Q.While shuffling a pack of 52 playing cards, 2 are accidentally dropped. Find the probability that the missing cards to be of different colours
(A) 5229
(B) 21
(C) 5126
(D) 5127
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🔒 Start your 14-day free trial to unlock the full solution →Concept understanding — Classical Probability
Classical Probability: The "Fair Game" Definition
Imagine you roll a fair six-sided die. Before it lands, you know there are exactly six possible outcomes — 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 — and you have no reason to believe any one face is more likely than another. That gut feeling of "all outcomes are equally likely" is the entire foundation of classical probability.
The Intuition
Classical probability was born from games of chance — dice, coins, cards. In these settings, the physical symmetry of the objects (a balanced die, a fair coin) guarantees that no outcome is favoured. So the probability of an event is simply:
Number of ways the event can happen, divided by the total number of possible outcomes.
If you want the chance of rolling an even number on a die, count the evens: 2, 4, 6 — that's 3 ways. Total outcomes: 6. So probability = 3/6=1/2.
This is the "counting" approach. It works beautifully when the underlying experiment is symmetric and finite.
The Precise Statement
P(E)=Total number of equally likely outcomesNumber of outcomes favourable to event E
This is called the classical definition (or a priori definition) of probability. It was formalised by Pierre-Simon Laplace in the 18th century.
Three conditions must hold for this definition to apply:
- Finite sample space — there are only a fixed, countable number of possible outcomes.
- Equally likely outcomes — each outcome has the same chance of occurring (the "fairness" condition).
- Mutually exclusive outcomes — no two outcomes can happen at the same time.
The biggest mistake students make is applying classical probability to situations where outcomes are not equally likely. For example: "I can either pass or fail the exam — two outcomes, so probability of passing is 1/2." That's nonsense, because passing and failing are not equally likely. The die works only because the die is fair.
A Simple Example
Problem: A bag contains 3 red marbles and 2 blue marbles. You pick one marble at random. What is the probability it is red?
Step 1 — Identify the sample space: There are 5 marbles total. If the marbles are physically identical except for colour, and you pick without looking, each marble is equally likely to be chosen. So total outcomes = 5.
Step 2 — Count favourable outcomes: 3 marbles are red. So favourable outcomes = 3.
Step 3 — Apply the formula:
P(red)=53
That's it. No deeper theory needed for this case.
When Classical Probability Fails
Classical probability cannot handle: …
The key idea here is Classical Probability, which defines the probability of an event as the ratio of the number of favourable outcomes to the total number of possible outcomes, assuming all outcomes are equally likely.
- Total possible outcomes: We need to find the number of ways to choose any 2 cards from the 52 cards. This is given by the combination formula (kn)=k!(n−k)!n!.
Total outcomes=(252)=2×152×51=26×51=1326
- Favourable outcomes: A standard deck has 26 red cards and 26 black cards. For the two missing cards to be of different colours, we must choose 1 red card and 1 black card. Favourable outcomes=(126)×(126)=26×26=676 …
We use classical probability and combinations to find the probability of drawing two cards of different colours from a 52-card deck. The total number of ways to draw two cards is C(52,2), and the number of ways to draw one red and one black card is C(26,1)×C(26,1). The probability is 5126.
When dealing with probability problems like this, where we're selecting items from a group and the order of selection doesn't matter, the concept of classical probability combined with combinations is key.
Classical probability states that if all outcomes of an experiment are equally likely, the probability of an event E occurring is given by the ratio:
P(E)=Total number of possible outcomesNumber of outcomes favorable to E
In this problem, our "experiment" is accidentally dropping two cards from a shuffled deck. We want to find the probability that these two missing cards are of different colours.
Let's break this down step-by-step.
-
Understand the Deck Composition:
A standard deck of 52 playing cards consists of:
- 26 red cards (13 Hearts and 13 Diamonds)
- 26 black cards (13 Clubs and 13 Spades) The problem asks for cards of "different colours", meaning one red card and one black card.
-
Calculate the Total Number of Possible Outcomes:
This is the total number of ways to choose any 2 cards from the 52 cards in the deck. Since the order in which the cards are dropped doesn't matter, we use combinations.
The number of ways to choose r items from a set of n items is given by the combination formula: C(n,r)=r!(n−r)!n!.
Here, n=52 (total cards) and r=2 (cards dropped).
C(52,2)=2!(52−2)!52!=2!50!52!=2×152×51=26×51=1326
So, there are 1326 different pairs of cards that could be dropped.
3. Calculate the Number of Favorable Outcomes:
We want the two missing cards to be of different colours. This means we need to choose one red card AND one black card.
* Number of ways to choose 1 red card from the 26 red cards:
C(26,1)=1!(26−1)!26!=1!25!26!=26
* Number of ways to choose 1 black card from the 26 black cards:
$$C(26, 1) = \frac{26!}{1!(26-1)!} = \frac{26!}{1!25!} = 26$$ …
Showing the 12 most recent of 23 on this concept.
- AP EAPCET 2026Set eng-2026-05-12-FN1 markMCQQ.If six students, including two particular students A and B, stand in a row randomly, then the probability that they stand in such a way that A and B are separated by one student in between them, is (A) 152 (B) 51 (C) 154 (D) 158
›Reveal solutionSolution
Reduce a seating-arrangement probability to just the two special people's positions, since the other four students fill the remaining seats interchangeably regardless of the outcome.
Concept and Intuition
When a probability question only concerns the relative arrangement of two particular objects among n objects placed in a row, we don't need to consider all n! full arrangements — the other objects are symmetric and cancel out. It suffices to count ordered position-pairs for A and B among the 6 slots.
Step-by-Step Solution
- Total ways to assign ordered positions to A and B among 6 slots: 6×5=30.
- "Separated by exactly one student" means the position numbers of A and B differ by exactly 2 (one seat in between).
- Pairs of positions (unordered) with difference 2 among {1,…,6}: (1,3),(2,4),(3,5),(4,6) — that's 4 pairs. …
- AP EAPCET 2026Set eng-2026-05-12-FN1 markMCQQ.If a number x is chosen at random from the set {1,2,3,…,100}, then the probability of getting that x which satisfies x+x100>29 is (A) 0.76 (B) 0.77 (C) 0.78 (D) 0.75
›Reveal solutionSolution
Convert the inequality into a quadratic, find its roots, and count how many integers from 1 to 100 lie outside the root interval.
Concept and Intuition
Multiplying through by the positive x turns a rational inequality into a quadratic one, whose sign pattern (positive outside the roots, since the leading coefficient is positive) tells us exactly which integers satisfy the original condition.
Step-by-Step Solution
- For x∈{1,…,100}, x>0, so multiplying x+x100>29 by x preserves the inequality direction: x2+100>29x⇒x2−29x+100>0.
- Solve x2−29x+100=0: discriminant =841−400=441=212. Roots =229±21=25 or 4.
- Since the parabola opens upward, x2−29x+100>0 outside the roots: x<4 or x>25.
- Integers in [1,100] with x<4: 1,2,3 — 3 values. …
- AP EAPCET 2026Set eng-2026-05-14-FN1 markMCQQ.If b and c are numbers chosen at random from the set {1,2,3,…,10} with replacement, then the probability that x2+bx+c=0 has real roots is (A) 0.52 (B) 0.54 (C) 0.58 (D) 0.62
›Reveal solutionSolution
Real roots of x2+bx+c=0 require discriminant b2−4c≥0. Count favorable (b,c) pairs out of the 100 equally-likely pairs from {1,…,10}2; the count is 62, giving probability 0.62 — option (D).
Concept and Intuition
A quadratic x2+bx+c=0 has real roots exactly when its discriminant is non-negative: b2−4c≥0, i.e. c≤4b2. Since b,c are drawn independently and uniformly (with replacement) from {1,2,…,10}, there are 10×10=100 equally likely ordered pairs, and we just need to count how many satisfy c≤b2/4 (also capped at c≤10 since c can't exceed 10).
Step-by-Step Solution
- Total outcomes: 10×10=100.
- For each value of b from 1 to 10, count how many c∈{1,…,10} satisfy c≤⌊b2/4⌋ (and c≥1):
- b=1: b2/4=0.25⇒ no valid c≥1 → count 0
- b=2: 1⇒c=1 → count 1
- b=3: 2.25⇒c≤2 → count 2
- b=4: 4⇒c≤4 → count 4
- b=5: 6.25⇒c≤6 → count 6
- b=6: 9⇒c≤9 → count 9
- b=7: 12.25, capped at 10⇒ count 10 …
- AP EAPCET 2026Set eng-2026-05-14-AN1 markMCQQ.Two persons A and B are alternately throwing two dice indefinitely. If A starts the game and the person who gets a prime number on one die and a composite number on the other for the first time wins the game, then the probability that B wins the game is (A) 53 (B) 52 (C) 65 (D) 61
›Reveal solutionSolution
This is a "race to succeed first" problem in alternating independent trials; find the single-trial winning probability, then sum the geometric series for the second player. Answer: 52.
Concept and Intuition
On each of the two dice, the outcomes 1–6 split into prime {2,3,5}, composite {4,6}, and neither (just 1). The winning event per throw of two dice is "one die prime, the other composite" — its probability p is fixed and the same for every throw. Since A and B alternate and A goes first, B only gets a chance to win on throw 2 (if A failed on throw 1), throw 4 (if both failed on throws 1–3), and so on — a geometric pattern where the common ratio is q2 (both players failing one full round).
Step-by-Step Solution
- On a single die, P(prime)=P({2,3,5})=63=21 and P(composite)=P({4,6})=62=31 (note: 1 is neither prime nor composite).
- Winning event per two-dice throw: (die1 prime AND die2 composite) OR (die1 composite AND die2 prime). p=21⋅31+31⋅21=61+61=31.
- Failure probability per throw: q=1−p=32.
- A throws first (throw 1), B throws second (throw 2), etc. B wins if: A fails throw 1 (prob q) and B succeeds throw 2 (prob p) — probability qp; or both A and B fail their first throws and A fails again (prob q3) and B succeeds — probability q3p; and so on. …
- AP EAPCET 2026Set eng-2026-05-14-AN1 markMCQQ.If a number x is to be chosen randomly from the set of numbers {1,2,3,…30}, then the probability of getting an x that is a multiple of 3 such that (x−x26)>25, is (A) 151 (B) 152 (C) 31 (D) 51
›Reveal solutionSolution
Combine "multiple of 3" with the algebraic condition x−x26>25 (which reduces to x>26) to count the favourable outcomes out of 30. Answer: 151.
Concept and Intuition
This is a classical-probability problem: with all 30 numbers equally likely, we need the count satisfying BOTH stated conditions divided by 30. The inequality condition simplifies to a clean threshold once cleared of the fraction, so the real work is finding which integers exceed that threshold and are also multiples of 3.
Step-by-Step Solution
- Multiples of 3 in {1,…,30}: 3,6,9,12,15,18,21,24,27,30 — 10 numbers total, so P(multiple of 3) alone would be 3010=31, but we need the further restriction below.
- Solve x−x26>25 for x>0: multiply both sides by x (positive, so inequality direction is preserved): x2−26>25x⇒x2−25x−26>0.
- Factor: x2−25x−26=(x−26)(x+1). So the inequality is (x−26)(x+1)>0.
- Since x>0 means x+1>0 always, the inequality holds exactly when x−26>0, i.e. x>26. …
- AP EAPCET 2026Set eng-2026-05-13-AN1 markMCQQ.If 5 boys and 4 girls are arranged in a row randomly, then the probability of occurrence of the arrangement in which either all boys sit together or no two boys sit together in a row is (A) 165 (B) 1611 (C) 211 (D) 2120
›Reveal solutionSolution
Count "all boys together" and "no two boys together" separately (they can't overlap), divide by 9!; the answer simplifies to 1/21.
Concept and Intuition
With 5 boys and 4 girls, "all 5 boys together" and "no two boys adjacent" are opposite extremes and can never happen simultaneously (since there are more than 1 boy). So the two favourable counts simply add.
Step-by-Step Solution
- Total ways to arrange 9 distinct people in a row =9!=362880.
- All boys together: glue the 5 boys into one block. Now there are 4+1=5 units to arrange: 5! ways. The boys inside the block can be permuted in 5! ways. Total =5!×5!=120×120=14400.
- No two boys together: first seat the 4 girls: 4!=24 ways. This creates 5 slots: _G_G_G_G_. Since there are exactly 5 boys and 5 slots, every slot must take exactly one boy (no slot can be empty or hold two), giving 5!=120 arrangements of the boys into the slots. Total =24×120=2880.
- Since a single boy cannot be simultaneously "in a block of 5" and "isolated from all other boys" (there are 4 other boys), these two cases never overlap, so we add them: 14400+2880=17280. …
- AP EAPCET 2026Set eng-2026-05-15-FN1 markMCQQ.Two symmetric cubical dice are rolled once. Match the items of column-I with the items of column-II Column-I: A. Probability that the numbers appearing on them are equal B. Probability that the numbers shown on them are all distinct C. Probability that the sum of the numbers on their faces is 10 D. Probability that the sum of the numbers on their faces is 6 Column-II: I. 121 II. 365 III. 61 IV. 364 V. 65 The correct match is (A) A-III, B-I, C-V, D-II (B) A-III, B-V, C-I, D-II (C) A-V, B-IV, C-I, D-II (D) A-V, B-III, C-IV, D-I
›Reveal solutionSolution
Direct counting over the 36 equally likely outcomes of two dice gives each of the four probabilities, which match column-II items III, V, I, II respectively.
Concept and Intuition
With two fair dice there are 36 equally likely ordered outcomes. Each event here is a simple counting problem: count favourable ordered pairs and divide by 36.
Step-by-Step Solution
- A. Equal numbers: (1,1),(2,2),…,(6,6) — 6 outcomes. P=6/36=1/6 — matches III.
- B. All distinct (numbers not equal): complement of A, so P=1−1/6=5/6 — matches V.
- C. Sum =10: (4,6),(5,5),(6,4) — 3 outcomes. P=3/36=1/12 — matches I.
- D. Sum =6: (1,5),(2,4),(3,3),(4,2),(5,1) — 5 outcomes. P=5/36 — matches II. …
- AP EAPCET 2026Set eng-2026-05-18-FN1 markMCQQ.Let S be the set of all words formed by arranging all the letters of the word HOMOGENEOUS. If a word is randomly chosen from the set S, then the probability that the word selected has all the consonants together is (A) 11!6!6! (B) 11!7!5! (C) 11!6!5! (D) 11!8!5!
›Reveal solutionSolution
Arrangement probability with repeated letters; consonants-together condition gives 11!7!5!.
Concept and Intuition
When letters repeat, the total number of distinct arrangements is (product of repeat factorials)n!. For a "group together" condition, glue the required letters into a single block, arrange the block internally, then arrange the block along with the rest as a smaller set of units (again dividing out any remaining repeats).
Step-by-Step Solution
- HOMOGENEOUS = H,O,M,O,G,E,N,E,O,U,S (11 letters). Counts: O×3, E×2, and H,M,G,N,S,U each ×1.
- Vowels: O,O,O,E,E,U → 6 vowels (with repeats O×3, E×2). Consonants: H,M,G,N,S → 5 distinct consonants.
- Total distinct arrangements of all 11 letters: 3!2!11! (dividing by repeats of O and E; U is unique so no extra division needed). …
- AP EAPCET 2025Set eng-2025-05-26-AN1 markMCQQ.Two dice are thrown and the sum of the numbers appeared on the dice is noted. If A is the event of getting a prime number as their sum and B is the event of getting a number greater than 8 as their sum, then P(A∩Bˉ)= (A) 41 (B) 3613 (C) 92 (D) 185
›Reveal solutionSolution
A∩B restricts to prime sums that are also ≤8; count the favourable dice outcomes out of the 36 equally likely ones.
Concept and Intuition
B is the complement of "sum >8", i.e. "sum ≤8". So A∩B is exactly "sum is prime and sum ≤8" — this narrows the prime sums {2,3,5,7,11} down to {2,3,5,7} since 11>8 is excluded.
Step-by-Step Solution
- Total outcomes for two dice: 36, all equally likely.
- Prime sums possible with two dice (sums range 2–12): 2,3,5,7,11.
- B = sum ≤8, so from the prime list, only 2,3,5,7 qualify (11 is excluded).
- Count ways for each: sum=2: (1,1) → 1 way. sum=3: (1,2),(2,1) → 2 ways. sum=5: (1,4),(2,3),(3,2),(4,1) → 4 ways. sum=7: (1,6),(2,5),(3,4),(4,3),(5,2),(6,1) → 6 ways. …
- AP EAPCET 2024Set eng-2024-05-20-AN1 markMCQQ.If five digit numbers are formed from the digits 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 using every digit exactly only once, then the probability that a randomly chosen number from those numbers is divisible by 4, is (A) 165 (B) 163 (C) 83 (D) 167
›Reveal solutionSolution
Count 5-digit permutations of {0,1,2,3,4} divisible by 4 (last two digits divisible by 4, first digit nonzero) against the total valid 5-digit arrangements. Probability is 5/16.
Concept and Intuition
Divisibility by 4 depends only on the last two digits of the number. So fix which two digits occupy the last two positions (in the order that makes that 2-digit number divisible by 4), then freely arrange the remaining three digits in the first three positions — except we must subtract cases where the leading digit is 0.
Step-by-Step Solution
- Total 5-digit numbers using all of 0,1,2,3,4 exactly once, first digit =0: total permutations 5!=120, minus those starting with 0 (4!=24), giving 96.
- For the last two digits (positions 4,5) to form a number divisible by 4, since divisibility by 4 requires the number even, the units digit must be 0, 2, or 4.
- Check all valid (tens,units) pairs from distinct digits of {0,1,2,3,4}: using 2a+b≡0(mod4) (since 10a+b≡2a+b(mod4)):
- units=0: tens even, =0: (2,0),(4,0) — both valid (20,40 divisible by 4).
- units=2: tens odd: (1,2),(3,2) — valid (12,32 divisible by 4).
- units=4: tens even, =4: (0,4),(2,4) — valid (04→4, 24 divisible by 4).
- For each pair, the remaining 3 digits fill the first 3 positions; count arrangements excluding leading zero:
- (2,0): remaining {1,3,4}, no zero, 3!=6 valid. …
- AP EAPCET 2024Set eng-2024-05-20-AN1 markMCQQ.A box P contains one white ball, three red balls and two black balls. Another box Q contains two white balls, three red balls and four black balls. If one ball is drawn at random from each one of the two boxes, then the probability that the balls drawn are of different colour is (A) 5429 (B) 4225 (C) 5435 (D) 5239
›Reveal solutionSolution
It's easier to compute P(same colour) and subtract from 1 than to directly sum the different-colour cross terms. Answer: 35/54.
Concept and Intuition
When picking one item from each of two independent boxes, 'different colour' is the complement of 'same colour', and 'same colour' splits neatly into the sum of matching-colour probabilities (white–white, red–red, black–black), each a simple product since the draws are independent.
Step-by-Step Solution
- Box P (total 6): P(white)=1/6, P(red)=3/6, P(black)=2/6.
- Box Q (total 9): P(white)=2/9, P(red)=3/9, P(black)=4/9.
- P(both white)=61⋅92=542.
- P(both red)=63⋅93=549.
- P(both black)=62⋅94=548.
- P(same colour)=542+9+8=5419. …
- AP EAPCET 2024Set eng-2024-05-22-AN1 markMCQQ.If each of the coefficients a, b, c in the equation ax2+bx+c=0 is determined by throwing a die, then the probability that the equation will have equal roots, is (A) 361 (B) 721 (C) 2167 (D) 2165
›Reveal solutionSolution
Equal roots of ax2+bx+c=0 need b2=4ac; counting die-outcome triples satisfying this out of 216 total gives probability 2165.
Concept and Intuition
The quadratic has equal (repeated) roots exactly when its discriminant b2−4ac=0. Since a,b,c are each independent outcomes of a fair die (1 to 6), we just need to count triples satisfying b2=4ac.
Step-by-Step Solution
- For b2=4ac to have an integer ac, b must be even (so b2/4 is an integer). Possible b∈{2,4,6}.
- b=2: need ac=1. Only (a,c)=(1,1). → 1 triple.
- b=4: need ac=4. Pairs in {1,…,6}: (1,4),(2,2),(4,1). → 3 triples.
- b=6: need ac=9. Pairs in {1,…,6}: only (3,3) (since 9=1×9 needs a factor >6). → 1 triple. …
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