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Q.(a) Find the probability distribution of the number of boys in families having three children, assuming equal probability for a boy and a girl.

(OR)
(b) A coin is tossed twice. Let X be a random variable defined as number of heads minus number of tails. Obtain the probability distribution of X and also find its mean.
CBSECBSE Class XII Board 2025Subjective· 3mImportance★★★★★
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  1. The number of boys in three children follows B(3,12)B(3,\tfrac12): P(0)=18, P(1)=38, P(2)=38, P(3)=18P(0)=\tfrac18,\ P(1)=\tfrac38,\ P(2)=\tfrac38,\ P(3)=\tfrac18.
  2. X=heads−tailsX=\text{heads}-\text{tails} in two tosses takes −2,0,2-2,0,2 with probabilities 14,12,14\tfrac14,\tfrac12,\tfrac14 and mean 00.

Concept and Intuition

Both parts ask us to build a probability distribution from first principles: list every outcome, evaluate the random variable on each, then group equal values and add their probabilities. Part (a) is a textbook binomial situation (independent, equally likely trials); part (b) needs care with signs, and finishes with the mean E[X]=∑xP(x)E[X]=\sum xP(x).

Part (a)

Sample space. Each child is B or G, so three children give 23=82^3=8 equally likely sequences, each with probability 18\tfrac18:

{BBB, BBG, BGB, GBB, BGG, GBG, GGB, GGG}.\{BBB,\,BBG,\,BGB,\,GBB,\,BGG,\,GBG,\,GGB,\,GGG\}.

Count boys (XX).

  • X=0X=0: GGG — 1 outcome
  • X=1X=1: BGG, GBG, GGB — 3 outcomes
  • X=2X=2: BBG, BGB, GBB — 3 outcomes
  • X=3X=3: BBB — 1 outcome

Probabilities (each outcome =18=\tfrac18):

xx0123
P(X=x)P(X=x)18\tfrac1838\tfrac3838\tfrac3818\tfrac18

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