Q.In a class of 50 students, 30 play cricket, 25 play football, and 12 play both games. Find how many students play at least one of the two games, and how many play neither.
🔒You're viewing a preview — the full solution, concept, methods & PYQ mapping are locked.
🔒 Start your 14-day free trial to unlock the full solution →Concept understanding — Inclusion Exclusion Principle
The Inclusion–Exclusion Principle
Thirty students play cricket and twenty-five play football — so does "cricket or football" total 55? Not if some play both. If ten play both, they have been counted twice, so the real total is 30+25−10=45. That single correction is the whole principle: add everything, then subtract what you double-counted.
Why "Inclusion" and "Exclusion"
- Include every set by adding its size.
- Exclude the overlaps counted more than once by subtracting the intersections.
For three or more sets the signs keep alternating, because each correction slightly over-corrects and must itself be fixed.
The General Statement
For finite sets A1,A2,…,An,
∣⋃i=1nAi∣=∑i∣Ai∣−∑i<j∣Ai∩Aj∣+∑i<j<k∣Ai∩Aj∩Ak∣−⋯+(−1)n+1∣A1∩⋯∩An∣.
Add all singles, subtract all pairwise intersections, add all triples, and so on — the sign alternates, starting with +.
Why It Works
An element lying in exactly m of the sets is counted (1m) times among the singles, subtracted (2m) times among the pairs, added (3m) times among the triples, and so on. Its net count is
(1m)−(2m)+(3m)−⋯+(−1)m+1(mm)=1,
using (1−1)m=0 from the binomial theorem. So every element is counted exactly once.
A Three-Set Example
Of 100 students: 40 take Physics, 30 Chemistry, 25 Biology; 15 take P and C, 10 P and B, 8 C and B; 5 take all three.
∣P∪C∪B∣=(40+30+25)−(15+10+8)+5=95−33+5=67.
So 67 take at least one subject and 33 take none. …
Apply the two-set inclusion-exclusion formula to avoid double-counting the students who play both, then subtract from the class total to find those playing neither.
43 play at least one game; 7 play neither. …
Step 1 — Identify the given quantities. Let C = students who play cricket, F = students who play football. n(C)=30, n(F)=25, n(C∩F)=12 (play both), and the class total is n(U)=50.
Step 2 — Apply the inclusion-exclusion formula.
n(C∪F)=n(C)+n(F)−n(C∩F)=30+25−12=43.
So 43 students play at least one of the two games.
Step 3 — Find the number playing neither. Students playing neither game are outside C∪F entirely:
n(neither)=n(U)−n(C∪F)=50−43=7. …
Simply adding 30+25=55 and reporting that as the number playing at least one game — this over-counts the 12 students who play both games (they get counted once under cricket and again under football), and the result would also be impossible anyway since it would exceed the class size of 50. Also, forgetting the …
Showing the 12 most recent of 17 on this concept.
- CBSE 2026Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.Assertion (A): If the events A and B are mutually exclusive events such that P(A)=0.4, P(A∪B)=0.6 and P(B)=P, then P=0.2 Reason (R): Two events A and B are mutually exclusive events if P(A∩B)=P(A).P(B).(a) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of Assertion (A).(b) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true, but Reason (R) is not the correct explanation of Assertion (A).(c) Assertion (A) is true, but Reason (R) is false.(d) Assertion (A) is false, but Reason (R) is true.
›Reveal solutionSolution
The value P=0.2 is correctly computed, but the stated definition of "mutually exclusive" is wrong — that condition actually defines independence.
Assertion (A): For mutually exclusive events, P(A∪B)=P(A)+P(B).
0.6=0.4+P⇒P=0.2. So A is true.
…
- CBSE 2026Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.Assertion (A): If n(X) = 17, n(Y) = 23 and n(X ∪ Y) = 38, then n(X ∩ Y) = 38. Reason (R): n(A ∪ B) = n(A) + n(B) - n(A ∩ B).(a) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of Assertion (A).(b) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true, but Reason (R) is not the correct explanation of Assertion (A).(c) Assertion (A) is true and Reason (R) is false.(d) Assertion (A) is false and Reason (R) is true.
›Reveal solutionSolution
Using the correct formula n(X∩Y) = n(X)+n(Y)−n(X∪Y) = 2, not 38 — so the Assertion is false while the Reason (the formula itself) is true.
Checking the Assertion (A): Using the addition rule for sets:
n(X∪Y)=n(X)+n(Y)−n(X∩Y)
n(X∩Y)=n(X)+n(Y)−n(X∪Y)=17+23−38=2
So the correct value is n(X∩Y)=2, not 38 as claimed in Assertion (A). Assertion (A) is false.
Note on the source paper: the printed English version of this paper states the conclusion as "n(X∩Y) = 38", but the correct mathematics (and the Hindi version of this same question paper) gives n(X∩Y)=2. This is treated here as a genuine printing discrepancy in the English text — the correct mathematical reading is used for grading.
…
- CBSE 2025Set E1 markMCQQ.Addition theorem of probability is(a) P(A∪B)=P(A)+P(B)(b) P(A∪B)=P(A)+P(B)+P(A∩B)(c) P(A∪B)=P(A)+P(B)−P(A∩B)(d) P(A∪B)=P(A)⋅P(B)
›Reveal solutionSolution
The addition theorem is P(A∪B)=P(A)+P(B)−P(A∩B).
Adding P(A) and P(B) counts the overlap A∩B twice, so it must be subtracted once:
P(A∪B)=P(A)+P(B)−P(A∩B). …
- CBSE 2025Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.If A and B are mutually exclusive events such that P(A)=0.4, P(B)=x and P(A∪B)=0.5 then x=(a) 0.2(b) 0.1(c) 54(d) none of these
›Reveal solutionSolution
Mutually exclusive events have no overlap, so their union probability is a simple sum.
…
- CBSE 2025Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.Assertion (A): If S and T are two sets such that S has 21 elements, T has 32 elements and S ∩ T has 11 elements, then S ∪ T will have 42 elements. Reason (R): n(A ∪ B) = n(A) + n(B) − n(A ∩ B)(a) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and Reason (R) is correct explanation of Assertion (A).(b) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true, but Reason (R) is not correct explanation of Assertion (A).(c) Assertion (A) is true and Reason (R) is false.(d) Assertion (A) is false and Reason (R) is true.
›Reveal solutionSolution
Plugging the given values into the stated formula reproduces the assertion exactly, so the reason is the correct explanation.
Given n(S)=21, n(T)=32, n(S∩T)=11.
Reason (R): n(A∪B)=n(A)+n(B)−n(A∩B) — this is the standard inclusion–exclusion formula for two sets, which is true.
Applying it: n(S∪T)=21+32−11=42
…
- CBSE 2024Set D1 markMCQQ.P(A)=116, P(B)=115, P(A∪B)=117⇒P(A∩B)=(a) 114(b) 115(c) 117(d) 119
›Reveal solutionSolution
Rearranged addition rule gives P(A∩B)=114.
Addition rule: P(A∪B)=P(A)+P(B)−P(A∩B).
…
- CBSE 2024Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.If P(A) = 6/11, P(B) = 5/11 and P(A∪B) = 7/11, then P(A∩B) is :(a) 1/11(b) 3/11(c) 2/11(d) 4/11
›Reveal solutionSolution
Using the addition rule P(A∪B) = P(A) + P(B) − P(A∩B), rearranged to solve for P(A∩B), gives 4/11.
The general addition rule of probability states: P(A∪B)=P(A)+P(B)−P(A∩B).
…
- CBSE 2023Set E1 markMCQQ.P(E)=73, P(F)=75, P(E∪F)=76⇒P(E∩F)=(a) 74(b) 72(c) 71(d) 73
›Reveal solutionSolution
Rearranging the addition rule gives P(E∩F)=72.
The addition rule of probability states
P(E∪F)=P(E)+P(F)−P(E∩F).
Solving for the intersection: …
- CBSE 2023Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.If P(A)=83, P(B)=31 and P(A∩B)=41, then P(A∪B)=(a) 32(b) 31(c) 21(d) none of these
›Reveal solutionSolution
Use the addition rule P(A∪B)=P(A)+P(B)−P(A∩B) and simplify with a common denominator.
P(A∪B)=83+31−41. Using LCD 24: =249+248−246=2411.
…
- CBSE 2023Set ANNUAL1 markQ.If P(A)=116, P(B)=115 and P(A∪B)=117, find P(A∩B).
›Reveal solutionSolution
Rearrange the addition theorem P(A∪B)=P(A)+P(B)−P(A∩B).
By the addition theorem of probability,
P(A∪B)=P(A)+P(B)−P(A∩B).
Solving for P(A∩B):
…
- CBSE 2022Set ANNUAL1 markQ.If set S has 21 elements, T has 32 elements and S ∪ T has 42 elements, then S ∩ T has ............ elements.
›Reveal solutionSolution
Rearranging the union-intersection formula gives n(S∩T)=11.
For any two sets:
n(S∪T)=n(S)+n(T)−n(S∩T)
Given n(S)=21, n(T)=32, n(S∪T)=42: …
- CBSE 2021Set ANNUAL1 markQ.In a school there are 20 teachers who teach Mathematics or Physics. Of these 12 teach Maths and 4 teach Maths and Physics. The number of teacher who teach Physics are ............. .
›Reveal solutionSolution
Solving ∣M∪P∣=∣M∣+∣P∣−∣M∩P∣ for ∣P∣ gives 12.
Let M = set of teachers who teach Maths, P = set of teachers who teach Physics.
Given: ∣M∪P∣=20, ∣M∣=12, ∣M∩P∣=4.
By the formula for the union of two sets:
…
🎓Unlock everything free for 14 days
- ✓Full step-by-step solutions
- ✓Concept-first explanations
- ✓Methods, shortcuts & mistakes
- ✓PYQ mapping + timed mock tests
Full access for 14 days. No credit card required.