Q.Mother, father and son line up at random for a family photo. If and are two events given by = Son on one end, = Father in the middle, find .
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Start your 14-day free trial to unlock the full solution →We need the probability that father is in the middle given that the son is on one end. By restricting our sample space to arrangements where the son occupies an end position, we find .
Understanding Conditional Probability
When we write , we're asking: "What fraction of the outcomes in which happens also have happening?" The key insight is that once we know has occurred, our universe shrinks. We no longer consider all possible arrangements—only those consistent with the son being on one end.
The formula captures this:
The numerator counts arrangements where both the son is on an end and the father is in the middle. The denominator counts all arrangements where the son is on an end. Their ratio gives us the conditional probability.
Step-by-Step Solution
1. Identify the total sample space
Three people can be arranged in ways. Let's label them M (mother), F (father), S (son). The six equally likely arrangements are:
2. Find : probability that the son is on one end
The son occupies an end position (first or last) in these arrangements:
- SMF, SFM (son first)
- MFS, FMS (son last)
That's 4 out of 6 arrangements, so:
3. Find : probability that the son is on an end AND the father is in the middle
For both events to occur simultaneously, we need:
- Son at position 1 or 3 (an end)
- Father at position 2 (the middle)
Looking at our list:
- SFM: son first, father middle ✓
- MFS: son last, father middle ✓ …
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