CXC Mathematics General Proficiency Sets

Unit 3: Sets 3.1.4: The number of subsets in a set

The number of subsets in set can be found by listing

3.1: SETS the elements precisely.

3.1.1: Sets definition Example 3.1

A set is a collection of objects, things or symbols 1. Given that Q = {x, y, z}. How many subsets
which are clearly defined. The individual objects in will Q have?
a set are called the members or elements of the set.
Solution:
3.1.2: Sets notation
1. {}  Empty set
2. {x}
Set Symbols Meaning 3. {y} Singles (no repetition)
4. {z}
∈ is an element or a member of
5. {x, y}
∉ is not a member of 6. {x, z} Doubles (no repetition)
7. {y, z}
n(A) number of elements in A
8. {x, y, z}  Original set
Ø Null or empty set
 8 subsets can be formed in Q. Ans.
⊂ is a subset of
1.
1. The
The number
number of
of subsets
subsets in
in set
set can
can be
be
⊄ is not a subset of calculated by the formula:
calculated by the formula:
nn
∪ union Number
Number of subsets = 2
of subsets

∩ intersection Example 3.2

/
complement 1. Given that Q = {x, y, z}. How many subsets
will Q have?
n the number of elements in a set

Solution:
3.1.3: The number of elements in a set
Number of subsets in Q= 2n
The number of elements in a finite set is given by
counting exactly the elements: n (A) = 23
= 8
E.g. Given that S = {2, 4, 6, 8, 10}
n (S) = 5  the number of elements in S is 5.
3.1.5: Types of Sets.

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 Finite sets are sets that have a finite number of

members. If the elements of a finite set are listed one
after another, the process will eventually “run out”
of elements to list.

E.g.

1. A = {0, 2, 4, 6, 8, …, 100}

2. C = {x : x is an integer, 1 < x < 10}

 Infinite set is a set which is not finite. It is not
possible to explicitly list out all the elements of an
infinite set.

E.g.

1. A = {0, 2, 4, 6, 8, …}

2. B = {… ‒2, ‒1, 0, 2, 4, 6, 8}

 Equal sets contain exactly the same elements.

E.g. Given that Q = {4, 2, 8, 6} and

R = {2, 4, 6, 8}

Q and R are equal sets because they contain exactly

the same elements.

 Equivalent sets contain the same number of

elements.

E.g. Given that S = {2, 4, 6, 8, 10} and

T = {a, b, c, d, e}

S and T are equivalent sets because they contain the

same number of elements.

 Empty Sets contain the same no elements.

E.g. Ø={}

Empty
Empty Sets
Sets are
are also
also called
called Null
Null Sets.
Sets.

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CXC Mathematics General Proficiency Sets

3.2.1: Venn Diagrams

Sets can also be represented using Venn diagrams.

In a Venn diagram, the sets are represented by

shapes; usually rectangles and circles or ovals.

1. The Universal Set

The universal set is the set of all elements under

consideration, denoted by capital U or sometimes
the symbol .

2. Union of two Sets

A ∪ B (the union of two sets A and B)  elements in A

or in B or in both.

3. Intersection of two Sets

A ∩ B (the intersection of two sets A and B)  elements

that are common to both set A and set B.

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4. The complement of a Set

A/ (the complement of set A)  all elements in the

universal set that are not in A (or outside the set A)

8. DeMorgan's Theorem

De Morgan’s Theorem can be used to simplify

expressions involving set operations. De Morgan’s
Theorem gives the following equations on set
operations:
5. Complement of union

(A ∪ B) / (the set of elements that are members of the 1. (A ∪ B) / = A/ ∩ B/

universal set U but are not in [A ∪ B]) 2. (A ∩ B) / = A/ ∪ B/

3.2.2: Worked Examination Questions

Example 3.3

1. In the Venn diagram below,

6. Complement of intersection U = {the set of whole numbers less than
ten}
(A ∩ B) / (the set of elements that are members of the
A and B are subsets of U.
universal set U but are not in [A ∩ B]).

7. Only sets (A only or B only) (a) Describe in words the sets A and B,
the subsets of U.
A ∩ B / (the set of elements that are members of A excluding
the intersection with B, in other words, A only). (b) List the elements of:
A/ ∩ B (the set of elements that are members of B excluding A  B
(i)
the intersection with A, in other words, B only).

(ii) A/  B

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(iii) A  B
/
(a) Draw a clearly labeled Venn
diagram to illustrate the information
(c) Determine: above.

(i) n  A  B
(b) Write an expression, in x, to
(ii) 
n A/  B /  represent the total number of
students in the survey.

(iii) N U,
the number of (c) Calculate the value of x.
subsets in the universal set U.
(d) Determine the number of students
Solution: who played cricket only.

(a) Describing in words: Solution:

(a) Venn diagram:

A = {2, 4, 6, 8} and B = {3, 6, 9}

A = {multiples of 2 less than 10}

B = {multiples of 3 less than 12} Ans.

(b) Listing the elements

Ans.

(i) A  B = {2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9} Ans.

(b) An expression in x for the total number of students:

(ii) A/  B = {3, 9} Ans. =  24  x    x   14  x    3x 

(iii) A  B
/
= {1, 5, 7} Ans. = 38  2 x Ans.

(c) (i) n  A  B = 1 Ans. (c) Calculating the value of x:

(ii) 
n A/  B /  = 3 Ans. 38  2 x = 50
2x = 50  38
(iii) N U
= 2 n (U )
= 2 9
x = 12
= 512 Ans. 2
= 6 Ans.

2. A survey conducted among a group of 50

students showed that: (d) Determining the number of students who played
cricket only:
25 students played football
cricket only = 14  x
14 students played cricket
= 14  6
x students played football and cricket
= 8 Ans.
3x students played cricket only
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(ii) just one fault = n  S   n G

3. In a factory making shoes, out of 100 tested,
= 12  4   15  4 
12 were found to have faulty stitching,
= 8 + 11
15 were found to have faulty gluing,
= 19 Ans.
4 had both faults.
x shoes had no fault. Example 3.4
(a) Draw a clearly labeled Venn 1. There are 68 students in Form V:
diagram to illustrate the information
above. 15 students study Mathematics only,
12 students study Physics only,
(b) Write an equation, in x, to represent 8 students study Physics and Chemistry
the information above. Then only, 2 students study Physics and
calculate the value of x. Mathematics only, 3 students study
Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry.
(c) Find the number of shoes with: Given that x students study Mathematics
and Chemistry only, and twice as many
(i) no fault study Chemistry only,4 students do not
study any of the three subjects.
(ii) just one fault.
(a) Draw a clearly labeled Venn
Solution: diagram to illustrate the information
above.
(a) Venn diagram:

(b) Determine the number of students

who study Physics.

(c) Write an expression, in x, to

represent total number of students.

(d) Calculate the value of x.

(b) An equation in x to represent the information:
(e) Hence, determine the number of
12 + 15 − 4 + x = 100 members who study:
23 + x = 100
(i) Mathematics and Chemistry
x = 100 – 23 only
= 77 Ans.
(ii) Chemistry only.
(c) the number of shoes with:

(i) no fault = x
= 77 Ans.

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Solution: 2. There are 100 members in a foreign

language club:
(a) Venn diagram:
48 members speak Spanish
45 members speak French
52 members speak German
15 members speak Spanish and French
18 members speak Spanish and German
21 members speak French and German

Each member speaks at least one of the

(b) the number of students who study Physics: three languages. Let x be the number of
members who speak all three languages.
Physics = 12  2  3  8
(a) Draw a clearly labeled Venn
= 25 Ans.
diagram to illustrate the information
above.
(c) An expression in x for the total number of students:

15 + 2 + 3 + x + 12 + 8 + 2 x + 4 (b) Write an expression, in x, to

represent the total number of
= 44  3 x Ans.
members in the club.
(d) Calculating the value of x:
(c) Calculate the value of x.
44  3 x = 68
3x = 68  44 (d) Hence, determine the number of
= 24 members who speak:
24
x = (i) French and German only
3
= 8 Ans.
(ii) Spanish only.
(e) Determining the number of students who study: Solution:

(i) Mathematics and Chemistry only = x (a) Venn diagram:

= 8 Ans.

(ii) Chemistry only = 2x

= 2 (8)
= 16 Ans.

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(b) An expression in x for the total number of members: (ii) ( P  Q) 

 9  x  + 15  x  + 15  x  +  x  +
 21  x  + 18  x  + 13  x  (iii) P/  Q/

= 91  x Ans.
(c) Determine:
(c) Calculating the value of x:
(i) n (P  Q)
91  x = 100
x = 100  91
(ii) n ( P /  Q) 
= 9 Ans.
(d) Determining the number of members who speak:
2. The Universal set, U, is given as
(i) French and German only U = {1, 2, 3,…, 13, 14, 15}.
=  21  x 
The sets A and B are subsets of U such that
= 21  9 = 12 Ans.

(ii) Spanish only = 15  x  A = {Factors of 12}

= 15  9 B = {Multiples of 3}.

= 24 Ans. (a) List the members of the set A.

(b) List the members of the set B.

3.3: Examination Questions (to
(c) Represent the sets, A, B and U, on a
do) Attempt ALL questions. Venn diagram.

All working must be clearly shown. (d) List the members of :

1. The following information is given:

(i) ( A  B) / .

U = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10}
(ii) A  B/
P = {1, 2, 5, 10}
Q = {2, 3, 5, 8, 9} (iii) A/  B /

P and Q are subsets of U, the Universal set. (e) List all the subsets that can be
formed in the set A.
(a) Draw a Venn diagram to represent
the information above.

(b) List, using set notation, the members

of the set:
(i) PQ

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3. 5. On a certain 32 candidates took

examinations at a CXC examinations centre.

11 took French (F)

9 took Spanish (S)
x took both French and Spanish
18 took neither French nor Spanish
In the diagram shown above, the Universal
set, (U), represents all the students in a
class.

The set M represents the students who take

Music.
The set D represents the students who take
(a) Copy and complete the following
Drama.
Venn diagram to represent the
If 24 students take Music, calculate: information.

(a) the number of students who take (b) Write an equation in x for the
BOTH Music and Drama number of candidates in the
universal set.
(b) the number of students who take
Drama ONLY. (c) Calculate the value of x.

4. In a group of 55 students, (d) Shade the region F /  S

31 students passed French

6. A club has 160 members, some of whom
2x students passed Spanish only play tennis (T) or cricket (C) or both. 97
x students passed both French and Spanish play tennis, 86 play cricket and 10 play
neither, x play both tennis and cricket.
10 students passed neither French nor
Spanish
(a) Draw a Venn diagram to represent
this information.
(a) Draw a CLEARLY labeled Venn
diagram to illustrate the information
(b) How many members play both
above.
tennis and cricket?
(b) Calculate the number of students
who passed Spanish.

(c) Calculate the number of students

who passed ONLY ONE subject.

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7. A survey conducted among a group of 50 (a) Calculate the number who play
students shows that: football.

30 students played football, (b) Stats the

information represented by the
9 students played cricket and football, shaded region of the Venn diagram.
x played neither cricket nor football,
(c) State the relationship between the
3x played cricket only. members of C and F, and between C
and T.
(a) Draw a clearly labelled Venn
diagram to represent the information
above. 9. The Venn diagram below shows sets C and
D where P and Q are subsets of C and D.
(b) Write an expression in x for the
number of students in the survey.

(c) Calculate the value of x

(d) Hence, determine the number of

students who played:

(i) cricket (a) Given that n(C) = 33, n(D) = 41, n(C
 D) = x, write down, in terms of x,
(ii) neither cricket nor football. the values of n(P) and n(Q).

8. The Venn diagram above represents (b) If n(C  D) = 51, calculate of late
information about the 40 members of a the value of x.
youth club

F = {members who play football} 10. In the diagram below,

C = {members who play cricket} U = {whole numbers less than 10}, and

T = {members who play tennis} A and B are subsets of U.

(a) Describe the sets A and B, in words.

The same number, x, play football only and
tennis only.
(b) List the members of:

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CXC Mathematics General Proficiency Sets

(i) A 13. A department store sells jewelry and

cosmetics. On any one day the total number
(ii) B of persons buying jewelry or cosmetics or
both was 400.
(c) Determine n( A  B ) /
240 persons bought jewelry.

11. The Venn diagram below shows the number 2x persons bought jewelry and cosmetics
of students doing Mathematics (M), only.
Accounts (A) and French (F) in a class of x persons bought both jewelry and
50. cosmetics.

(a) Draw a clearly labelled Venn

diagram to represent the information
above.

(b) Write an expression, in x, to

represent the total number of persons
buying jewelry or cosmetics or both.
(a) Write down an expression, in terms
of x, for the number of students who (c) Hence, calculate the number of
do accounts. persons who bought cosmetics.

(b) Write down an equation, in terms of

14. In a group of 55 students,
x, which shows information in the
Venn diagram. 31 students passed French

(c) Determine the number of students 2x students passed Spanish only

who do Mathematics only.
x students passed both French and Spanish
(d) Determine the number of students
who do French. 10 students passed neither French nor
Spanish

12. Students in a class of 30 must take either (a) Draw a CLEARLY labeled Venn
Mathematics or Biology or both. If 12 diagram to illustrate the information
students take both Mathematics and Biology above.
and 20 students take mathematics,
(b) Calculate the number of students
(a) represent this information in a Venn who passed Spanish.
diagram.
(c) Calculate the number of students
(b) Calculate the number of students who passed ONLY ONE subject.
who take Biology only.

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15. Given that U = {a, b, c, d, e, f, g}, where U 35 students do Mathematics

is the universal set,
25 students do Chemistry
L = {a, b, c, d, e} x students do both Mathematics and
M = {a, c, e, g} and Chemistry
N = {b, e, f, g}
(a) Draw a clearly labelled Venn
(a) Draw a Venn diagram showing the diagram to illustrate this
sets U, L, M, and N and their information.
elements.
(b) Write down, in terms of x, the
(b) List the members of the set number of students who do
represented by  L  M   N Chemistry only.

(c) Write an equation, in x, to represent

(c) Write down the value of n
the total number of students in Form
 L  M   N  /
6S.

16. A Universal set, U, is defined as (d) Hence, calculate the number of

students who do both mathematics
U = {k, l, m, n, p, q, r} and Chemistry.
S = {k, l, m, p}
T = {k, p, q} 18. The Venn diagram above shows information
on the number of students in a group and
(a) Draw a Venn diagram to represent their selection of subjects. In the group there
this information. were 65 students. The subjects were
Accounts (A), Geography (G), and
(b) List, using set notation, the members Mathematics (M).
of the set:

(i) S T

/
(ii) S

17. There are 50 students in Form 6S. Every

student does at least one of the subjects
Mathematics, Chemistry and Biology. All
students who do biology also do Chemistry. (a) Calculate the number of students
No student who does Mathematics does who selected Accounts.
Biology.
(b) Write an equation, in terms of x, to
7 students do Biology show the total number of students in
the group.
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19. A survey on a sample of persons who road

(c) Calculate the value of x. at least one of the magazines P, Q and R
yielded the following data:
(d) Hence, determine the number of
students who selected: 72 persons read P
53 persons read Q.
(i) Mathematics only
29 persons read R.

(ii) Geography 14 persons read only P and R.

9 persons read only P and Q.
18. There are forty-six students in a class. 2 persons read only Q and R.

Homework was given in Mathematics, 44 persons read P only.

Spanish and Accounts.
(a) Use x to represent the number of
Four students did no homework. persons who read all three
magazines. Draw a carefully labelled
Other students did homework as listed Venn diagram
below. to represent the data.
Subject No. of students
(b) Determine the value of x.
All three subjects 8
(c) Calculate the number of persons in
Mathematics and Accounts only 3
the sample.
Accounts and Spanish only 7
Spanish and Mathematics only 5 20. The Venn diagram below illustrates some of
Accounts only 2 the information given below.

Spanish only 6 There are 100 members in a foreign

language club.
(a) Draw a clearly labelled Vena
diagram to illustrate the information 48 members speak Spanish.
given above.
45 members speak Fiench.
(b) Calculate the number of students 52 members speak German.
who did 15 members speak Spanish and French.
homework in Mathematics.
18 members speak Spanish and German.
21 members speak German and French.

Each member speaks AT LEAST ONE of

the three languages.

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Let the number of members who speak all (a) Draw a carefully labelled Venn
three languages be x. diagram to represent the information
given above.

(b) Determine the number of students

who study Physics.
(c) Given that x students study
Mathematics and Chemistry only,
and twice as many study Chemistry
only write an algebraic equation to
represent the information given and
(a) Write an algebraic expression to hence, calculate the value of
represent the number of members in
the shaded region
22. A newspaper agent delivers newspapers to a
(b) Describe the region shaded. village. He sells the Express, the Advocate
and the Gleaner. Of the 150 households in
(c) Write an equation to show the total the village,
number of members in the club
40 households receive the Express;
(d) Hence, determine the number of 35 households receive the Advocate;
members who speak all three
60 households receive the Gleaner;
languages
7 households receive the Express and the.
Advocate;
21. There are 65 students in Form V
10 households receive the Advocate and the
15 students study Mathematics only.
Gleaner:
12 students study Physics only.
4 households receive the Express and the
8 students study Physics and Chemistry Gleaner;
only.
34 households receive no papers at all;
2 students study Physics and Mathematics x households receive, all three newspapers.
only.

3 students study Mathematics, Physics and

Chemistry.

4 students do not study any of these

subjects.

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(a) Copy in your answer booklet the Two students play only cricket.
Venn diagram above.
(b) Write, in the appropriate regions, Nine students play only cricket and football.
expressions in terms of x, for EACH
Five students play only cricket and tennis
subset of sets A, E and G.
Eleven students play both football and
(c) Write an algebraic equation in x to tennis.
illustrate ALL the information given.

(d) Solve the equation and hence

determine the number of households
which bought the Express paper only

23. In a town there are 20 shops which shoes,

hats and dresses.

x shops sell shoes

9 Shops sell shoes and hats,
8 shops sell shoes and dresses,
10 shops sell hats and dresses.

(a) Draw and labelled Venn diagram to

represent the information given
above.

(b) It is given further that:

12 shops sell shoes.

15 shops sell hats.
14 shops sell dresses.

(i) Determine, in terms of x, the

number of shops which sell
only shoes

(ii) Calculate the value of x.

24. Every student of a class of 39 plays AT

LEAST one of the games cricket, football,
tennis.

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x students play all three games. (d) Hence, determine the number of
persons who complained about:
(a) Draw a carefully labelled Venn
diagram to represent the information (i) services.
above
(ii) goods and prices.
(b) Given that nineteen students play no
cricket, and that eighteen students
play tennis, calculate: 26. In a medical examination of 780 industrial
workers, the following information was
(i) the value of x reported:

(ii) the number of students who diabetes 210

play only football Hypertension 343
poor eye sight 185
25. Information on a survey of 174 persons all three illnesses x
about the goods, services and prices of a
diabetes and hypertension 41
supermarket is as follows:
diabetes and poor eye sight 66
110 persons complained about the prices hypertension and poor eye sight 71
67 persons complained about the services none 200
55 persons complained about the goods
(a) Draw a carefully labelled Venn
20 persons complained about the goods and
diagram to represent the information
prices only
given above.
11 persons complained about the services
and prices only (b) Write an equation, in x, to represent
16 persons complained about the goods and the total number of persons in the
services only survey.

2 persons had no complains

(c) Calculate the value of x.
x persons complained about all three
(d) Hence, determine the number of
(a) Draw a carefully labelled Venn persons who suffer from:
diagram to represent the information
given above. (i) all three illnesses.

(b) Write an equation, in x, to represent (ii) diabetes only.

the total number of persons in the
survey. (iii) hypertension and poor eye
sight only.
(c) Calculate the value of x.

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(iv) diabetes and poor eye sight

only.

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