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NCERT Exemplar · Q54

Q.A flashlight has 88 batteries out of which 33 are dead. If two batteries are selected without replacement and tested, the probability that both are dead is
(A) 3356\dfrac{33}{56}
(B) 964\dfrac{9}{64}
(C) 114\dfrac{1}{14}
(D) 328\dfrac{3}{28}

Telangana TsbieMCQ· 1mImportance★★★★★
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This is a hypergeometric probability problem — selecting without replacement from a finite set with two types (dead/working). The probability that both selected batteries are dead is 328\frac{3}{28}, which corresponds to option (D).

The key here is recognising that we are drawing without replacement from a small population. When you pick the first battery, the total number of batteries and the number of dead ones both decrease, so the second draw's probability depends on the first. This is not a binomial situation (where draws are independent) — it's a hypergeometric situation.

Let’s walk through it.

  1. Total batteries and dead ones

    We have 88 batteries total, of which 33 are dead. So 55 are working.

  2. Probability that the first battery is dead

    On the first pick, there are 33 dead out of 88 total. So

P(first dead)=38P(\text{first dead}) = \frac{3}{8}

  1. Probability that the second battery is dead, given the first was dead After removing one dead battery, we have 22 dead left and only 77 batteries remaining. So

P(second dead∣first dead)=27P(\text{second dead} \mid \text{first dead}) = \frac{2}{7}

  1. Multiply for the joint probability Since we want both to be dead, we multiply the conditional probabilities:

P(both dead)=38×27=656P(\text{both dead}) = \frac{3}{8} \times \frac{2}{7} = \frac{6}{56}

  1. Simplify the fraction 656\frac{6}{56} simplifies by dividing numerator and denominator by 22: 656=328\frac{6}{56} = \frac{3}{28} …

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