Stat 101: Elementary Statistics
Basic Concepts of Probability
Problem Set #1
General Instructions:
• Answer the following BY GROUP.
• Type/write your answers in a short bond paper. Every solution that you submit is
original work with the names of all members of the group on it.
• Avoid handing in a shoddily written assignment as it reflects poorly on you and
your work ethic. Each solution should be readable and understandable.
• Never hand in a first draft! After you have solved a problem, write it up and put
it aside for a day or so. Go back and re-read it, and re-write it. Fix up confusing
passages and logical gaps.
• Save your answers in PDF format and submit it through UVLE.
• Deadline is on March 23, Monday.
1. Suppose you own three shirts (one is blue and the others are black and white) and
three pairs of pants (one is black the others are white and brown).
a. How many ways can you pair your shirt with your pants?
b. List down all possible combinations of shirts and pants
You throw your three shirts into a pile on the right side of your bed and three
pairs of pants in a pile into a pile on the left side of your bed. It’s already 9 PM and
your friends asked you to join them in their late night drive. So , in the dark, you
grab a shirt and a pair of pants.
c. What is the probability that you have chosen an outfit that is all one color?
d. What is the probability that you have chosen an outfit with a blue shirt?
e. What is the probability that you have chosen an outfit red pants?
2. In a certain federal prison it is known that 2/3 of the inmates are under 25 years
of age. It is also known that 3/5 of the inmates are male and the 5/8 of the inmates
are female or 25 years of age or older.
a. Define the basic events.
b. List down the given probabilities.
c. Determine the probability that a prisoner selected at random from this
prison is female and at least 25 years old?
3. Suppose 𝐴! , 𝐴" , 𝐴# , and 𝐴$ are independent events. And let 𝑃(𝐴! ) = 𝑃(𝐴" ) = 0.5
and 𝑃(𝐴# ) = 2𝑃(𝐴$ ) = 0.8. Find the probability of the following:
a. Exactly one of the events occurred.
b. A1 occurred but not A2.
c. A4 occurred given that A3 occurred.
1
4. How many different ways can 12 red, 20 yellow, and 10 blue bulbs be arranged
in a string of Christmas tree lights with 42 sockets?
5. In a factory, units are manufactured by three machines: A, B and C in the
proportions 0.25, 0.35, and 0.40, respectively. Five percent of the units
manufactured by machine A is defective. While, 4% and 2% of the units
manufactured by machine B and C, respectively, are defective. The units are
mixed and sent to customers.
Let A = event that the unit manufactured by machine A
B = event that the unit manufactured by machine B
C = event that the unit manufactured by machine C
D = event that the unit is defective
The given probabilities are
𝑃(𝐴) = 0.25 𝑃(𝐵) = 0.35 𝑃(𝐶) = 0.40
𝑃(𝐷|𝐴) = 0.05 𝑃(𝐷|𝐵) = 0.04 𝑃(𝐷|𝐶) = 0.02
a. Find the probability that a randomly selected unit is defective , i.e. 𝑃(𝐷)
(Hint: Use Theorem of Total Probability)
b. Suppose that a customer selected a unit at random and discovered that it
was defective, what is the probability that this unit was manufactured by
Machine A? Machine B? Machine C? (Hint: Use Bayes’ Theorem)
6. Suppose A and B are independent events. Prove the following (from left to right):
a. 𝐴 and 𝐵% are independent events by showing that 𝑃(𝐴 ∩ 𝐵% ) = 𝑃(𝐴)𝑃(𝐵% )
b. 𝐴% and 𝐵% are independent by showing that 𝑃(𝐴% ∩ 𝐵% ) = 𝑃(𝐴% )𝑃(𝐵% )
(End of Problem Set)
“Paano mo lalabanan ang katamaran, kung tamad kang lumaban”
