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Q.Find the probability distribution of the random variable X, which denotes the number of doublets in four throws of a pair of dice. Hence, find the mean of the number of doublets (X).

CBSECBSE Class XII Board 2020Subjective· 6mImportance★★★★★
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A doublet occurs when both dice show the same number. We find the probability of kk doublets in four throws using the binomial distribution, then compute the mean as 23\frac{2}{3}.

Understanding doublets and the binomial structure

A doublet happens when a pair of dice lands with matching faces: (1,1),(2,2),…,(6,6)(1,1), (2,2), \ldots, (6,6). In a single throw of two dice, there are 3636 equally likely outcomes, and exactly 66 are doublets. So the probability of a doublet in one throw is p=636=16p = \frac{6}{36} = \frac{1}{6}, and the probability of not getting a doublet is q=1−16=56q = 1 - \frac{1}{6} = \frac{5}{6}.

When we throw the pair four times independently, the number of doublets XX follows a binomial distribution with parameters n=4n = 4 and p=16p = \frac{1}{6}. The random variable XX can take values 0,1,2,3,40, 1, 2, 3, 4, and we compute each probability using the binomial formula:

P(X=k)=(nk)pkqn−k=(4k)(16)k(56)4−kP(X = k) = \binom{n}{k} p^k q^{n-k} = \binom{4}{k} \left(\frac{1}{6}\right)^k \left(\frac{5}{6}\right)^{4-k}

Building the probability distribution

Let's calculate P(X=k)P(X = k) for each possible value:

  1. For X=0X = 0 (no doublets):

P(X=0)=(40)(16)0(56)4=1⋅1⋅6251296=6251296P(X = 0) = \binom{4}{0} \left(\frac{1}{6}\right)^0 \left(\frac{5}{6}\right)^4 = 1 \cdot 1 \cdot \frac{625}{1296} = \frac{625}{1296}

  1. For X=1X = 1 (exactly one doublet):

P(X=1)=(41)(16)1(56)3=4⋅16⋅125216=5001296=125324P(X = 1) = \binom{4}{1} \left(\frac{1}{6}\right)^1 \left(\frac{5}{6}\right)^3 = 4 \cdot \frac{1}{6} \cdot \frac{125}{216} = \frac{500}{1296} = \frac{125}{324}

  1. For X=2X = 2 (exactly two doublets):

P(X=2)=(42)(16)2(56)2=6⋅136⋅2536=1501296=25216P(X = 2) = \binom{4}{2} \left(\frac{1}{6}\right)^2 \left(\frac{5}{6}\right)^2 = 6 \cdot \frac{1}{36} \cdot \frac{25}{36} = \frac{150}{1296} = \frac{25}{216}

  1. For X=3X = 3 (exactly three doublets):

P(X=3)=(43)(16)3(56)1=4⋅1216⋅56=201296=5324P(X = 3) = \binom{4}{3} \left(\frac{1}{6}\right)^3 \left(\frac{5}{6}\right)^1 = 4 \cdot \frac{1}{216} \cdot \frac{5}{6} = \frac{20}{1296} = \frac{5}{324}

  1. For X=4X = 4 (all four doublets):

P(X=4)=(44)(16)4(56)0=1⋅11296⋅1=11296P(X = 4) = \binom{4}{4} \left(\frac{1}{6}\right)^4 \left(\frac{5}{6}\right)^0 = 1 \cdot \frac{1}{1296} \cdot 1 = \frac{1}{1296}

The complete probability distribution is:

| XX | 00 | 11 | 22 | 33 | 44 |

|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----| …

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