A man takes a step forward with probability 0.4 and backwards with probability 0.6 . The probability that at…

A man takes a step forward with probability 0.4 and backwards with probability 0.6 . The probability that at the end of eleven steps, he is one step away from the starting point is
  1. ${ }^{11} \mathrm{C}_6(0.24)^6$
  2. ${ }^{11} \mathrm{C}_6(0.4)^6(0.6)^5$
  3. ${ }^{11} \mathrm{C}_6(0.24)^5$
  4. ${ }^{11} \mathrm{C}_6(0.4)^5(0.6)^6$

Solution

Let a step forward be a success and the step backward be a failure. $\therefore \quad$ Probability of success $=\mathrm{p}=0.4$, and Probability of failure $=q=0.6$ Now, in 11 steps number of successes $=6$, number of failure $=5$ OR number of successes $=5$, number of failures $=6$ Required probability $={ }^{11} \mathrm{C}_6 \mathrm{p}^6 \mathrm{q}^5+{ }^{11} \mathrm{C}_5 \mathrm{p}^5 \mathrm{q}^6$. $\begin{aligned} & =\frac{11 !}{6 ! 5 !} p^6 q^5+\frac{11 !}{5 ! 6 !} p^5 q^6 \\ & ={ }^{11} C_6 p^5 q^5(p+q) \\ & ={ }^{11} C_6(0-4)^5(0-6)^5(1) \\ & ={ }^{11} C_6(0 \cdot 4)^5(0 \cdot 6)^5 \\ & ={ }^{11} C_6(0 \cdot 24)^5 \end{aligned}$

Asked in: MHT CET 2023 (09 May Shift 2)

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