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10.05 Mutually exclusive events

Worksheet
Mutually exclusive
1

When picking a random card from a standard pack, which two of the four events listed share no common outcomes?

  • Event A: picking a black card

  • Event B: picking a King

  • Event C: picking a spade

  • Event D: picking a club

2

A random card is picked from a standard deck. Find the probability that the card is:

a

A spade or diamond

b

A king or a \rq 3 \rq

c

An ace of spades or a king of hearts

3

A fair die is rolled. Find the probability of rolling:

a

A factor of 9 or an even number

b

A number that is even and prime

4

A random card is picked from a standard deck. Find the probability that the card is:

a

Red or a diamond

b

An ace or a diamond

c

An ace of spades or an ace of clubs

d

A black or a face card

5

For the following Venn diagrams:

i

Calculate the value of x.

ii

State whether the events A and B are mutually exclusive.

a
b
6

For each of the following groups of probabilities:

i

Find P \left( A \cap B \rq \right).

ii

Find P \left( B \cap A \rq \right).

iii

Hence, find P \left( A \cap B \right).

iv

State whether the events A and B are mutually exclusive.

a

P \left( A \cup B \right) = 0.6, P \left( A' \right) = 0.6 and P \left( B' \right) = 0.7

b

P \left( A \cup B \right) = 0.3, P \left( A' \right) = 0.8 and P \left( B' \right) = 0.9

c

P \left( A' \cap B' \right) = 0.1, P \left( A \right) = 0.8 and P \left( B \right) = 0.3

d

P \left( A' \cap B' \right) = 0.2, P \left( A \right) = 0.1 and P \left( B \right) = 0.7

7

The Venn diagram shows the party preferences of voters in a sample of the population.

a

Find the probability that a random voter has a preference for both Labour and Liberal.

b

Are the preferences of voters in this population mutually exclusive?

8

Two events A and B are mutually exclusive. If P \left( A \right) =0.37 and P \left( A \text{ or } B \right)=0.73, find P \left(B \right).

9

If A and B are mutually exclusive and P \left( A \right) = \dfrac{1}{4} and P \left( B \right) = \dfrac{1}{2}, find P \left( A \cup B \right).

Non-mutually exclusive
10

In an experiment, a die is rolled and the number appearing on the uppermost face is noted. Describe P(A \cup B) if:

  • Event A = getting an odd number

  • Event B = getting a multiple of 3

11

If P \left( A \right) = \dfrac{1}{5}, P \left( B \right) = \dfrac{1}{6} and P \left( A \cap B \right) = \dfrac{1}{30}, find P \left ( A \cup B \right).

12

If P \left( A \right) = \dfrac{1}{3}, P \left( B \right) = \dfrac{1}{5} and P \left( A \cup B \right) = \dfrac{2}{15}, find P \left( A\cap B \right).

13

If P \left( A \cup B \right) = \dfrac{7}{15}, P \left( A \cap B \right) = \dfrac{1}{15} and P \left( A \right) = \dfrac{1}{3}, find P \left( B \right).

14

If P \left( A \right) =0.8, P \left( B \right)=0.75 and P \left( A \text{ and } B \right)=0.6, find P \left( A \text{ or } B \right).

15

In a particular high school where there are 91 year 12 students, 40 students study Extension 2 English and 36 students study Extension 2 Mathematics. The Venn diagram depicts this:

If a student is randomly chosen, find the probability that this student is studying:

a

Extension 2 English and Extension 2 Mathematics.

b

Extension 2 English only.

c

Extension 2 Mathematics only.

d

Extension 2 Mathematics or Extension 2 English.

e

Neither subject.

16

The Venn diagram shows the results of a survey identifying what colours a group of children liked:

Find the probability of a child liking:

a

Green and pink.

b

Green or pink but not both.

17

Consider the Venn diagram:

Find:

a

P\left( A \right)

b

P \left( B \right)

c

P \left( \text{not } A \right)

d

P \left( \text{not } B \right)

e
P \left( B \text{ only} \right)
18

The Venn diagram shows the number of students in a school playing Rugby League, Rugby Union, both or neither:

a

How many students play both Rugby League and Rugby Union?

b

How many students play at least one of the two sports?

c

How many students play neither Rugby League nor Rugby Union?

d

How many students are there altogether?

e

Find the probability that a student chosen randomly plays both Rugby League and Rugby Union.

f

Find the probability that a student chosen randomly plays Rugby League or Rugby Union or both.

19

The Venn diagram shows the number of students choosing to study on the night before an exam, and the number of students choosing to party:

a

Find the number of students that chose:

i

To party

ii

Not to study

iii

Neither to study nor party

b

Find the probability that a student chosen at random chose:

i

Not to party

ii

To study and party

iii

To study only

iv

To study or party

20

The Venn diagram shows the decisions of 448 workers to either work or strike on a particular day of industrial action.

Find the probability that a worker selected randomly chose to:

a

Strike

b

Strike and work.

c

Work and not strike.

d

Work or strike.

e
Neither work nor strike.
21

The Venn diagram shows the decisions of 535 consumers choosing to buy an iPhone and consumers choosing to buy a Blackberry:

If a consumer is selected at random, find the probability that he chose to buy:

a

A Blackberry.

b

A Blackberry only.

c

Both phones.

d

An iPhone or a Blackberry.

e

Neither phones.

f

An iPhone but not a Blackberry.

22

The Venn diagram depicts the investment choices of 1232 investors:

Find the probability that an investor randomly selected has investments in:

a

Bonds

b

Bonds and real estate.

c

Bonds or real estate.

d

Bonds and real estate but not shares.

e

Shares, bonds and real estate.

f

Real estate and shares but not bonds.

g

Shares, bonds or real estate.

23

A florist collected a sample of her flowers and divided them into the appropriate categories as shown in the Venn diagram:

Find the probability that a flower is:

a

Not red but has thorns.

b

Not red and does not have thorns.

24

Some people were asked what form of exercise they do. The results are displayed in the Venn diagram below:

a

State whether the following are correct:

i

12 people walk only.

ii

22 people run only.

iii

6 people run only.

iv

6 people walk only.

b

If one person is chosen at random, find the probability that they walk for exercise.

25

Consider the given Venn diagram:

Find:

a

P \left( A \text{ but not } B \right)

b

P \left( A \text{ and } B \right)

c

P \left( A \text{ or } B \right)

d

P \left( \text{ neither } A \text{ nor } B \right)

26

In an experiment, a number is chosen randomly from the numbers listed below:

\left \{2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 10, 12, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20 \right \}

  • Event A: odd number is chosen

  • Event B: multiple of 4 is chosen

a

Which of the following has the largest probability?

A
B
B
B'
C
A
D
A \cap B
E
A \cup B
b

Find:

i

P \left( A \cap B \right)

ii

P\left( \left(A \cap B \right)' \right)

iii

P \left( A' \cap B' \right)

iv

P \left( A' \cup B \right)

27

A group of people were randomly selected and asked which modes of transport they used to get to work. The Venn diagram shows the results:

If one of them is chosen at random, the probability that they catch a bus is \dfrac{12}{58}. How many people said they catch a bus and a train?

28

Out of 23 school kids, 12 play basketball and 13 play football, whilst 5 play both sports.

a

For the given Venn diagram, find the value of:

i

A

ii

B

iii

C

iv

D

b

Find the probability that a student plays football or basketball, but not both.

c

Find the probability that a student plays both football and basketball.

29

In a music school of 129 students, 83 students play the piano, 80 students play the guitar and 14 students play neither.

a

Construct a Venn diagram for this situation.

b

Find the probability that a student chosen at random plays:

i

Both the piano and the guitar

ii

The piano or the guitar

iii

Neither the piano nor the guitar

30

In a survey, 59 students were asked to select all the subjects they enjoyed out of Maths , English and Science.

  • 35 enjoyed Maths
  • 32 enjoyed English
  • 36 enjoyed Science
  • 9 enjoyed all three
  • 18 enjoyed Maths and Science
  • 17 enjoyed Maths and English
  • 9 students only enjoyed Science
a

Construct a Venn diagram for this situation.

b

Find the probability that a student likes both Maths and only one other subject.

c

Find the probability that a student likes only one of the subjects.

31

In a survey of 31 students, it was found that:

  • 16 students play tennis
  • 14 students play hockey
  • 2 students play none of these sports
  • 8 play both tennis and cricket
  • 7 play both cricket and hockey
  • 6 play both tennis and hockey
  • 3 play all three
a

Construct a Venn diagram for this situation.

b

Find the probability that a randomly selected student plays all three sports.

32

Among a group of 63 students, 12 students are studying philosophy, 48 students are studying science, and 7 students are studying neither subject.

a

How many students are studying philosophy and science?

b

If a student is picked at random, find the probability that they study at least one of these subjects.

c

Find the probability that a randomly selected student studies only one of the subjects.

33

Among a group of students studying economics and/or law, a single student is randomly chosen, and the probabilities are as follows:

  • P \left( \text{studies economics} \right) = 0.5

  • P \left( \text{studies neither} \right) = 0

  • P \left( \text{studies law} \right) = 0.7

Find the probability that a student chosen at random studies both economics and law.

34

The employees of Squiggle were discussing where they should hold their end of year party. Of all of the employees:

  • 51 would not go to a restaurant

  • 58 would not go to a bowling alley

  • 57 would not go to a theme park

  • 22 would go to neither a restaurant nor a bowling alley

  • 25 would go to neither a bowling alley nor the theme park

  • 23 would go to neither a restaurant nor the theme park

  • 4 would not go to a restaurant or a bowling alley or to the theme park

  • 6 would go to all three places.

How many people in total work at Squiggle?

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Outcomes

MA11-7

uses concepts and techniques from probability to present and interpret data and solve problems in a variety of contexts, including the use of probability distributions

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