000 employees. The employees were asked whether they preferred a four-
day work week (10 hours per day), a five-day work week (8 hours per day), or flexible hours. You are
given information on the employees' responses broken down by sex.

Male Female Total

Four days 300 600 900
Five days 1,200 1,500 2,700
Flexible 300 2,100 2,400
Total 1,800 4,200 6,000

a. What is the probability that a randomly selected employee is a man and is in favor of a four-
day work week?
b. What is the probability that a randomly selected employee is female?
c. A randomly selected employee turns out to be female. Compute the probability that she is in
favor of flexible hours.
d. What percentage of employees is in favor of a five-day work week?
e. Given that a person is in favor of flexible time, what is the probability that the person is
female?
f. What percentage of employees is male and in favor of a five-day work week?

ANS:

a. 0.05
b. 0.7
c. 0.5
d. 45%
e. 0.875
f. 20%

PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

23. Forty percent of the students who enroll in a statistics course go to the statistics laboratory on a regular
basis. Past data indicates that 65% of those students who use the lab on a regular basis make a grade of
A in the course. On the other hand, only 10% of students who do not go to the lab on a regular basis
make a grade of A. If a particular student made an A, determine the probability that she or he used the
lab on a regular basis.

ANS:
0.8125

PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

24. A corporation has 15,000 employees. Sixty-two percent of the employees are male. Twenty-three
percent of the employees earn more than $30,000 a year. Eighteen percent of the employees are male
and earn more than $30,000 a year.

a. If an employee is taken at random, what is the probability that the employee is male?
b. If an employee is taken at random, what is the probability that the employee earns more than
$30,000 a year?
c. If an employee is taken at random, what is the probability that the employee is male and earns
more than $30,000 a year?
d. If an employee is taken at random, what is the probability that the employee is male or earns
more than $30,000 a year?
e. The employee taken at random turns out to be male. Compute the probability that he earns
more than $30,000 a year.
f. Are being male and earning more than $30,000 a year independent?

ANS:

a. 0.62
b. 0.23
c. 0.18
d. 0.67
e. 0.2903
f. No

PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

25. In the two upcoming basketball games, the probability that UTC will defeat Marshall is 0.63, and the
probability that UTC will defeat Furman is 0.55. The probability that UTC will defeat both opponents
is 0.3465.

a. What is the probability that UTC will defeat Furman given that they defeat Marshall?
b. What is the probability that UTC will win at least one of the games?
c. What is the probability of UTC winning both games?
d. Are the outcomes of the games independent? Explain and substantiate your answer.

ANS:

a. 0.55
b. 0.8335
c. 0.3465
d. Yes, the probability of defeating Furman (0.55) is equal to the probability of defeating Furman
given that they have defeated Marshall (0.55).

PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

26. A small town has 5,600 residents. The residents in the town were asked whether or not they favored
building a new bridge across the river. You are given the following information on the residents'
responses, broken down by sex.

Men Women Total

In Favor 1,400 280 1,680
Opposed 840 3,080 3,920
Total 2,240 3,360 5,600
 Let: M be the event a resident is a man
W be the event a resident is a woman
F be the event a resident is in favor
P be the event a resident is opposed

a. Find the joint probability table.

b. Find the marginal probabilities.
c. What is the probability that a randomly selected resident is a man and is in favor of building
the bridge?
d. What is the probability that a randomly selected resident is a man?
e. What is the probability that a randomly selected resident is in favor of building the bridge?
f. What is the probability that a randomly selected resident is a man or in favor of building the
bridge?
g. A randomly selected resident turns out to be male. Compute the probability that he is in favor
of building the bridge.

ANS:
a and b

M W Total
F .25 .05 .3
P .15 .55 .7
Total .40 .60 1.0

c. 0.25
d. 0.4
e. 0.3
f. 0.45
g. 0.625

PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

27. On a recent holiday evening, a sample of 500 drivers was stopped by the police. Three hundred were
under 30 years of age. A total of 250 were under the influence of alcohol. Of the drivers under 30 years
of age, 200 were under the influence of alcohol.

Let A be the event that a driver is under the influence of alcohol.

Let Y be the event that a driver is less than 30 years old.

a. Determine P(A) and P(Y).

b. What is the probability that a driver is under 30 and not under the influence of alcohol?
c. Given that a driver is not under 30, what is the probability that he/she is under the influence of
alcohol?
d. What is the probability that a driver is under the influence of alcohol, when we know the driver
is under 30?
e. Show the joint probability table.
f. Are A and Y mutually exclusive events? Explain.
g. Are A and Y independent events? Explain.

ANS:
 a. P(Y) = 0.6 P(A) = 0.5
b. 0.2
c. 0.25
d. 0.667
e. A Ac
Y 0.4 0.2
Yc 0.1 0.3

f. No, P(A  Y)  0
g. No, P(AY)  P(A)

PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

28. You are given the following information on Events A, B, C, and D.

P(A) = .4 P(A  D) = .6
P(B) = .2 P(AB) = .3
P(C) = .1 P(A  C) = .04
P(A  D) = .03

a. Compute P(D).
b. Compute P(A  B).
c. Compute P(AC).
d. Compute the probability of the complement of C.
e. Are A and B mutually exclusive? Explain your answer.
f. Are A and B independent? Explain your answer.
g. Are A and C mutually exclusive? Explain your answer.
h. Are A and C independent? Explain your answer.

ANS:

a. 0.23
b. 0.06
c. 0.4
d. 0.9
e. No, P(A  B)  0
f. No, P(A  B)  P(A)
g. No, P(A  C)  0
h. Yes, P(A  C) = P(A)

PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

29. In a city, 60% of the residents live in houses and 40% of the residents live in apartments. Of the people
who live in houses, 20% own their own business. Of the people who live in apartments, 10% own their
own business. If a person owns his or her own business, find the probability that he or she lives in a
house.

ANS:
0.75

PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

30. Four workers at a fast food restaurant pack the take-out chicken dinners. John packs 45% of the
dinners but fails to include a salt packet 4% of the time. Mary packs 25% of the dinners but omits the
salt 2% of the time. Sue packs 30% of the dinners but fails to include the salt 3% of the time. You have
purchased a dinner and there is no salt.

a. Find the probability that John packed your dinner.

b. Find the probability that Mary packed your dinner.

ANS:

a. 0.5625
b. 0.15625

PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

31. A statistics professor has noted from past experience that a student who follows a program of studying
two hours for each hour in class has a probability of 0.9 of getting a grade of C or better, while a
student who does not follow a regular study program has a probability of 0.2 of getting a C or better. It
is known that 70% of the students follow the study program. Find the probability that a student who
has earned a C or better grade, followed the program.

ANS:
0.9130

PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

32. All the employees of ABC Company are assigned ID numbers. The ID number consists of the first
letter of an employee's last name, followed by four numbers.

a. How many possible different ID numbers are there?

b. How many possible different ID numbers are there for employees whose last name starts with
an A?

ANS:

a. 260,000
b. 10,000

PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

33. Assume you have applied to two different universities (let's refer to them as Universities A and B) for
your graduate work. In the past, 25% of students (with similar credentials as yours) who applied to
University A were accepted, while University B accepted 35% of the applicants. Assume events are
independent of each other.

a. What is the probability that you will be accepted to both universities?

b. What is the probability that you will be accepted to at least one graduate program?
c. What is the probability that one and only one of the universities will accept you?
d. What is the probability that neither university will accept you?

ANS:

a. 0.0875
 b. 0.5125
c. 0.425
d. 0.4875

PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

34. The following table shows the number of students in three different degree programs and whether they
are graduate or undergraduate students:

Undergraduate Graduate Total

Business 150 50 200
Engineering 150 25 175
Arts & Sciences 100 25 125
Total 400 100 500

a. What is the probability that a randomly selected student is an undergraduate?

b. What percentage of students are engineering majors?
c. If we know that a selected student is an undergraduate, what is the probability that he or she is
a business major?
d. A student is enrolled in the Arts and Sciences school. What is the probability that the student is
an undergraduate student?
e. What is the probability that a randomly selected student is a graduate Business major?

ANS:

a. 0.8
b. 35%
c. 0.375
d. 0.8
e. 0.1

PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

35. A survey of business students who had taken the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT)
indicated that students who have spent at least five hours studying GMAT review guides have a
probability of 0.85 of scoring above 400. Students who do not review have a probability of 0.65 of
scoring above 400. It has been determined that 70% of the business students review for the test.

a. Find the probability of scoring above 400.

b. Find the probability that a student who scored above 400 reviewed for the test.

ANS:

a. 0.79
b. 0.7532

PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

36. A machine is used in a production process. From past data, it is known that 97% of the time the
machine is set up correctly. Furthermore, it is known that if the machine is set up correctly, it produces
95% acceptable (non-defective) items. However, when it is set up incorrectly, it produces only 40%
acceptable items.
 a. An item from the production line is selected. What is the probability that the selected item is
non-defective?
b. Given that the selected item is non-defective, what is the probability that the machine is set up
correctly?

ANS:

a. 0.9335
b. 0.9871

PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

37. A committee of 4 is to be selected from a group of 12 people. How many possible committees can be
selected?

ANS:
495

PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

38. Assume a businessman has 7 suits and 8 ties. He is planning to take 3 suits and 2 ties with him on his
next business trip. How many possibilities of selection does he have?

ANS:
980

PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

39. The results of a survey of 800 married couples and the number of children they had is shown below.

Number of Children Probability

0 0.050
1 0.125
2 0.600
3 0.150
4 0.050
5 0.025

If a couple is selected at random, what is the probability that the couple will have

a. Less than 4 children?

b. More than 2 children?
c. Either 2 or 3 children?

ANS:

a. 0.925
b. 0.225
c. 0.75

PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

40. Assume that in your hand you hold an ordinary six-sided die and a dime. You toss both the die and the
dime on a table.

a. What is the probability that a head appears on the dime and a six on the die?
b. What is the probability that a tail appears on the dime and any number more than 3 on the die?
c. What is the probability that a number larger than 2 appears on the die?

ANS:

a. 1/12
b. 3/12
c. 8/12

PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

41. A very short quiz has one multiple choice question with five possible choices (a, b, c, d, e) and one
true or false question. Assume you are taking the quiz but do not have any idea what the correct
answer is to either question, but you mark an answer anyway.

a. What is the probability that you have given the correct answer to both questions?
b. What is the probability that only one of the two answers is correct?
c. What is the probability that neither answer is correct?
d. What is the probability that only your answer to the multiple choice question is correct?
e. What is the probability that you have only answered the true or false question correctly?

ANS:

a. 1/10
b. 5/10
c. 4/10
d. 1/10
e. 4/10

PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

42. Assume that each year the IRS randomly audits 10% of the tax returns. If a married couple has filed
separate returns,

a. What is the probability that both the husband and the wife will be audited?
b. What is the probability that only one of them will be audited?
c. What is the probability that neither one of them will be audited?
d. What is the probability that at least one of them will be audited?

ANS:

a. 0.01
b. 0.18
c. 0.81
d. 0.19

PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

43. Tammy is a general contractor and has submitted two bids for two projects (A and B). The probability
of getting project A is 0.65. The probability of getting project B is 0.77. The probability of getting at
least one of the projects is 0.90.

a. What is the probability that she will get both projects?

b. Are the events of getting the two projects mutually exclusive? Explain, using probabilities.
c. Are the two events independent? Explain, using probabilities.

ANS:

a. 0.52
b. No, the intersection is not zero.
c. No, P(AB) = 0.6753  P(A)

PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

44. Assume you are taking two courses this semester (A and B). The probability that you will pass course
A is 0.835, the probability that you will pass both courses is 0.276. The probability that you will pass
at least one of the courses is 0.981.

a. What is the probability that you will pass course B?

b. Is the passing of the two courses independent events? Use probability information to justify
your answer.
c. Are the events of passing the courses mutually exclusive? Explain.

ANS:

a. 0.422
b. No, P(AB) = 0.654  P(A)
c. No, the intersection is not zero.

PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

45. In a random sample of UTC students 50% indicated they are business majors, 40% engineering
majors, and 10% other majors. Of the business majors, 60% were females; whereas, 30% of
engineering majors were females. Finally, 20% of the other majors were female.

a. What percentage of students in this sample was female?

b. Given that a person is female, what is the probability that she is an engineering major?

ANS:

a. 44%
b. 0.2727

PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

46. In a recent survey in a Statistics class, it was determined that only 60% of the students attend class on
Fridays. From past data it was noted that 98% of those who went to class on Fridays pass the course,
while only 20% of those who did not go to class on Fridays passed the course.

a. What percentage of students is expected to pass the course?

b. Given that a person passes the course, what is the probability that he/she attended classes on
 Fridays?

ANS:

a. 66.8%
b. 0.88

PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

47. You are applying for graduate school at University A. In the past 42% of the applicants to this
university have been accepted. It is also known that 70% of those students who have been accepted
have had GMAT scores in excess of 550 while 40% of the students who were not accepted had GMAT
scores in excess of 550. You take the GMAT exam and score 640. What is the probability that you will
be accepted into graduate school of university A?

ANS:
0.5589 (rounded)

PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

48. In a recent survey about appliance ownership, 58.3% of the respondents indicated that they own
Maytag appliances, while 23.9% indicated they own both Maytag and GE appliances and 70.7% said
they own at least one of the two appliances.

Define the events as

M = Owning a Maytag appliance
G = Owning a GE appliance

a. What is the probability that a respondent owns a GE appliance?

b. Given that a respondent owns a Maytag appliance, what is the probability that the respondent
also owns a GE appliance?
c. Are events "M" and "G" mutually exclusive? Why or why not? Explain, using probabilities.
d. Are the two events "M" and "G" independent? Explain, using probabilities.

ANS:

a. 0.363
b. 0.4099
c. No, the intersection is 0.239 and not zero
d. No, p(GM) = 0.4099 which is not equal to p(G) = 0.363

PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

49. Records of a company show that 20% of the employees have only a high school diploma; 70% have
bachelor degrees; and 10% have graduate degrees. Of those with only a high school diploma, 10%
hold management positions; whereas, of those having bachelor degrees, 40% hold management
positions. Finally, 80% of the employees who have graduate degrees hold management positions.

a. What percentage of employees holds management positions?

b. Given that a person holds a management position, what is the probability that she/he has a
graduate degree?

ANS:
 a. 38%
b. 0.2105

PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

50. Records of a company show that 15% of the employees have only a high school diploma; 75% have
bachelor degrees; and 10% have graduate degrees. Of those with only a high school diploma, 12%
hold management positions; whereas, of those having bachelor degrees, 58% hold management
positions. Finally, 82% of the employees who have graduate degrees hold management positions.

a. What percentage of employees holds management positions?

b. Given that a person holds a management position, what is the probability that she/he has a
graduate degree?

ANS:

a. 53.5%
b. 0.1533

PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

51. From a group of three finalists for a privately endowed scholarship, two individuals are to be selected
for the first and second places. Determine the number of possible selections.

ANS:
6

PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

52. Eight individuals are candidates for positions of president, vice president, and treasurer of an
organization. How many possibilities of selections exist?

ANS:
336

PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

53. In a horse race, nine horses are running. Assume you have purchased a Trifecta ticket. (In Trifecta,
the player selects three horses as first, second, and third place winners. To win, those three horses
must finish the race in the precise order the player has selected.) How many possibilities of a Trifecta
exist?

ANS:
504

PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

54. An automobile dealer has kept records on the customers who visited his showroom. Forty percent of
the people who visited his dealership were female. Furthermore, his records show that 35% of the
females who visited his dealership purchased an automobile, while 20% of the males who visited his
dealership purchased an automobile. Let
 A1 = the event that the customer is female

A2 = the event that the customer is male

a. What is the probability that a customer entering the showroom will buy an automobile?
b. A car salesperson has just informed us that he sold a car to a customer. What is the
probability that the customer was female?

ANS:
a. 0.26
b. 0.538

PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

55. In a recent survey of computer ownership, 73.4% of the respondents indicated they own PC
computers, while 21.8% indicated they own both PC and Mac computers, and 80.1% said they own at
least one of the two computers.

a. What is the probability that a respondent owns a Mac computer?

b. Given that a respondent owns a PC, what is the probability that the respondent also owns a
Mac?
c. Are events “P” and “M” mutually exclusive? Why or why not? Explain using probabilities.
d. Are the two events “P” and “M” independent? Explain, using probabilities.

ANS:
a. 0.285
b. 0.297
c. No, because P(P  M)  0
d. No, because P(P  M)  P(P) P(M)

PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts

56. Records of a company show that 15% of the employees have only a high school diploma (H), 75%
have bachelor degrees (B), and 10% have graduate degrees (G). Of those with only a high school
diploma, 12% hold management positions; whereas, of those having bachelor degrees, 58% hold
management positions. Finally, 82% of the employees who have graduate degrees hold management
positions.

a. What percentage of employees holds management positions?

b. Given that a person holds a management position, what is the probability that she/he has a
graduate degree?

ANS:
a. 0.538
b. 0.1533

PTS: 1 TOP: Probability Concepts