Given two independent events, if the probability that exactly one of them occurs is $\frac{26}{49}$ and the…

Given two independent events, if the probability that exactly one of them occurs is $\frac{26}{49}$ and the probability that none of them occurs is $\frac{15}{49}$, then the probability of more probable of the two events is :
  1. $4 / 7$
  2. $6 / 7$
  3. 3/7
  4. $5 / 7$

Solution

Let the probability of occurrence of first event A, be ' $a$ ' i..e., $\mathrm{P}(\mathrm{A})=\mathrm{a}$ $ \therefore \mathrm{P}(\text { not } \mathrm{A})=1-a $ And also suppose that probability of occurrence of second event $\mathrm{B}, \mathrm{P}(\mathrm{B})=b$, $ \therefore \mathrm{P}(\operatorname{not} \mathrm{B})=1-b $ Now, $\mathrm{P}(\mathrm{A}$ and not $\mathrm{B})+\mathrm{P}($ not $\mathrm{A}$ and $\mathrm{B})=\frac{26}{49}$ $ \begin{aligned} & \Rightarrow \quad \mathrm{P}(\mathrm{A}) \times \mathrm{P}(\operatorname{not} \mathrm{B})+\mathrm{P}(\operatorname{not} \mathrm{A}) \times \mathrm{P}(\mathrm{B})=\frac{26}{49} \\ & \Rightarrow \quad a \times(1-b)+(1-a) b=\frac{26}{49} \\ & \Rightarrow \quad a+b-2 a b=\frac{26}{49} \end{aligned} $ And $\mathrm{P}($ not $\mathrm{A}$ and not $\mathrm{B})=\frac{15}{49}$ $ \begin{aligned} & \Rightarrow \quad \mathrm{P}(\operatorname{not} \mathrm{A}) \times \mathrm{P}(\text { not } \mathrm{B})=\frac{15}{49} \\ & \Rightarrow \quad(1-a) \times(1-b)=\frac{15}{49} \\ & \Rightarrow 1-\mathrm{b}-\mathrm{a}+\mathrm{ab}=\frac{15}{49} \\ & \Rightarrow a+b-a b=\frac{34}{49} \end{aligned} $ From (i) and (ii), $ a+b=\frac{42}{49} $ and $a b=\frac{8}{49}$ $ \begin{aligned} & (a-b)^2=(a+b)^2-4 a b=\frac{42}{49} \times \frac{42}{49}-\frac{4 \times 8}{49} \\ & =\frac{196}{2401} \end{aligned} $ $ \therefore \quad a-b=\frac{14}{49} $ From (iii) and (iv), $ a=\frac{4}{7}, b=\frac{2}{7} $ Hence probability of more probable of the $ \text { two events }=\frac{4}{7} $

Asked in: JEE Main 2013 (22 Apr Online)

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