FOUN0013/FOUN1013: Mathematics and Statistics for University Study

Statistics: Worksheet 4
Multiple Choice Questions – choose the correct answer for each of the questions below.

1. The set of all possible experimental outcomes is called

A. a sample
B. an event
C. the sample space
D. none above

2. 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

3. The probability that event E occurs is 0.25. Consider the probability that event E does not oc-
cur: which of the following is correct?
A. it can have any value between zero and one
B. it must be more than one
C. it must be 0.75
D. none of the above

4. The probability of not getting 6 when throwing a fair die is

A. 1/6
B. 1/3
C. 1/2
D. 5/6

5. When tossing two fair coins, the probability of observing one or more tails is
A. 3/4
B. 1/4
C. 1/2
D. 1

Non-MCQ questions

6. If there are 20 balls in a hat numbered 1 to 20 and you randomly pick one ball out of the hat,
what is the probability that:

a) the ball has the number 1 on it?

b) the ball has either the number 1 or the number 2 on it?
c) the number on the ball is positive?
d) the number on the ball is a square number?
e) the number on the ball is a multiple of 5?

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7. In a British university, the students taking the business course can be categorised as fol-
lows:

Age=21 Age=22 Age=23 Total

First year 70 50 31 151

Second year 23 60 40 123

Third year 1 15 55 71

Total 94 125 126 345

If one of the students is chosen at random to represent the business course, what is the prob-
ability that:

a) the student chosen is aged 21?

b) the student chosen is currently in their third year?
c) the student is age 21 AND currently in their third year?

8. For each of the following experiments, write down the sample space, S, and find the proba-
bility of the event specified.
a) Tossing two fair coins and recording whether a head or a tail is obtained. Find the proba-
bility of the same outcome on each coin.
b) A card is drawn at random from a well-shuffled pack of 52 playing cards and its suit is
recorded. It is then replaced into the deck, the deck is shuffled again and another card
is drawn. Find the probability of drawing a spade (♠) and a club (♣) in any order.
c) Tossing a fair coin (recording head or tail), followed by throwing a fair 6-sided die (record-
ing the number on the top face). Find the probability of getting a head and a 6.

9. In an American University, the Faculty (i.e. teachers/lecturers) can be categorised as

follows:

Full Associate Assistant

Professors Professors Professors Total
Age < 30 1 3 49 53

Age 30-39 44 160 151 355

Age 40-49 143 121 58 322

Age 50-59 135 67 35 237

Age 60+ 71 14 2 87

Total 394 365 295 1054

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 If one of these staff members is chosen at random, what is the probability that:

a) they are an Assistant Professor?

b) they are aged under 50?
c) they are NOT under 50 years of age?
d) they are an Associate Professor AND aged under 50?
e) they are an Associate Professor OR aged under 50 OR both?
f) they are an Associate Professor GIVEN that they are aged under 50?

10. A card is selected at random from a pack of 52 playing cards. Let 𝐴 be the event that the
card is an ace and 𝐷 the event that the card is a diamond. Find the following:
a) Pr⁡(𝐴 ∩ 𝐷) “probability of the card being the ace of diamonds”
b) Pr⁡(𝐴 ∪ 𝐷) “probability of the card being an ace or a diamond or both”
c) Pr⁡(𝐴̅) “probability the card is not an ace”
d) Pr⁡(𝐴̅ ∩ 𝐷) “probability the card is a diamond but not an ace”

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11. Consider the following Venn diagram.

𝑆
B
A

7 6 8
1 3 9 10
5

2 4

a) Which numbers are in the union of A and B (𝐴 ∪ 𝐵)?

b) Which numbers are in the intersection of A and B (𝐴 ∩ 𝐵)?
c) Which numbers are in ̅̅̅̅̅̅̅
𝐴 ∪ 𝐵?

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12. There are 30 students in a class:
• 21 students like maths
• 16 students like English
• 6 students don’t like maths or English

How many students like both maths and English?

13. In a group of 30 students, 17 play computer games, 10 play board games and 9 play neither.
a) Draw a Venn diagram to show this information.
b) Use your diagram to find the probability that a student chosen at random from the group:
(i) plays board games;
(ii) plays both computer games and board games;
(iii) plays board games but not computer games.

14. 𝐴 and 𝐵 are two events. Given that Pr(𝐴) = 0.4, Pr(𝐵) = 0.5 and Pr(𝐴 ∪ 𝐵)=0.6, find:
a) Pr(𝐴 ∩ 𝐵)
b) Pr(𝐴̅)
c) Pr(𝐴 ∩ 𝐵̅)
d) Pr(𝐴 ∪ 𝐵̅)
e) Pr(𝐴̅ ∪ 𝐵)

15. A and B are two events. Given that 𝑃𝑟(𝐴) = 0.5, 𝑃𝑟(𝐵) = 0.2 and 𝑃𝑟(𝐴 ∩ 𝐵) = 0.1, find:

a) Pr(𝐴 ∪ 𝐵)
b) Pr(𝐵̅)
c) Pr(𝐴 ∩ 𝐵̅)
d) Pr(𝐴 ∪ 𝐵̅)

More challenging, optional questions

16. Venn diagrams can be used to represent 3 or more events.

A vet surveys 100 of her clients. She finds that:

• 25 own dogs
• 53 own cats
• 40 own tropical fish
• 15 own dogs and cats
• 10 own cats and tropical fish
• 11 own dogs and tropical fish
• 7 own dogs, cats and tropical fish

a) Complete the Venn diagram below to represent the information, where D, C and F repre-
sent ‘own dogs’, ‘own cats’ and ‘own tropical fish’, respectively. Hint: start from the piece

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 of information at the bottom of the list above and work your way up, adding information
to the Venn diagram as you go.

A client is chosen at random. Find the probability that the client:

b) owns dogs only;

c) does NOT own a tropical fish;
d) does NOT own dogs, cats or tropical fish.

S
D
C

17. Twenty-four dogs are in a kennel. Twelve of the dogs are black, six of the dogs have short tails,
and fifteen of the dogs have long hair. There is only one dog that is black with a short tail and
long hair. Two of the dogs are black with short tails and do not have long hair. Two of the dogs
have short tails and long hair but are not black. If all of the dogs in the kennel have at least
one of the mentioned characteristics, how many dogs are black with long hair but do not have
short tails?