Year 9 Mathematics | Victorian Curriculum 2.0
Compound probability
Topic 15 | Statistics & Probability | Answer key

Tier 1

    1. Outcomes: HH, HT, TH, TT (4 outcomes).
    2. 6×6=366 \times 6 = 366×6=36 outcomes.
    3. P(both red)=58×58=2564P(\text{both red}) = \dfrac{5}{8} \times \dfrac{5}{8} = \dfrac{25}{64}P(both red)=85​×85​=6425​.
    4. P(both red)=58×47=2056=514P(\text{both red}) = \dfrac{5}{8} \times \dfrac{4}{7} = \dfrac{20}{56} = \dfrac{5}{14}P(both red)=85​×74​=5620​=145​.
    5. Even numbers are 222 and 444, so P(even)=24=12P(\text{even}) = \dfrac{2}{4} = \dfrac{1}{2}P(even)=42​=21​. P(both even)=12×12=14P(\text{both even}) = \dfrac{1}{2} \times \dfrac{1}{2} = \dfrac{1}{4}P(both even)=21​×21​=41​.
    6. P(spade)=1352P(\text{spade}) = \dfrac{13}{52}P(spade)=5213​, P(ace)=452P(\text{ace}) = \dfrac{4}{52}P(ace)=524​, P(spade and ace)=152P(\text{spade and ace}) = \dfrac{1}{52}P(spade and ace)=521​. P(spade or ace)=1352+452−152=1652=413P(\text{spade or ace}) = \dfrac{13}{52} + \dfrac{4}{52} - \dfrac{1}{52} = \dfrac{16}{52} = \dfrac{4}{13}P(spade or ace)=5213​+524​−521​=5216​=134​.
    7. Relative frequency =114200=0.57= \dfrac{114}{200} = 0.57=200114​=0.57.
    8. Yes, they are mutually exclusive. A single die cannot show 666 (even) and an odd number at the same time — the events have no outcomes in common.
    9. 2×2=42 \times 2 = 42×2=4 outcomes.
    10. P≈1850=0.36P \approx \dfrac{18}{50} = 0.36P≈5018​=0.36.

Tier 2

    1. Total =12= 12=12. P(1st blue)=412=13P(\text{1st blue}) = \dfrac{4}{12} = \dfrac{1}{3}P(1st blue)=124​=31​. P(2nd blue∣1st blue)=311P(\text{2nd blue} \mid \text{1st blue}) = \dfrac{3}{11}P(2nd blue∣1st blue)=113​. P(both blue)=13×311=333=111P(\text{both blue}) = \dfrac{1}{3} \times \dfrac{3}{11} = \dfrac{3}{33} = \dfrac{1}{11}P(both blue)=31​×113​=333​=111​.
    2. P(both aces)=452×351=122652=1221P(\text{both aces}) = \dfrac{4}{52} \times \dfrac{3}{51} = \dfrac{12}{2652} = \dfrac{1}{221}P(both aces)=524​×513​=265212​=2211​.
    3. (a) P(both defective)=320×219=6380=3190P(\text{both defective}) = \dfrac{3}{20} \times \dfrac{2}{19} = \dfrac{6}{380} = \dfrac{3}{190}P(both defective)=203​×192​=3806​=1903​. (b) P(neither defective)=1720×1619=272380=6895P(\text{neither defective}) = \dfrac{17}{20} \times \dfrac{16}{19} = \dfrac{272}{380} = \dfrac{68}{95}P(neither defective)=2017​×1916​=380272​=9568​. (c) P(exactly one)=1−3190−6895=1−3190−136190=51190=51190P(\text{exactly one}) = 1 - \dfrac{3}{190} - \dfrac{68}{95} = 1 - \dfrac{3}{190} - \dfrac{136}{190} = \dfrac{51}{190} = \dfrac{51}{190}P(exactly one)=1−1903​−9568​=1−1903​−190136​=19051​=19051​.
    4. P(A and B)=0.3×0.5=0.15P(A \text{ and } B) = 0.3 \times 0.5 = 0.15P(A and B)=0.3×0.5=0.15. P(A or B)=0.3+0.5−0.15=0.65P(A \text{ or } B) = 0.3 + 0.5 - 0.15 = 0.65P(A or B)=0.3+0.5−0.15=0.65.
    5. P(even)=36=12P(\text{even}) = \dfrac{3}{6} = \dfrac{1}{2}P(even)=63​=21​. P(heads)=12P(\text{heads}) = \dfrac{1}{2}P(heads)=21​. Events are independent, so P(even and heads)=12×12=14P(\text{even and heads}) = \dfrac{1}{2} \times \dfrac{1}{2} = \dfrac{1}{4}P(even and heads)=21​×21​=41​.
    6. P(sport or music)=12+8−330=1730P(\text{sport or music}) = \dfrac{12 + 8 - 3}{30} = \dfrac{17}{30}P(sport or music)=3012+8−3​=3017​.
    7. Independent events: the occurrence of one does not affect the probability of the other. Example: rolling a die and flipping a coin — the die result does not change the coin probability. Mutually exclusive events: the events cannot both occur at the same time. Example: rolling a 333 and rolling a 555 on a single die. Note: mutually exclusive events with non-zero probabilities are never independent (if one occurs, the probability of the other becomes 000).
    8. Simulation steps: (i) Assign heads === tails outcome for a coin. (ii) Flip 444 coins and record the number of tails. (iii) If 333 or 444 tails, record a success. (iv) Repeat for 100100100 or more trials. (v) Estimate P(at least 3 tails)=number of successestotal trialsP(\text{at least 3 tails}) = \dfrac{\text{number of successes}}{\text{total trials}}P(at least 3 tails)=total trialsnumber of successes​. Theoretical value: P=(43)(12)4+(44)(12)4=4+116=516=0.3125P = \dbinom{4}{3}\left(\dfrac{1}{2}\right)^4 + \dbinom{4}{4}\left(\dfrac{1}{2}\right)^4 = \dfrac{4+1}{16} = \dfrac{5}{16} = 0.3125P=(34​)(21​)4+(44​)(21​)4=164+1​=165​=0.3125.

Tier 3

    1. Let D=D =D= has disease, T+=T^+ =T+= tests positive. P(D)=0.02P(D) = 0.02P(D)=0.02, P(T+∣D)=0.95P(T^+ \mid D) = 0.95P(T+∣D)=0.95, P(T+∣no D)=0.10P(T^+ \mid \text{no } D) = 0.10P(T+∣no D)=0.10. By tree diagram: P(T+)=0.02×0.95+0.98×0.10=0.019+0.098=0.117P(T^+) = 0.02 \times 0.95 + 0.98 \times 0.10 = 0.019 + 0.098 = 0.117P(T+)=0.02×0.95+0.98×0.10=0.019+0.098=0.117. P(D∣T+)=0.0190.117≈0.162P(D \mid T^+) = \dfrac{0.019}{0.117} \approx 0.162P(D∣T+)=0.1170.019​≈0.162. Only about 16%16\%16% of positive results are true positives — the low disease rate means most positives are false alarms.
    2. P(A and B)=P(A)+P(B)−P(A or B)=0.4+0.5−0.7=0.2P(A \text{ and } B) = P(A) + P(B) - P(A \text{ or } B) = 0.4 + 0.5 - 0.7 = 0.2P(A and B)=P(A)+P(B)−P(A or B)=0.4+0.5−0.7=0.2. If independent: P(A)×P(B)=0.4×0.5=0.2P(A) \times P(B) = 0.4 \times 0.5 = 0.2P(A)×P(B)=0.4×0.5=0.2. Since P(A and B)=P(A)×P(B)P(A \text{ and } B) = P(A) \times P(B)P(A and B)=P(A)×P(B), yes, AAA and BBB are independent.
    3. It is easier to find P(no red)=P(all white)=49×38×27=24504=121P(\text{no red}) = P(\text{all white}) = \dfrac{4}{9} \times \dfrac{3}{8} \times \dfrac{2}{7} = \dfrac{24}{504} = \dfrac{1}{21}P(no red)=P(all white)=94​×83​×72​=50424​=211​. So P(at least one red)=1−121=2021P(\text{at least one red}) = 1 - \dfrac{1}{21} = \dfrac{20}{21}P(at least one red)=1−211​=2120​.
    4. P(sum=7)=636=16P(\text{sum} = 7) = \dfrac{6}{36} = \dfrac{1}{6}P(sum=7)=366​=61​. Expected winnings =16×10+56×0=106≈1.67= \dfrac{1}{6} \times 10 + \dfrac{5}{6} \times 0 = \dfrac{10}{6} \approx 1.67=61​×10+65​×0=610​≈1.67 dollars. Expected profit =1.67−2=−0.33= 1.67 - 2 = -0.33=1.67−2=−0.33 dollars. The game is not fair — on average, the player loses about 333333 cents per game.
    5. P(A or B)=P(A)+P(B)−P(A and B)P(A \text{ or } B) = P(A) + P(B) - P(A \text{ and } B)P(A or B)=P(A)+P(B)−P(A and B). Since P(A and B)≥0P(A \text{ and } B) \geq 0P(A and B)≥0, we have P(A or B)≤P(A)+P(B)P(A \text{ or } B) \leq P(A) + P(B)P(A or B)≤P(A)+P(B). Equality holds when P(A and B)=0P(A \text{ and } B) = 0P(A and B)=0, i.e. when AAA and BBB are mutually exclusive.

Challenge

    1. Cards 111–555: odd numbers are 1,3,51, 3, 51,3,5 (three), even numbers are 2,42, 42,4 (two). For an even sum, both cards must be the same parity. P(both odd)=35×24=620P(\text{both odd}) = \dfrac{3}{5} \times \dfrac{2}{4} = \dfrac{6}{20}P(both odd)=53​×42​=206​. P(both even)=25×14=220P(\text{both even}) = \dfrac{2}{5} \times \dfrac{1}{4} = \dfrac{2}{20}P(both even)=52​×41​=202​. P(even sum)=620+220=820=25P(\text{even sum}) = \dfrac{6}{20} + \dfrac{2}{20} = \dfrac{8}{20} = \dfrac{2}{5}P(even sum)=206​+202​=208​=52​.
    2. P(both red)=nn+3×n−1n+2=12P(\text{both red}) = \dfrac{n}{n+3} \times \dfrac{n-1}{n+2} = \dfrac{1}{2}P(both red)=n+3n​×n+2n−1​=21​. So 2n(n−1)=(n+3)(n+2)2n(n-1) = (n+3)(n+2)2n(n−1)=(n+3)(n+2), giving 2n2−2n=n2+5n+62n^2 - 2n = n^2 + 5n + 62n2−2n=n2+5n+6, i.e. n2−7n−6=0n^2 - 7n - 6 = 0n2−7n−6=0. Using the quadratic formula: n=7+49+242=7+732≈7+8.5442≈7.77n = \dfrac{7 + \sqrt{49 + 24}}{2} = \dfrac{7 + \sqrt{73}}{2} \approx \dfrac{7 + 8.544}{2} \approx 7.77n=27+49+24​​=27+73​​≈27+8.544​≈7.77. Since nnn must be a positive integer, we check n=8n = 8n=8: 811×710=56110=2855≠12\dfrac{8}{11} \times \dfrac{7}{10} = \dfrac{56}{110} = \dfrac{28}{55} \neq \dfrac{1}{2}118​×107​=11056​=5528​=21​. Check n=6n = 6n=6: 69×58=3072=512≠12\dfrac{6}{9} \times \dfrac{5}{8} = \dfrac{30}{72} = \dfrac{5}{12} \neq \dfrac{1}{2}96​×85​=7230​=125​=21​. Since no integer solution exists, the equation n2−7n−6=0n^2 - 7n - 6 = 0n2−7n−6=0 has no positive integer root. Revisiting: if we allow P(both red)=12P(\text{both red}) = \dfrac{1}{2}P(both red)=21​ to be approximate, n=8n = 8n=8 gives 2855≈0.509\dfrac{28}{55} \approx 0.5095528​≈0.509, which is closest. However, for an exact solution: no integer value of nnn works — this demonstrates that not every target probability is achievable with whole numbers of marbles.
    3. Team A wins in 2 games: P=0.6×0.6=0.36P = 0.6 \times 0.6 = 0.36P=0.6×0.6=0.36. Team A loses game 1, wins games 2 and 3: P=0.4×0.6×0.6=0.144P = 0.4 \times 0.6 \times 0.6 = 0.144P=0.4×0.6×0.6=0.144. Team A wins game 1, loses game 2, wins game 3: P=0.6×0.4×0.6=0.144P = 0.6 \times 0.4 \times 0.6 = 0.144P=0.6×0.4×0.6=0.144. Total: P(A wins series)=0.36+0.144+0.144=0.648P(\text{A wins series}) = 0.36 + 0.144 + 0.144 = 0.648P(A wins series)=0.36+0.144+0.144=0.648.
    4. P(none solve)=(1−0.7)(1−0.8)(1−0.9)=0.3×0.2×0.1=0.006P(\text{none solve}) = (1 - 0.7)(1 - 0.8)(1 - 0.9) = 0.3 \times 0.2 \times 0.1 = 0.006P(none solve)=(1−0.7)(1−0.8)(1−0.9)=0.3×0.2×0.1=0.006. P(at least one solves)=1−0.006=0.994P(\text{at least one solves}) = 1 - 0.006 = 0.994P(at least one solves)=1−0.006=0.994.
Year 9 Mathematics study companion | Answer key