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All questions of Probability for Mathematics Exam

The probability of a defective piece produced in a manufacturing process is 0.01. The probability that out of 5 successive pieces, only one is defective, is
  • a)
    (0.99)(0.01)
  • b)
    (0.99) (0.01)4
  • c)
    5 x (0.99)(0.01)4
  • d)
    5x(0.99)4(0.01)
Correct answer is option 'D'. Can you explain this answer?

Aditya Sharma answered

Probability of having exactly one defective piece out of 5

- The probability of having a defective piece is 0.01, which means the probability of having a non-defective piece is 0.99.
- To find the probability of having exactly one defective piece out of 5 successive pieces, we need to use the binomial probability formula: P(X = k) = nCk * p^k * (1-p)^(n-k), where n is the number of trials, k is the number of successes, p is the probability of success, and (1-p) is the probability of failure.
- In this case, n = 5, k = 1, p = 0.01, and (1-p) = 0.99.
- Plugging these values into the formula, we get: P(X = 1) = 5C1 * (0.01)^1 * (0.99)^(5-1) = 5 * 0.01 * (0.99)^4
- Therefore, the correct answer is option 'D': 5 * (0.99)^4 * (0.01)

A fair coin is tossed 10 times. What is the probability that ONLY the first two tosses will yield heads? 
  • a)
    (1/2)2
  • b)
    10C2 (1/2)3
  • c)
    (1/2)10
  • d)
    10C2 (1/2)10
Correct answer is option 'C'. Can you explain this answer?

Chirag Verma answered
Let A be the event that first toss is head
And B be the event that second toss is head.

By the given condition rest all 8 tosses should be tail
∴ The probability of getting head in first two cases

A fair dice is rolled twice. The probability that an odd number will follow an even number is 
  • a)
    1/2
  • b)
    1/6
  • c)
    1/3
  • d)
    1/4
Correct answer is option 'D'. Can you explain this answer?

Arjun Mehta answered
Understanding the Problem:
We are given that a fair dice is rolled twice and we need to find the probability that an odd number will follow an even number.

Approach:
To solve this problem, we can use the concept of conditional probability. We know that the probability of an event A occurring given that event B has already occurred is given by P(A|B) = P(A ∩ B) / P(B), where P(A ∩ B) represents the probability of both events A and B occurring together, and P(B) represents the probability of event B occurring.

Calculating the Probability:
Let's consider event A as the occurrence of an odd number and event B as the occurrence of an even number in the first roll.

We know that the probability of rolling an odd number on a fair dice is 3/6 = 1/2 (since there are 3 odd numbers out of 6 possible outcomes). Similarly, the probability of rolling an even number on a fair dice is also 1/2 (since there are 3 even numbers out of 6 possible outcomes).

Now, let's calculate the probability of both events A and B occurring together (P(A ∩ B)). Since the outcomes of the two rolls are independent, the probability of both events occurring together is equal to the product of their individual probabilities. Therefore, P(A ∩ B) = P(A) * P(B) = (1/2) * (1/2) = 1/4.

Next, let's calculate the probability of event B occurring (P(B)), which is the probability of rolling an even number on the first roll. As mentioned earlier, this probability is 1/2.

Finally, we can use the formula for conditional probability to find the probability of event A occurring given that event B has already occurred. Using the formula P(A|B) = P(A ∩ B) / P(B), we have P(A|B) = (1/4) / (1/2) = 1/2.

Therefore, the probability that an odd number will follow an even number is 1/2, which corresponds to option 'D' in the given choices.

From a pack of regular from a playing cards, two cards are drawn at random. What is the probability that both cards will be Kings, if first card in NOT replaced
  • a)
    1/26
  • b)
    1/52
  • c)
    1/169
  • d)
    1/221
Correct answer is option 'D'. Can you explain this answer?

Hetal Shah answered
Understanding the Problem
When drawing two cards from a standard deck of 52 playing cards without replacement, we need to find the probability that both cards drawn are Kings.
Step 1: Total Number of Kings
- A standard deck has 4 Kings (one from each suit: hearts, diamonds, clubs, spades).
Step 2: Drawing the First Card
- The probability of drawing a King first:
- There are 4 Kings in a deck of 52 cards.
- Probability of drawing the first King = 4/52 = 1/13.
Step 3: Drawing the Second Card
- After drawing the first King, there are now:
- 3 Kings left in the deck.
- 51 cards remaining in total.
- The probability of drawing a second King:
- Probability of drawing the second King = 3/51.
Step 4: Calculating the Combined Probability
- To find the overall probability of both events (drawing two Kings):
- Multiply the probabilities of each event:
Probability = (Probability of first King) * (Probability of second King)
= (4/52) * (3/51)
= (1/13) * (1/17)
= 4/663.
Step 5: Simplifying the Probability
- To express 4/663 in a more useful manner:
- 4/663 simplifies and leads to the probability of drawing two Kings with no replacement being 1/221.
Final Answer
Thus, the correct answer is option 'D' (1/221), which illustrates the probability of drawing two Kings consecutively from a deck without replacement.

A person on a trip has a choice between private car and public transport. The probability of using a private car is 0.45. While using the public transport, further choices available are bus and metro, out of which the probability of commuting by a bus is 0.55. In such a situation, the probability (rounded up to two decimals) of using a car, bus and metro, respectively would be
  • a)
    0.45, 0.30 and 0.25 
  • b)
    0.45, 0.25 and 0.30
  • c)
    0.45, 0.55 and 0.00 
  • d)
    0.45, 0.35 and  
Correct answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer?

Gaurav Bhatia answered
Explanation:

To find the probability of using a car, bus, and metro, we need to consider the different scenarios and calculate their probabilities.

Scenario 1: Using a private car
Given that the probability of using a private car is 0.45, the probability of using a car is 0.45.

Scenario 2: Using public transport
If the person decides to use public transport, there are two options available: bus and metro.

Scenario 2.1: Using a bus
Given that the probability of using a bus is 0.55, the probability of using a bus is 0.45 * 0.55 = 0.2475 (rounded to two decimal places).

Scenario 2.2: Using a metro
Since the person has already decided to use public transport and the only options left are bus and metro, the probability of using a metro is 1 - probability of using a bus = 1 - 0.2475 = 0.7525 (rounded to two decimal places).

Therefore, the probability of using a car, bus, and metro would be:
- Car: 0.45
- Bus: 0.2475 (rounded to two decimal places)
- Metro: 0.7525 (rounded to two decimal places)

Thus, the correct answer is option 'A': 0.45, 0.30, and 0.25.

Four arbitrary point (x1,y1), (x2,y2),(x3,y3), (x4,y4), are given in the x, y - Plane Using the method of least squares, if, regressing y upon x gives the fitted line y = ax + b; and regressing y upon x given the fitted line x = cy + d then
  • a)
    The two fitted lines must coincide
  • b)
    The two fitted lines need not coincide
  • c)
    It is possible that ac = 0
  • d)
    A must be 1/c
Correct answer is option 'D'. Can you explain this answer?

Explanation:

To understand why option D is the correct answer, let's analyze the given information and use the method of least squares to find the regression lines.

1. Fitted line y = ax + b:
We are given that the fitted line when regressing y upon x is given by y = ax + b. This means that we are trying to find a linear relationship between the variables x and y, where a is the slope of the line and b is the y-intercept.

2. Fitted line x = cy + d:
We are also given that the fitted line when regressing x upon y is given by x = cy + d. In this case, we are trying to find a linear relationship between the variables y and x, where c is the slope of the line and d is the y-intercept.

Now, let's consider the relationship between these two lines:

- The slope of the first line, y = ax + b, is a.
- The slope of the second line, x = cy + d, is 1/c.

Since we are given that a is the slope of the first line, and the slope of the second line is 1/c, we can conclude that a must be equal to 1/c. Therefore, option D is correct.

Summary:
Based on the given information and the method of least squares, we can conclude that the slope of the fitted line when regressing y upon x (a) is equal to the reciprocal of the slope of the fitted line when regressing x upon y (1/c), which is represented by option D.

Two dice are thrown. What is the probability that is the sum of the numbers on the two dice is eight?
  • a)
    5/36  
  • b)
    5/18  
  • c)
    ¼  
  • d)
    1/3
Correct answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer?

Chirag Verma answered
Here sample space = 6 × 6 = 36
Here, there are five such points whose sum is 8. They are (2,6), (3,5), (4,4),  (5,3), (6,2). 
∴ Requireprobability = 5/36

The probability that two friends share the same birth-month is
  • a)
    1/6
  • b)
    1/12
  • c)
    1/144
  • d)
    1/24
Correct answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer?

Veda Institute answered
Let A = the event that the birth month of first friend
And B= that of second friend. 
∴ P( A )= 1, as 1st friend can born in any month
and P(B) = 1/12, by the condition.
∴ Probability of two friends share same birth-month is 1 x 1/12 = 1/12

If three coins are tossed simultaneously, the probability of getting at least one head is
  • a)
    1/8
  • b)
    3/8
  • c)
    1/2
  • d)
    7/8
Correct answer is option 'D'. Can you explain this answer?

Veda Institute answered
Here the sample space = S = 23 = 8.
No. of ways to get all tails = 1.
∴ probability to get all tails = 1/8
∴ Probability to get at least one head is = 1 - 1/8 = 7/8

If the standard deviation of the spot speed of vehicles in a highway is 8.8 kmph and the mean speed of the vehicles is 33 kmph, the coefficient of variation in speed is
  • a)
    0.1517  
  • b)
    0.1867  
  • c)
    0.2666
  • d)
    0.3645
Correct answer is option 'C'. Can you explain this answer?

Mahi Sharma answered
Coefficient of Variation (CV) is a measure of relative variability. It is used to compare the standard deviation of different datasets when the means are significantly different. It is calculated by dividing the standard deviation by the mean.

Given:
Standard deviation (σ) = 8.8 kmph
Mean (μ) = 33 kmph

To find the coefficient of variation, we use the formula:
CV = (σ / μ) * 100

Calculating the Coefficient of Variation:
CV = (8.8 / 33) * 100
CV = 0.2666 * 100
CV = 26.66

Since the coefficient of variation is expressed as a percentage, we can convert it to a decimal by dividing by 100:
CV = 26.66 / 100
CV = 0.2666

Therefore, the coefficient of variation in speed is 0.2666, which is option (c).

Explanation:
The coefficient of variation is a measure of the relative variability of a dataset. In this case, it is used to compare the standard deviation of the spot speeds of vehicles on the highway to the mean speed of the vehicles.

A lower coefficient of variation indicates that the dataset has less relative variability, while a higher coefficient of variation indicates greater relative variability.

In this case, the standard deviation is 8.8 kmph, which means that the spot speeds of vehicles on the highway vary by an average of 8.8 kmph from the mean speed of 33 kmph. Dividing the standard deviation by the mean gives us the coefficient of variation of 0.2666.

Option (c) is the correct answer.

A single die is thrown twice. What is the sum is neither 8 nor 9?
  • a)
    1/9
  • b)
    5/36
  • c)
    1/4
  • d)
    3/4
Correct answer is option 'D'. Can you explain this answer?

Chirag Verma answered
Here sample space = 36
Total No. of way in which sum is either 8 or 9 are (2,6), (3,5),(3,6),(4,4),(4,5),(5,3),(5,4),(6,2),(6,3)
So probability of getting sum 8 or 9 = 9/36 = 1/4
So the probability of not getting sum 8 or 9  

A lot has 10% defective items. Ten items are chosen randomly from this lot. The probability that exactly 2 of the chosen items are defective is 
  • a)
    0.0036  
  • b)
    0.1937  
  • c)
    0.2234  
  • d)
    0.3874 
Correct answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer?

Veda Institute answered
Let A be the event that items are defective and B be the event that items are non-defective. 
∴ P(A) = 0.1 and P(B) = 0.9
∴ Probability that exactly two of those items are defective

Consider the continuous random variable with probability density function
f(t) = 1 + t for -1 ≤ t ≤ 0
= 1 - t for 0 ≤ t ≤ 1
The standard deviation of the random variables is 
  • a)
    1/√3
  • b)
    1/√6
  • c)
    1/3
  • d)
    1/6
Correct answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer?

The probability density function (PDF) given is:

f(t) = 1/t for -1 < t="" />< />

To determine the cumulative distribution function (CDF) F(t) for this continuous random variable, we need to integrate the PDF over the given range:

F(t) = ∫[from -∞ to t] f(u) du

For -1 < t="" />< 1,="" we="" />

F(t) = ∫[from -∞ to t] (1/u) du

To evaluate this integral, we need to split it into two parts:

F(t) = ∫[from -∞ to 0] (1/u) du + ∫[from 0 to t] (1/u) du

The first integral from -∞ to 0 is undefined because the PDF is not defined for negative values. Therefore, we can ignore this part.

For the second integral from 0 to t, we have:

F(t) = ∫[from 0 to t] (1/u) du

Now, to evaluate this integral, we can use the natural logarithm function:

F(t) = ln|u| [from 0 to t]

F(t) = ln|t| - ln|0|

Since ln|0| is undefined, we cannot evaluate it. However, as t approaches 0 from the positive side, ln|t| approaches -∞. Therefore, we can write:

F(t) = ln|t| for 0 ≤ t < />

So, the cumulative distribution function (CDF) for the given continuous random variable is:

F(t) = ln|t| for 0 ≤ t < 1="" />

There are 25 calculators in a box. Two of them are defective. Suppose 5 calculators are randomly picked for inspection (i.e., each has the same chance of being selected), what is the probability that only one of the defective calculators will be included in the inspection?
  • a)
    1/2
  • b)
    1/3
  • c)
    1/4
  • d)
    1/5
Correct answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer?

To arrive at the answer, first note that there are C(2,1) = 2 ways to choose one defective calculator out of the 2 available.
Next, there are C(23,4) ways to choose 4 non-defective calculators from the 23 good ones.
Since the total number of ways to pick any 5 calculators from 25 is C(25,5),
the probability that exactly one defective calculator is chosen is given by [C(2,1) × C(23,4)] / C(25,5).
the probability simplifies to 1/3.
 

Manish has to travel from A to D changing buses at stops B and C enroute. The maximum waiting time at either stop can be 8 minutes each, but any time of waiting up to 8 minutes is equally likely at both places. He can afford up to 13 minutes of total waiting time if he is to arrive at D on time. What is the probability that Manish will arrive late at D?
  • a)
    8/13
  • b)
    13/64
  • c)
    119/128
  • d)
    9/128
Correct answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer?

Yashvi Bhatia answered
Understanding the Problem
Manish has a maximum waiting time of 8 minutes at each of the two stops (B and C) and he can afford a total waiting time of 13 minutes. This means:
- Waiting at Stop B: X (0 to 8 minutes)
- Waiting at Stop C: Y (0 to 8 minutes)
The total waiting time is given by the equation:
X + Y > 13
We need to find the probability that Manish arrives late at D.
Setting Up the Scenario
- Both X and Y are uniformly distributed between 0 and 8.
- The total possible waiting time combinations (X, Y) form a square region in the XY-plane with vertices (0,0), (8,0), (0,8), and (8,8). The area of this square is 64 (8*8).
Finding the Area of Interest
1. Late Arrival Condition:
- The condition X + Y > 13 represents a line on the XY-plane.
2. Identifying the Intersection:
- The line intersects the boundaries of the square at points (5,8) and (8,5).
3. Calculating the Area Above the Line:
- The triangle formed by these points and the origin (0,0) has vertices (5,8), (8,5), and (8,8).
Calculating Areas
- Area of the triangle:
- Base = 8 - 5 = 3
- Height = 8 - 5 = 3
- Area = 0.5 * base * height = 0.5 * 3 * 3 = 4.5
- Total area above the line = Area of the square - Area of the triangle = 64 - 4.5 = 59.5
Probability Calculation
- Probability of arriving late (X + Y > 13):
P = Area above the line / Total area of the square = (64 - 4.5) / 64 = 59.5 / 64 = 8/13
Conclusion
Thus, the probability that Manish will arrive late at D is 8/13, making option 'A' the correct answer.

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