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Question 67 of 73

Q.A biased coin is tossed nn times. The probability of getting a head is p (0<p<1)p\,(0 < p < 1), then the probability that the rth  (r<n)r^{\text{th}}\;(r < n) head will appear in the nthn^{\text{th}} tossing is

(a) n−1Cr−1 pr qn−r{}^{n-1}C_{r-1}\, p^r\, q^{n-r}
(b) nCr pr qn−r{}^{n}C_{r}\, p^r\, q^{n-r}
(c) prp^r
(d) pn−rp^{n-r}
West Bengal WbchseWest Bengal HS (WBCHSE) Board 2026MCQ· 1mImportance★★★★★
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The rrth head lands on toss nn means: exactly r−1r-1 heads in the first n−1n-1 tosses, and the nnth toss is a head.

This is a Bernoulli-trials counting argument, an NCERT/CBSE Class 12 probability staple (here with success probability pp, q=1−pq=1-p).

For the rrth head to appear precisely on the nnth toss:

  • among the first n−1n-1 tosses there are exactly r−1r-1 heads (and (n−1)−(r−1)=n−r(n-1)-(r-1)=n-r tails), which happens in n−1Cr−1 pr−1qn−r^{n-1}C_{r-1}\,p^{r-1}q^{n-r} ways/probability; …

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