PROBABILITY

REVISION
2020 Eastern Cape November 1 Q 9.1
Two events A and B are such that:
• P not A = 0,45
• P B = 0,3
• P A or B = 0,685
Are events A and B independent? Justify your answer?
2020 Eastern Cape November Paper 1 Q 10
A bag contains a certain number of tennis balls that are the same in all
respects except colour. There are 5 green balls and the rest are blue.
Ncomi picks a ball, observes the colour and does not put it back in the bag.
He picks a second ball and observes the colour. The probability that both balls
5
that Ncomi picks are green is . Determine the total number of balls in the bag (6)
18
2008 November Paper 3 Q 4 4.1.3 Hence show that 𝑥 = 5. (3)

4.1 A survey of 80 students at a local library indicated the 4.1.4 What is the probability, correct to THREE decimal

reading preferences below: places, that a student selected at random will read at least

44 read the National Geographic magazine two of the three magazines? (3)

33 read the Getaway magazine

39 read the Leadership magazine
23 read both National Geographic and Leadership magazines
19 read both Getaway and Leadership magazines
9 read all three magazines
69 read at least one magazine
4.1.1 How many students did not read any magazine? (1)
4.1.2 Let the number of students who read National
Geographic and Getaway, but not Leadership, be represented
by 𝑥. Draw a Venn diagram to represent reading
preferences. (5)
CONTINUED……..
4.2 A smoke detector system in a large warehouse uses two
devices, A and B. If smoke is present, the probability that it will
be detected by device A is 0,95. The probability that it will be
detected by device B is 0,98 and the probability that it will be
detected by both devices simultaneously is 0,94.
4.2.1 If smoke is present, what is the probability that it will be
detected by device A or device B or both devices? (3)
4.2.2 What is the probability that the smoke will not be
detected? (1)
2016 Western Cape Preliminary Paper 2 Q 11.1
A group of 540 people with green or blue eyes were randomly
selected in order to determine whether or not green or blue
eyes are dependent on gender. The results are tabulated
below:
Male Female Total
Green eyes 183 147 330
Blue eyes 117 93 210
Total 300 240 540
11.1.1 If a person is selected at random, determine the
probability that it will be a female with green eyes. (2)
11.1.2 After analysing the results, a grade 11 learner concludes
that the probability of having green eyes is independent of
gender. Is he correct? Substantiate your answer
with relevant calculations. Give all answers correct to 2 decimal
places. (5)
2014 Eastern Cape Preliminary Paper 1 Q 12.1-12.2 12.1.1 If there are 28 people who enjoy gardening, calculate
There are 115 people in a group. The Venn-diagram below the value of 𝑥. (1)
shows the number of people who enjoy listening to radio (R ), 12.1.2 Hence determine the value of 𝑦. (1)
enjoy gardening ( G) and/or enjoy cooking ( C). There are 𝑥
people who enjoy all three activities. There are people who do
not enjoy any of the activities.
CONTINUED…………. Determine the probability that a loaf of white bread and a loaf
12.2 There are 5 loaves of brown bread (B) and 7 loaves of of brown bread is sold to the two clients. (3)
white bread (W) on the shelf at the local supermarket. Two
clients, one followed by the other, each randomly selects a
loaf of bread from the shelf and places it in their basket.
12.2.1 Determine the probability that the first client takes a
loaf of white bread. (1)
12.2.2 Assume that the owner of the shop does not replace any
loaves of bread on the shelf after a client has taken a loaf of
bread. Determine the probability that both clients take a loaf of
brown bread. (3)
12.2.3 If the first client takes a loaf of white bread, the owner
of the shop places a loaf of brown bread with the other loaves
on the shelf. If the first client takes a loaf of brown bread, the
owner of the shop places a loaf of white bread with the other
loaves on the shelf.
2023 KwaZulu Natal November Paper 1 Q 9.2
A picnic basket contains x apples and 8 bananas. A fruit is
selected at random, and eaten. Thereafter, another fruit is
selected at random and eaten. The probability of selecting two
48
different fruits, in any order, in the first two selections is 95 .

Calculate the total number of apples in the basket. (5)

2018 November Paper 1 Q 8
A bag contains 6 red balls, 8 green balls and an unknown
number of yellow balls. The probability of randomly choosing a
green ball is 25%.

8.1 Show that there are 32 balls in the bag? (1)

8.2 A ball is drawn from the bag, the colour is recorded and it
is not returned to the bag. Thereafter another ball is drawn
from the bag , the colour is recorded and it is also not returned
to the bag.

Draw a tree diagram to represent ALL the possible ways in

which the two balls could have been drawn from the bag.
Show the probabilities associated with EACH branch as well as
the outcomes. (4)

8.3 Calculate the probability that the two balls drawn from the
bag will have the same colour. (4)
2009 March Paper 3 Q 4.2
There are 20 boys and 15 girls in a class. The teacher chooses
individual learners at random to deliver a speech.
4.2.1 Calculate the probability that the first learner chosen is a
boy. (1)
4.2.2 Draw a tree diagram to represent the situation if the
teacher chooses three learners, one after the other. Indicate on
your diagram ALL possible outcomes. (4)
4.2.3 Calculate the probability that a boy, then a girl and then
another boy is chosen in that order. (3)
4.2.4 Calculate the probability that all three learners chosen
are girls. (2)
4.2.5 Calculate the probability that at least one of the learners
chosen is a boy. (3)
2018 Gauteng Preliminary Paper 1 Q 12
Events A, B and C occur as follows where A and B are
independent events.
 P A = 0.38
 P B = 0.42
 P A ∩ B = 0.1596
 P C = 0.28
 There are 456 people in event A.
12.1 Are A and B mutually exclusive events? Motivate your
answer. (2)
12.2 By using an appropriate formula, show that the value of
P A ∪ B = 0.64. (2)
12.3 Calculate the number of people in the sample space. (2)
12.4 Determine n C′ . (2)
2016 Kwazulu Natal Preliminary Paper 1 Q 12.1
A study on eating chocolate and gender yielded the following
results.

Eating Not Eating TOTAL

Chocolate Chocolate

Male 45 25 70
Female 35 45 80
TOTAL 80 70 150

12.1.1 How many people participated in this study?

12.1.2 Calculate the following probabilities:
(a) P (male) (1)
(b) P (Eating Chocolate) (1)
12.1.3 Are the events being a male and eating
chocolate independent? Justify your answer with
relevant calculations. (3)
2016 Mpumalanga Preliminary Paper 1 Q 9.1 and 9.2
3 1
9.1 If P A = 8 and P B = , calculate P(A or B) if:
4

9.1.1 A and B are mutually exclusive events. (3)

9.1.2 A and B are independent events. (3)
9.2 The probability of getting the first answer in a quiz correct,
is 0,6 . If the first answer is correct, the probability of getting
the second answer correct rises to 0,7. However, if the first
answer is incorrect, the probability of getting the second
answer correct, is only 0,4 . Determine the probability of
getting the second answer correct. (4)
2009 November Paper 3 Q 4 4.1 Draw a tree diagram for the above information. (5)
Figures obtained from a city's police department seem to 4.2 Calculate the probability that if a vehicle were stolen in this
indicate that of all the motor vehicles reported stolen, 80% city, it would be stolen by a syndicate and recovered within 48
were stolen by syndicates to be sold off and 20% were stolen hours. (2)
by individual persons for their own use. 4.3 Calculate the probability that a vehicle stolen in this city will
Of those vehicles presumed stolen by syndicates: not be recovered. (3)
• 24% were recovered within 48 hours
• 16% were recovered after 48 hours
• 60% were never recovered
Of those vehicles presumed stolen by individual persons:
• 38% were recovered within 48 hours
• 58% were recovered after 48 hours
• 4% were never recovered
2015 Mpumalanga Preliminary Paper 1 Q 10.1
10.1 A group of 150 students decided to go to a shopping mall
on a Saturday. They had to decide whether they are going to
Eat Out (E), go to the Movies (M) or just go Shopping (S) . The
information gathered is shown in the Venn-diagram below.

10.1.1 Calculate the probability that a student that is chosen

randomly will not Eat out (E) nor go to the Movies (M) (2)
10.1.2 Determine if the events, Eat out (E) and go to the
Movies (M) are independent.
Show all calculations to support your answer. (4)
2015 November Paper 1 Q 11.3

There are 𝑡 orange balls and 2 yellow balls in a bag. Graig

randomly selects one ball from the bag, records his choice and
returns the ball to the bag. He then randomly selects a second
ball from the bag, records his choice and returns it to the bag.
It is known that the probability that Graig will select two balls
of the same colour from the bag is 52%.

Calculate how many orange balls are in the bag. (6)

2016 Eastern Cape June Paper 1 Q 10.1 - 10.1.3
10.1 The events A and B are independent. P A = 0.4
and P B = 0.5. Determine:
10.1.1 P A and B (2)
10.1.2 P A or B (2)
10.1.3 P not A and not B (2)
2018 Free State Preliminary Paper 1 Q 11.1 and 11.2
11.1 P A = 0,45 and P B = 0,29. Calculate P A or B if:
11.1.1 A and B are mutually exclusive events. (2)
11.1.2 A and B are independent events. (4)
1
11.2 The probability that it will be sunny tomorrow is . If it is
3

4
sunny, the probability that Pitso plays soccer is . If it is not
5

2
sunny, the probability that Pitso plays soccer is 5. Determine

the probability that Pitso does not play soccer. (4)

2018 November Paper 1 Q 12
12.1 Given: P A = 0,45 and P B = 𝑦 and P A or B = 0,74.
Determine the value(s) of 𝑦 if A and B are mutually exclusive. (3)
12.2 An organization decided to distribute gift bags of sweets to a
Grade R class at a certain school. There is a mystery gift in exactly
1
of the total number of bags.
4

Each learner in the class may randomly select two gift bags of
sweets, one after the other. The probability that a learner selects
7
two bags of sweets with a mystery gift is .
118

Calculate the number of gift bags of sweets with a mystery gift

inside. (6)