Q.Two balls are drawn in succession without replacement from an urn containing four red balls and three black balls. Let X be the number of red balls drawn. Find the probability mass function and the mean for X.
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Concept understanding — Mathematical Expectation and Variance
Mean (Definition 11.8): for a random variable X with pmf/pdf f(x),
E(X) generalises the plain numerical average, weighting each value by its true probability rather than by n1; it need not be a value X can actually take, and is best read as the long-run average over many repetitions. Theorem 11.3 extends this to any function g(X): E(g(X))=∑xg(x)f(x) or ∫g(x)f(x)dx; taking g(X)=Xk gives the k-th momentE(Xk).
Variance (Definition 11.9): V(X)=E((X−E(X))2), with the far more usable computing form
V(X)=E(X2)−(E(X))2.
Standard deviation is σ=V(X); both are always ≥0. A smaller σ2 means values cluster tightly around the mean; a larger σ2 means they scatter more widely — even distributions sharing the same mean can differ sharply here.
Three linearity laws (for constants a,b): E(aX+b)=aE(X)+b (so E(aX)=aE(X) and E(b)=b); V(X)=E(X2)−(E(X))2 (restated); and V(aX+b)=a2V(X) (so V(aX)=a2V(X) and V(b)=0). These make quick work of a shifted/scaled random variable — e.g. a net "winning amount" that is a linear function of a raw count — without recomputing the distribution from scratch.
Worked technique. For a discrete X: tabulate x, f(x), xf(x), x2f(x); sum the last two columns to get E(X) and E(X2) directly, then apply V(X)=E(X2)−(E(X))2. For a continuous X: compute E(X)=∫xf(x)dx and E(X2)=∫x2f(x)dx over the support, then the same variance formula.
Hypergeometric: X= reds among 2 drawn from 4R+3B (no replacement), (x4)(2−x3) out of (27)=21.
✓Final answer
f(0)=71,f(1)=74,f(2)=72; mean =78.
Drawing 2 balls without replacement from 4 red +3 black is a hypergeometric count; the pmf comes from combinations, and the mean is the usual ∑xf(x).
Step 1. Total ways to draw 2 from 7.(27)=21.
Step 2. Count each value of X= number of red balls.
X=0 (both black): (04)(23)=1×3=3.
X=1 (one red, one black): (14)(13)=4×3=12.
X=2 (both red): (24)(03)=6×1=6.
Check: 3+12+6=21✓.
Step 3. Convert to the pmf.f(0)=213=71,f(1)=2112=74,f(2)=216=72.
Step 4. Compute the mean.E(X)=0(71)+1(74)+2(72)=74+74=78.
✓Final answer
f(0)=71,f(1)=74,f(2)=72; mean E(X)=78.
Hypergeometric counting (draw without replacement), then E(X)=∑xf(x)
Drawing with replacement by mistake (using 74 repeatedly instead of combinations)
Swapping the roles of red and black in the combination counts
Same / Similar Concept — real previous-year questions on the same or a closely similar concept, not this exact question.
CBSE 2026Set ANNUAL1 markMCQ
Q.A rod of length 2l is broken into two pieces at random. The probability density function of the shorter of the two pieces is f(x)=⎩⎨⎧l100<x<ll≤x<2l. The mean and variance of the shorter of the two pieces are respectively :
(a) l,12l2
(b) 2l,3l2
(c) 2l,12l2
(d) 2l,6l2
›Reveal solutionSolution
Computes mean and variance of the given uniform-type density on (0,l) using E[X] and E[X2]−(E[X])2.