Q.If A = { 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 }, B = {7, 9, 11, 13}, C = {11, 13, 15}and D = {15, 17}; find
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🔒 Start your 14-day free trial to unlock the full solution →Concept understanding — Set Operations
The idea in plain words
Think of your two favourite groups of friends — the ones who play cricket and the ones who play football. Some friends are in both groups, some in only one, and some in neither. Set operations are simply the mathematical ways to answer questions like: "Who's in at least one team?" or "Who's only in the cricket team?".
The whole secret? Each operation is just a different way of combining or comparing two collections — like sorting your friends into different buckets.
Why this works
Sets are just labelled buckets that hold distinct items. The universal set U is the "whole world" of things we're talking about — say, all your friends. Then each operation picks out a specific bucket:
| Operation | What it asks | Bucket contains |
|---|---|---|
| Union (A∪B) | In either? | Everything from A or B (or both) |
| Intersection (A∩B) | In both? | Only the overlap |
| Difference (A∖B) | In A but not B? | Just the part of A that doesn't touch B |
| Complement (Ac) | Not in A? | Everything outside A (inside U) |
| Symmetric Difference (A△B) | In exactly one? | The two crescent-shaped parts, excluding the overlap |
Step by step
Let's take two concrete sets so you can see each operation in action:
A={1,2,3},B={3,4,5}
Step 1: Union — gather everything from both, but don't repeat anything.
A∪B={1,2,3,4,5}
Step 2: Intersection — only what's common to both.
A∩B={3}
Step 3: Difference (A minus B) — start with A, remove anything that's also in B.
A∖B={1,2}
Step 4: Complement — needs a universal set. Let U={1,2,3,4,5}. Then:
Ac={4,5}
Step 5: Symmetric Difference — combine the two differences:
A△B=(A∖B)∪(B∖A)={1,2}∪{4,5}={1,2,4,5}
A common slip …
Concept: Set Intersection and Union
Intersection A∩B picks elements common to both sets; union A∪B combines all elements from both (no repetition). Apply these operations step by step.
Given:
A={3,5,7,9,11}, B={7,9,11,13}, C={11,13,15}, D={15,17}
(i) A∩B: common elements in A and B are 7,9,11.
(ii) B∩C: common elements in B and C are 11,13.
(iii) A∩C∩D: first A∩C={11}, then {11}∩D=∅ (no overlap).
(iv) A∩C: only 11 appears in both.
(v) B∩D: no common elements.
(vi) A∩(B∪C): B∪C={7,9,11,13,15}, so A∩{7,9,11,13,15}={7,9,11}.
(vii) A∩D: no overlap.
(viii) A∩(B∪D): B∪D={7,9,11,13,15,17}, so A∩{7,9,11,13,15,17}={7,9,11}. …
This problem asks us to find various intersections and combinations of four sets. The intersection A∩B contains only elements that belong to both A and B simultaneously; the union A∪B contains elements in either set. We systematically identify common elements for each operation.
The intersection of two sets is the collection of elements they share. Think of it as the overlap in a Venn diagram: if an element appears in both sets, it belongs to their intersection; otherwise, it doesn't. The union, by contrast, gathers everything from both sets without duplication.
The strategy is straightforward: for each intersection, scan through the sets and pick out elements that appear in all the sets being intersected. For unions, collect all distinct elements from the sets involved, then proceed with any further operations.
Let me work through each part:
(i) A∩B
We need elements that appear in both A={3,5,7,9,11} and B={7,9,11,13}.
Checking each element of A:
- 3∈A but 3∈/B
- 5∈A but 5∈/B
- 7∈A and 7∈B ✓
- 9∈A and 9∈B ✓
- 11∈A and 11∈B ✓
So A∩B={7,9,11}.
(ii) B∩C
Elements common to B={7,9,11,13} and C={11,13,15}:
- 7∈B but 7∈/C
- 9∈B but 9∈/C
- 11∈B and 11∈C ✓
- 13∈B and 13∈C ✓
So B∩C={11,13}.
(iii) A∩C∩D
We need elements present in all three sets: A={3,5,7,9,11}, C={11,13,15}, and D={15,17}.
First, A∩C: only 11 appears in both A and C, so A∩C={11}.
Now intersect with D={15,17}: does 11∈D? No.
So A∩C∩D=∅ (the empty set).
(iv) A∩C
Elements common to A={3,5,7,9,11} and C={11,13,15}:
Only 11 appears in both.
So A∩C={11}.
(v) B∩D
Elements common to B={7,9,11,13} and D={15,17}:
No element of B appears in D.
So B∩D=∅.
(vi) A∩(B∪C)
First find B∪C, the union of B={7,9,11,13} and C={11,13,15}:
B∪C={7,9,11,13,15}.
Now intersect with A={3,5,7,9,11}:
- 3∈A but 3∈/(B∪C)
- 5∈A but 5∈/(B∪C)
- 7∈A and 7∈(B∪C) ✓
- 9∈A and 9∈(B∪C) ✓
- 11∈A and 11∈(B∪C) ✓
So A∩(B∪C)={7,9,11}.
(vii) A∩D
Elements common to A={3,5,7,9,11} and D={15,17}:
No overlap.
So A∩D=∅.
(viii) A∩(B∪D)
First find B∪D, the union of B={7,9,11,13} and D={15,17}:
B∪D={7,9,11,13,15,17}.
Now intersect with A={3,5,7,9,11}:
The common elements are 7,9,11.
So A∩(B∪D)={7,9,11}.
(ix) (A∩B)∩(B∪C)
From part (i), A∩B={7,9,11}. …
Set Difference & Intersection — Solution Method
Method Name: Venn Diagram / Direct Listing Method
(For small finite sets, we directly list common elements.)
Steps
- Write each set clearly — list all elements.
- For intersection (∩): pick elements that appear in all given sets.
- For union (∪): combine all elements from the sets, removing duplicates.
- Follow brackets — solve inside parentheses first.
- Write final answer as a set inside curly braces {}.
Given Sets
- A={3,5,7,9,11}
- B={7,9,11,13}
- C={11,13,15}
- D={15,17}
Solutions
(i) A∩B
Common in both: 7,9,11
Answer: {7,9,11}
(ii) B∩C
Common: 11,13
Answer: {11,13}
(iii) A∩C∩D
- A∩C={11}
- Then {11}∩D=∅ (no common element) Answer: ∅ (empty set)
(iv) A∩C
Common: 11
Answer: {11}
(v) B∩D
B={7,9,11,13}, D={15,17} — no common element
Answer: ∅
(vi) A∩(B∪C)
- First, B∪C={7,9,11,13,15}
- Then A∩{7,9,11,13,15}={7,9,11} Answer: {7,9,11}
(vii) A∩D
A={3,5,7,9,11}, D={15,17} — no common
Answer: ∅
(viii) A∩(B∪D) …
This is a classic exercise from NCERT Class 11 (Chapter 1: Sets). Let's go concept-first, then list the common mistakes.
🧠 Concept Recap: Set Difference vs Intersection
First, note: this question is about intersection (∩), not set difference (∖).
- Intersection A∩B = elements common to both A and B.
- Set difference A∖B = elements in A but not in B.
Since the question asks for ∩, we'll focus on mistakes in intersection problems — but the same vigilance applies to difference.
✗ Common Mistakes & How to Avoid Them
1. ✗ Forgetting that intersection is commutative
Mistake: Thinking A∩B is different from B∩A in result.
Why it happens: Students confuse ∩ with ∖ (set difference).
✓ Fix: Remember:
A∩B=B∩A
Always check: "What is common to both?" — order doesn't matter.
2. ✗ Incorrectly handling three-set intersections like A∩C∩D
Mistake: Taking intersection of only two sets, or including elements not in all three.
Example: For A∩C∩D, a student might write {11,13} (only A∩C) instead of checking D too.
✓ Fix:
- Step 1: Find A∩C={11}
- Step 2: Intersect that with D: {11}∩{15,17}=∅ Result: ∅ (empty set)
3. ✗ Mistaking ∪ for ∩ inside compound expressions
Mistake: In A∩(B∪C), a student might take A∩B and A∩C separately but then union them instead of intersecting with the union.
✓ Fix:
- First find B∪C={7,9,11,13,15}
- Then intersect with A: {3,5,7,9,11}∩{7,9,11,13,15}={7,9,11} Result: {7,9,11}
4. ✗ Forgetting the empty set ∅
Mistake: Writing "no elements" or leaving blank instead of ∅ or {}.
Example: A∩D=∅, but students write nothing or "0".
✓ Fix: Always write ∅ or {} for empty intersection. In exams, both are accepted — but be explicit.
5. ✗ Order of operations error in (A∩B)∩(B∪C)
Mistake: Doing (A∩B) and (B∪C) correctly, but then taking union of the two results instead of intersection.
✓ Fix:
- A∩B={7,9,11}
- B∪C={7,9,11,13,15}
- Intersection: {7,9,11}∩{7,9,11,13,15}={7,9,11} Result: {7,9,11}
6. ✗ Listing elements not in the universal set (if given)
Mistake: Including an element that doesn't belong to any given set. …
Showing the 12 most recent of 16 on this concept.
- COMEDK 2026Set 2026-A1 markMCQQ.Given the sets A={1,2,3};B={2,3,5} and C={4,5,6} identify which of the following statement is incorrect. (A) B−C={2,3} (B) n[(A∪B)∩(B∩C)]=1 (C) (A∩B)∪C=A∩(B∪C) (D) (A∩B)∩C=∅
›Reveal solutionSolution
Checking each statement, three are true and only option (C) asserts an equality that fails, so the incorrect statement is (C).
Concept
The problem tests basic set operations — union, intersection, difference and cardinality. Work each statement out explicitly; for an equality, compute both sides separately and compare. A frequent trap is to assume set operations distribute like ordinary arithmetic, which they do not.
Solution
Using A={1,2,3},B={2,3,5},C={4,5,6}:
- (A) B−C: keep elements of B not in C, giving {2,3} — statement correct.
- (B) A∪B={1,2,3,5} and B∩C={5}; their intersection is {5}, so n=1 — statement correct. …
- COMEDK 2026Set 2026-M1 markMCQQ.If A={x:x is the first three odd numbers}, B={2x+3:0≤x<5, x∈N}, then which of the following is true (A) A⊂B (B) n(B)=5 (C) A∩B=∅ (D) A∩B is a singleton set
›Reveal solutionSolution
[!TLDR]
Writing out A={1,3,5} and B={3,5,7,9,11} shows B has exactly five elements, so n(B)=5 is the true statement.
Concept
This CBSE Class 11 Sets question is answered by roster-forming each set and testing subset/intersection/cardinality claims directly.
Solution
- A: the first three odd numbers are 1,3,5, so A={1,3,5}.
- B: for x=0,1,2,3,4 (with 0≤x<5), 2x+3 gives 3,5,7,9,11, so B={3,5,7,9,11} and n(B)=5.
- Check (A): A⊂B is false because 1∈A but 1∈/B.
- Check (C): A∩B={3,5}=∅, so false.
- Check (D): A∩B={3,5} has two elements, so it is not a singleton, false. …
- COMEDK 2026Set 2026-M1 markMCQQ.The set expression A∪(B∩(A′∪B′)) is equivalent to (A) (A′∪B′)′ (B) ξ (Universal set) (C) A∪B (D) A∩B′
›Reveal solutionSolution
The expression simplifies to A∪B by applying De Morgan’s law and the distributive law. The correct option is (C).
We start with the expression A∪(B∩(A′∪B′)). The goal is to simplify it step by step using set identities. The key insight is to notice that A′∪B′ is the complement of A∩B (by De Morgan’s law), so the inner part B∩(A′∪B′) is “everything in B that is not in A”. Then unioning with A gives all of A plus that part of B outside A, which is exactly A∪B.
Let’s verify this carefully.
- Apply De Morgan’s law to the innermost complement expression: A′∪B′=(A∩B)′. So the expression becomes:
A∪(B∩(A∩B)′).
- Interpret B∩(A∩B)′: This is the set of elements that are in B but not in A∩B. Since A∩B is the overlap of A and B, removing it from B leaves exactly the part of B that is not in A. That is:
B∩(A∩B)′=B∩A′=B−A.
- Now the whole expression is:
A∪(B∩A′).
- Use the distributive law (or simply think: A plus the part of B outside A): A∪(B∩A′)=(A∪B)∩(A∪A′). …
- KCET 2025Set A-11 markMCQQ.A and B are two sets having 3 and 6 elements respectively. Consider the following statements. Statement (I): Minimum number of elements in A∪B is 3 Statement (II): Maximum number of elements in A∩B is 3 Which of the following is correct? (A) Statement (I) is true, statement (II) is false (B) Statement (I) is false, statement (II) is true (C) Both statements (I) and (II) are true (D) Both statements (I) and (II) are false
›Reveal solutionSolution
Both extremes occur when the smaller set sits inside the bigger one: then A∪B=B (size 6, so the minimum union is 6, not 3) and A∩B=A (size 3, so the maximum intersection is 3).
Step 1 — The governing bounds.
For finite sets,
max{n(A),n(B)}≤n(A∪B)≤n(A)+n(B)
0≤n(A∩B)≤min{n(A),n(B)}
Both follow from the inclusion–exclusion identity
n(A∪B)=n(A)+n(B)−n(A∩B)
A union can never be smaller than either of the sets it contains, and an intersection can never be bigger than the smaller set.
Step 2 — Test Statement (I): "minimum n(A∪B) is 3".
Here n(A)=3, n(B)=6. The union must contain all of B, so
n(A∪B)≥max{3,6}=6
The minimum 6 is attained when A⊆B (then A∪B=B). It can never be 3.
⇒Statement (I) is FALSE
Step 3 — Test Statement (II): "maximum n(A∩B) is 3". …
- COMEDK 2025Set 2025-A1 markMCQQ.Let A={x:x=4n+1, n∈Z, 0≤n<4}, B={x:x=15n+4, n∈N, n≤3}, C={x:x is a prime number, x∈A∪B}. Then the cardinal number of set C is (A) ∅ (B) 3 (C) 4 (D) 5
›Reveal solutionSolution
Common terms of A (x=4n+1) and B (x=5m+2) satisfy x≡17(mod20), i.e. 17,37,57,…; within the stated ranges there are exactly 3 of them — option (B).
A member of both sets needs 4n+1=5m+2, i.e. x≡1(mod4) and x≡2(mod5).
Combine by the Chinese Remainder Theorem. The two congruences (moduli 4 and 5, gcd=1) give a unique residue mod lcm(4,5)=20. Testing, x=17 satisfies 17=4(4)+1=5(3)+2, so
x≡17(mod20)⇒x=17,37,57,77,…
The common terms form an AP with first term 17 and common difference 20. …
- COMEDK 2025Set 2025-A1 markMCQQ.If A={1,2,4}B={2,4,5}C={2,5} then (A−B)∩(B−C)= (A) {2,4,5} (B) {1,2,4,5} (C) ∅ (D) {4,5}
›Reveal solutionSolution
The key idea is to compute the set differences first, then intersect them. The result is the empty set, so the correct option is (C).
We start by recalling what set difference means: A−B is the set of elements that are in A but not in B. Similarly, B−C is the set of elements in B but not in C. The intersection (A−B)∩(B−C) then collects elements that belong to both of these difference sets. Intuitively, an element would have to be in A but not in B, and also in B but not in C — which is impossible because if it’s not in B, it can’t be in B. So we expect the answer to be empty.
Let’s verify step by step.
-
Compute A−B
A={1,2,4}, B={2,4,5}.
Remove from A any element that also appears in B.
- 1 is in A but not in B → keep.
- 2 is in both → remove.
- 4 is in both → remove. So A−B={1}.
-
Compute B−C
B={2,4,5}, C={2,5}.
Remove from B any element that also appears in C.
- 2 is in both → remove.
- 4 is in B but not in C → keep.
- 5 is in both → remove. So B−C={4}.
-
Intersect the results
(A−B)∩(B−C)={1}∩{4}. …
-
- COMEDK 2025Set 2025-E1 markMCQQ.If P={5m:m∈N} and Q={5m:m∈N}, where N is set of natural numbers, then (A) P=Q (B) P⊂Q (C) Q⊂P (D) P∪Q=N
›Reveal solutionSolution
The set P contains all multiples of 5, while Q contains only powers of 5. Since every power of 5 is a multiple of 5 but not every multiple of 5 is a power of 5, we have Q⊂P. The correct option is (C).
Concept and intuition:
We are comparing two sets defined over the natural numbers N={1,2,3,…}.
- P={5m:m∈N} means P is the set of all positive multiples of 5: 5,10,15,20,25,30,…
- Q={5m:m∈N} means Q is the set of all positive powers of 5: 51=5,52=25,53=125,…
The key insight: every power of 5 is certainly a multiple of 5, but not every multiple of 5 is a power of 5 (e.g., 10 is a multiple of 5 but not a power of 5). This tells us that Q is a proper subset of P.
Step-by-step reasoning:
-
Understand the definitions
N is the set of natural numbers, typically {1,2,3,…}.
- P={5,10,15,20,25,30,…} — all numbers divisible by 5.
- Q={5,25,125,625,…} — numbers that are 5 raised to a natural exponent.
-
Check if P=Q
For equality, every element of P must be in Q and vice versa.
Take 10∈P. Is 10 a power of 5? No, because 51=5 and 52=25, and 10 is between them. So 10∈/Q. Hence P=Q. Option (A) is false.
-
Check if P⊂Q
This would mean every multiple of 5 is a power of 5. But as we just saw, 10 is a multiple of 5 but not a power of 5. So P⊂Q. Option (B) is false.
-
Check if Q⊂P …
- COMEDK 2025Set 2025-M1 markMCQQ.If n(A)=3 and n(B)=7 and A⊆B then the number of elements in A∩B is equal to (A) 7 (B) 10 (C) 0 (D) 3
›Reveal solutionSolution
Since A⊆B, every element of A is also in B, so the intersection A∩B is exactly A itself. With n(A)=3, the number of elements in A∩B is 3, making option (D) correct.
The key idea here is the meaning of subset and intersection. When one set is contained entirely inside another, their overlap is just the smaller set. Many students mistakenly think intersection always means "common elements" in a vague sense, but here "common" means all of A is common because A lives inside B.
Let’s walk through it step by step.
-
Understand the given information.
We have n(A)=3 (set A has 3 elements) and n(B)=7 (set B has 7 elements). Crucially, A⊆B means every element of A is also an element of B. So A is a subset of B.
-
What is A∩B?
The intersection A∩B is the set of all elements that belong to both A and B. Since every element of A is in B (by the subset condition), every element of A qualifies. Are there any elements of B that are also in A? Only those that are already in A — no extra ones. So A∩B=A.
-
Count the elements.
If A∩B=A, then the number of elements in the intersection is exactly n(A)=3.
-
Check the options.
- (A) 7 — that would be n(B), but the intersection can’t be larger than A. …
-
- COMEDK 2025Set 2025-M1 markMCQQ.Identify the correct statement (A) A∪A′=∅ (B) A−B=A′∩B (C) (A∪B)′=A′∪B′ (D) A⊆B⇒B′⊆A′
›Reveal solutionSolution
The key idea is to test each set-theory statement using definitions and simple examples. Only statement (D) is always true: if A⊆B, then B′⊆A′.
We need to check each option carefully. The best way is to recall the definitions of complement, difference, and subset, and test with a small universal set.
-
Option (A): A∪A′=∅
- A′ is the complement of A (everything not in A).
- The union of a set and its complement is always the universal set U, not the empty set.
- For example, let U={1,2,3} and A={1}. Then A′={2,3}, so A∪A′={1,2,3}=U=∅.
- False.
-
Option (B): A−B=A′∩B
- A−B means elements in A but not in B.
- A′∩B means elements not in A but in B.
- These are completely different: one is inside A, the other is outside A.
- Example: U={1,2,3}, A={1,2}, B={2,3}. Then A−B={1}, but A′∩B={3}.
- False.
-
Option (C): (A∪B)′=A′∪B′
- This is a common mistake. De Morgan’s laws say: (A∪B)′=A′∩B′, not union.
- Example: U={1,2,3}, A={1}, B={2}. Then (A∪B)′={3}, but A′∪B′={2,3}∪{1,3}={1,2,3}.
- False.
-
Option (D): A⊆B⇒B′⊆A′ …
-
- CA Foundation 2025Set may-20251 markMCQQ.If A={1,2,3,4}, B={2,4,6,8} and C={3,4,5,6}, the value of A−{B∪C} is (A) {1, 2, 3} (B) {2, 3, 4, 5} (C) {1} (D) {0}
›Reveal solutionSolution
B∪C={2,3,4,5,6,8}; removing these from A leaves {1}.
Step 1 — Compute the union B∪C
{2,4,6,8}∪{3,4,5,6}={2,3,4,5,6,8}
Step 2 — Compute the difference A−(B∪C)
Keep elements of A={1,2,3,4} NOT in the union. Elements 2,3,4 are all present in the union; only 1 survives.
A−(B∪C)={1}
Why the other options are wrong: (A) {1,2,3} and (B) {2,3,4,5} keep elements that ARE in the union; (D) {0} introduces 0, which is in no set. …
- KCET 2024Set A-11 markMCQQ.The negation of the statement “For every real number x ; x2+5 is positive” is (A) For every real number x ; x2+5 is not positive (B) For every real number x ; x2+5 is negative (C) There exists at least one real number x such that x2+5 is not positive (D) There exists at least one real number x such that x2+5 is positive
›Reveal solutionSolution
Negating a "for every" statement flips the quantifier to "there exists" and negates the predicate — both changes must happen.
Step 1 — Identify the logical form of the statement.
The given statement is:
∀x∈R, p(x)where p(x):“x2+5 is positive”
This is a universally quantified statement.
Step 2 — Apply the rule for negating a quantifier.
The standard rule of quantifier negation is
∼(∀x, p(x))≡∃x such that ∼p(x)
Why: "It is not true that p holds for every x" means precisely that p fails for at least one x. It does not mean p fails for all x — that is a much stronger claim, and it is the classic trap in this question.
Step 3 — Negate the predicate.
∼p(x):“x2+5 is NOT positive”
Note carefully: the negation of "positive" is "not positive" (i.e. ≤0), not "negative" (i.e. <0), because zero is neither.
Step 4 — Assemble the negation.
“There exists at least one real number x such that x2+5 is not positive.”
Step 5 — Eliminate the distractors.
- (A) keeps "for every" — the quantifier was not flipped. ✗ …
- COMEDK 2024Set 2024-A1 markMCQQ.
[!FORMULA] If aN={ax:x∈N}, then 3N∩7N is
(A) 10N (B) 21N (C) 4N (D) 3N›Reveal solutionSolution
The intersection of the sets of multiples of 3 and multiples of 7 is exactly the set of multiples of their least common multiple, which is 21. So the answer is 21N.
We are asked: if aN={ax:x∈N} (where N is the set of natural numbers, usually {1,2,3,…}), then what is 3N∩7N?
Concept and intuition:
The set aN is all positive multiples of a. The intersection of two such sets consists of numbers that are multiples of both a and b. A number is a multiple of both if and only if it is a multiple of the least common multiple (LCM) of a and b. Why? Because being a multiple of both means the number contains all prime factors of a and all prime factors of b; the smallest number that does this is the LCM, and any common multiple is a multiple of that LCM. So the intersection is exactly the set of multiples of lcm(a,b).
Step-by-step:
-
Interpret the sets:
3N={3,6,9,12,15,18,21,24,…} — all multiples of 3.
7N={7,14,21,28,35,42,…} — all multiples of 7.
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Find the common elements:
A number n belongs to both sets exactly when n is divisible by 3 and by 7. Since 3 and 7 are coprime (they share no common prime factors), the smallest positive number divisible by both is 3×7=21. Every common multiple must be a multiple of 21.
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General principle:
For any positive integers a and b,
aN∩bN=lcm(a,b)N. …
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