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Probability MCQs

Class 11 Maths — questions with answers and worked explanations.

20 free questions Class 11 Maths Answers + explanations No sign-up

These questions are drawn from the Pariksha Sutra question bank for Probability, part of the Class 11 Maths syllabus. Each one shows the correct answer and, where a method helps, the working behind it.

Read the question, decide your answer before looking, then check the explanation — that is what turns practice into marks. If a question catches you out, the explanation is the part worth re-reading.

Questions

Question 1
A random experiment is an experiment whose outcome cannot be predicted with certainty in advance but whose set of all possible outcomes is known. Which of the following is a random experiment?
  1. Tossing a coin and noting the face shown
  2. Adding 2 and 3 to get a sum
  3. Heating water to 100 degrees Celsius at sea level
  4. Measuring the boiling point of pure water
Answer: Tossing a coin and noting the face shown
Explanation

A random experiment must have an uncertain result each trial while the complete sample space is known. Tossing a coin yields either heads or tails, both possible outcomes are known but the actual result cannot be predicted. Adding 2 and 3 always gives 5, so the outcome is certain. Heating water to 100 °C at sea level always occurs under those conditions, not random. Measuring the boiling point of pure water may vary slightly due to experimental error, but the process itself is deterministic. Hence the random experiment is tossing a coin and noting the face shown.

Question 2
An event consisting of a single sample point is called a(n):
  1. Sure event
  2. Impossible event
  3. Compound event
  4. Simple (elementary) event
Answer: Simple (elementary) event
Explanation

A single sample point represents one specific outcome of the experiment.

Since it cannot be broken down into further outcomes, it is the most basic event.

Such an event is defined as a simple (elementary) event. Simple (elementary) event

Question 3
According to the axiomatic approach, the probability P(A) of any event A satisfies:
  1. -1 <= P(A) <= 1
  2. P(A) > 1
  3. 0 <= P(A) <= 1
  4. P(A) >= 1
Answer: 0 <= P(A) <= 1
Explanation

By definition a probability is a non‑negative real number, so P(A)≥0.

The total probability of the sample space is 1, and any event cannot be more likely than the whole space, giving P(A)≤1.

Hence every event satisfies 0 ≤ P(A) ≤ 1, which is the correct answer.

Question 4
Two dice are thrown. The probability that the sum of the numbers is 7 is:
  1. 1/9
  2. 5/36
  3. 1/6
  4. 1/12
Answer: 1/6
Explanation

Total possible outcomes when two dice are thrown = 6 × 6 = 36.

Favourable outcomes giving sum 7 are (1,6),(2,5),(3,4),(4,3),(5,2),(6,1) → 6 ways.

Probability = favourable/total = 6/36 = 1/6.

Hence the answer is 1/6.

Question 5
A subset of the sample space is called a(n):
  1. Event
  2. Outcome
  3. Experiment
  4. Trial
Answer: Event
Explanation

A sample space lists all possible outcomes of an experiment.

Any collection of one or more of these outcomes is called a subset of the sample space.

Such a subset represents a condition whose occurrence we can talk about, i.e., an event.

Hence the correct term is Event.

Question 6
For an event A with sample space S, the event 'A but not B' is represented by:
  1. A union B
  2. A intersection B
  3. A intersection B'
  4. A' intersection B
Answer: A intersection B'
Explanation

A but not B means outcomes that belong to A while excluding any that are also in B.

Hence we take the part of A and remove the part common with B, which is the complement of B within A.

This is expressed as the intersection of A with the complement of B, i.e., A ∩ B′.

Thus the correct choice is A intersection B'.

Question 7
A card is drawn from a standard deck. The probability that it is a heart is:
  1. 1/2
  2. 1/13
  3. 1/4
  4. 1/26
Answer: 1/4
Explanation

Total cards = 52; each suit (hearts, diamonds, clubs, spades) has 13 cards.

Number of favorable outcomes (hearts) = 13.

Probability = favorable/total = 13/52 = 1/4.

Hence the answer is 1/4.

Question 8
If the probability that it rains today is 0.7, the probability that it does not rain is:
  1. 0.3
  2. 1.0
  3. 0.5
  4. 0.7
Answer: 0.3
Explanation

Probability of an event and its complement sum to 1.

Here the complement of “rain today’’ is “does not rain today”.

So P(not rain)=1−P(rain)=1−0.7=0.3.

Hence the answer is 0.3.

Question 9
The sample space for the experiment of tossing a coin three times has how many outcomes?
  1. 6
  2. 8
  3. 12
  4. 9
Answer: 8
Explanation

Each toss of a fair coin has 2 possible results (H or T).

For three independent tosses the total number of ordered triples is 2×2×2.

Multiplying gives 8 distinct outcomes such as HHT, TTH, etc.

Hence the sample space contains 8 outcomes.

Question 10
When a die is rolled, the event 'getting a number greater than 6' is a(n):
  1. Compound event
  2. Simple event
  3. Impossible event
  4. Sure event
Answer: Impossible event
Explanation

The sample space for a single die is {1,2,3,4,5,6}.

An event is the set of outcomes that satisfy the condition.

‘Number greater than 6’ has no outcomes in the sample space, so the event set is empty.

An event with no possible outcomes is called an impossible event. Impossible event.

Question 11
By the axioms of probability, the probability of the sure event S is:
  1. 1
  2. Infinite
  3. 0
  4. 0.5
Answer: 1
Explanation

By axiom 1, the probability of any event lies between 0 and 1.

Axiom 2 states that the probability of the sample space S (the sure event) equals 1.

Thus P(S)=1, not 0, 0.5 or infinite.

The correct answer is 1.

Question 12
Two dice are thrown. The probability of getting a doublet (both dice showing the same number) is:
  1. 1/6
  2. 1/9
  3. 1/3
  4. 1/12
Answer: 1/6
Explanation

Total outcomes when two dice are thrown = 6 × 6 = 36.

Favourable outcomes for a doublet are (1,1),(2,2)…(6,6) → 6 cases.

Probability = favourable/total = 6/36 = 1/6.

Hence the answer is 1/6.

Question 13
A die is rolled once. The sample space S is:
  1. {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}
  2. {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6}
  3. {2, 4, 6}
  4. {0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5}
Answer: {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6}
Explanation

A die has six faces numbered 1 through 6, so each face is a possible outcome of a single roll.

The sample space S must list every elementary outcome that can occur.

Thus S = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6} is the complete set of outcomes.

Question 14
When a die is rolled, the event 'getting a number less than 7' is a(n):
  1. Impossible event
  2. Sure (certain) event
  3. Elementary event
  4. Null event
Answer: Sure (certain) event
Explanation

All possible outcomes on a die are {1,2,3,4,5,6}.

Every outcome is less than 7, so the event occurs for every trial.

Since its probability is 1, it is a sure (certain) event.

Question 15
The probability of the impossible event (empty set) is:
  1. 1
  2. Undefined
  3. 0.5
  4. 0
Answer: 0
Explanation

Probability is defined as favorable outcomes divided by total outcomes, which lies between 0 and 1 inclusive.

An impossible event has no favorable outcomes, so its count is zero.

Zero divided by any non‑zero total gives 0, thus the probability of the empty set is 0.

Question 16
A bag contains 5 red and 3 black balls. One ball is drawn at random. The probability that it is red is:
  1. 5/8
  2. 3/5
  3. 3/8
  4. 1/2
Answer: 5/8
Explanation

Total balls = 5 (red) + 3 (black) = 8.

Probability of drawing a red ball = number of favourable outcomes / total outcomes = 5 / 8.

Thus the required probability is 5/8.

Question 17
Two coins are tossed simultaneously. The number of elements in the sample space is:
  1. 2
  2. 3
  3. 4
  4. 8
Answer: 4
Explanation

Two coins each have two outcomes: H or T.

The combined outcome is an ordered pair (coin 1, coin 2).

List all possible pairs: (H,H), (H,T), (T,H), (T,T).

Thus the sample space contains 4 elements, so the answer is 4.

Question 18
A die is rolled. If A = 'an even number appears', then the complement A' (event 'not A') is:
  1. {2, 4, 6}
  2. {1, 2, 3}
  3. {4, 5, 6}
  4. {1, 3, 5}
Answer: {1, 3, 5}
Explanation

Even numbers on a die are {2,4,6}; this is event A.

The complement A′ consists of all outcomes not in A, i.e., the odd numbers.

The odd faces of a die are {1,3,5}.

Hence A′ = {1, 3, 5}.

Question 19
For two mutually exclusive events A and B, the axiom of additivity gives P(A union B) equal to:
  1. P(A) + P(B) - P(A intersection B)
  2. P(A) - P(B)
  3. P(A) + P(B)
  4. P(A) x P(B)
Answer: P(A) + P(B)
Explanation

For mutually exclusive events A and B, they cannot occur together, so P(A∩B)=0.

The additivity axiom states P(A∪B)=P(A)+P(B)−P(A∩B).

Substituting P(A∩B)=0 gives P(A∪B)=P(A)+P(B).

Thus the correct answer is P(A) + P(B).

Question 20
A letter is chosen at random from the word 'ASSASSINATION'. The probability that it is a vowel is:
  1. 6/13
  2. 7/13
  3. 5/13
  4. 1/2
Answer: 6/13
Explanation

Count total letters in “ASSASSINATION”: 13.

Identify vowels A, A, I, A, I, O → 6 vowels.

Probability = number of favorable outcomes / total outcomes = 6/13.

Thus the answer is 6/13.

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