CBSE • Class 10Mathematics • Chapter 14

ProbabilityNCERT Solutions, AI Tutor & Practice

Theoretical probability of events as the ratio of favourable outcomes to total outcomes, applied to coins, dice, cards and simple geometric situations.

Aligned to the latest NCERT 2024-25 edition • 1 exercises covered • Free plan, no credit card

What you will learn

  • Apply the classical definition of probability
  • Compute probabilities of events involving coins, dice and a deck of 52 cards
  • Use complementary events to simplify computations

Key concepts in this chapter

Sample spaceFavourable outcomesTheoretical probabilityComplementary events

NCERT Exercise-wise Solutions

1 exercise25 questions covered • Open any exercise for theme, focus topics and Socratic AI walkthroughs

Frequently asked NCERT questions in this chapter

  1. A die is thrown once. Find the probability of getting a prime number.
  2. From a well-shuffled deck of 52 cards, one card is drawn. Find the probability that it is a black queen.
  3. Two coins are tossed simultaneously. Find the probability of getting at least one head.

Step-by-step NCERT solutions

12 solved questions • Each solution includes a Socratic hint, full working and a common-mistake callout • Last reviewed 2026-09-03

Exercise 14.1 Q1 • 2 marks

Complete each statement: (i) The probability of an event that is certain to happen is ___. (ii) The probability of an impossible event is ___. (iii) The sum of the probabilities of all elementary events of an experiment is ___. (iv) The probability of an event lies between ___ and ___ (both inclusive).
Hint (Socratic — try this first)
What is the smallest and largest value probability can ever take?
Step-by-step solution

By the basic properties of probability:

(i) A certain (sure) event always happens, so its probability is 11.

(ii) An impossible event never happens, so its probability is 00.

(iii) The elementary events cover all possible outcomes, so their probabilities add up to 11.

(iv) For any event EE, 0P(E)10 \le P(E) \le 1.

Common mistake:
Writing the probability range as greater than 0 and less than 1 (excluding the endpoints), forgetting that certain and impossible events give exactly 1 and 0.
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Exercise 14.1 Q2 • 1 marks

A coin is tossed once. What is the probability of getting (i) a head, (ii) a tail?
Hint (Socratic — try this first)
How many equally likely outcomes are there when a fair coin is tossed?
Step-by-step solution

When a fair coin is tossed once, the sample space is {H,T}\{H, T\}, so the total number of equally likely outcomes is 22.

(i) Favourable outcomes for a head =1= 1. P(head)=12P(\text{head}) = \frac{1}{2}

(ii) Favourable outcomes for a tail =1= 1. P(tail)=12P(\text{tail}) = \frac{1}{2}

Common mistake:
Thinking a coin has some 'memory' and adjusting probabilities based on previous tosses, when each toss is independent.
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Exercise 14.1 Q3 • 3 marks

A die is thrown once. Find the probability of getting (i) a prime number, (ii) a number lying between 2 and 6, (iii) an odd number.
Hint (Socratic — try this first)
First list all the outcomes on a die, then identify which ones satisfy each condition.
Step-by-step solution

A die has outcomes {1,2,3,4,5,6}\{1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6\}, so total outcomes =6= 6.

(i) Prime numbers on a die are 2,3,52, 3, 5 — that is 33 outcomes. P(prime)=36=12P(\text{prime}) = \frac{3}{6} = \frac{1}{2}

(ii) Numbers lying strictly between 2 and 6 are 3,4,53, 4, 5 — that is 33 outcomes. P(between 2 and 6)=36=12P(\text{between 2 and 6}) = \frac{3}{6} = \frac{1}{2}

(iii) Odd numbers are 1,3,51, 3, 5 — that is 33 outcomes. P(odd)=36=12P(\text{odd}) = \frac{3}{6} = \frac{1}{2}

Common mistake:
Including 1 as a prime number, or including the endpoints 2 and 6 when the question says 'between 2 and 6'.
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Exercise 14.1 Q4 • 3 marks

One card is drawn at random from a well-shuffled deck of 52 playing cards. Find the probability that the card drawn is (i) a king, (ii) a red face card, (iii) neither a spade nor an ace.
Hint (Socratic — try this first)
How many cards of each type are in a standard deck, and how do you count 'neither... nor'?
Step-by-step solution

Total number of cards =52= 52.

(i) There are 44 kings. P(king)=452=113P(\text{king}) = \frac{4}{52} = \frac{1}{13}

(ii) Red face cards are the King, Queen and Jack of hearts and diamonds =2×3=6= 2 \times 3 = 6 cards. P(red face card)=652=326P(\text{red face card}) = \frac{6}{52} = \frac{3}{26}

(iii) Spades =13= 13. Aces not already counted in spades =3= 3 (hearts, diamonds, clubs). So cards that are a spade OR an ace =13+3=16= 13 + 3 = 16. Cards that are neither =5216=36= 52 - 16 = 36. P(neither spade nor ace)=3652=913P(\text{neither spade nor ace}) = \frac{36}{52} = \frac{9}{13}

Common mistake:
In part (iii), subtracting all 4 aces on top of all 13 spades, double-counting the ace of spades.
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Exercise 14.1 Q5 • 3 marks

A bag contains 5 red balls, 8 white balls and 7 green balls. One ball is drawn at random. Find the probability that the ball drawn is (i) white, (ii) not green, (iii) red or white.
Hint (Socratic — try this first)
What is the total number of balls, and how can 'not green' be found from the complement?
Step-by-step solution

Total balls =5+8+7=20= 5 + 8 + 7 = 20.

(i) White balls =8= 8. P(white)=820=25P(\text{white}) = \frac{8}{20} = \frac{2}{5}

(ii) P(green)=720P(\text{green}) = \dfrac{7}{20}, so P(not green)=1720=1320P(\text{not green}) = 1 - \frac{7}{20} = \frac{13}{20}

(iii) Red or white =5+8=13= 5 + 8 = 13 balls. P(red or white)=1320P(\text{red or white}) = \frac{13}{20}

Common mistake:
Forgetting to add all three colours to get the total, or subtracting 'not green' from the wrong quantity.
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Exercise 14.1 Q6 • 2 marks

If P(E) = 0.32, what is the probability of 'not E'? Also, can a probability of an event be 1.4? Justify.
Hint (Socratic — try this first)
What must P(E) and P(not E) always add up to, and what are the limits of any probability?
Step-by-step solution

Since EE and 'not EE' are complementary events: P(not E)=1P(E)=10.32=0.68P(\text{not } E) = 1 - P(E) = 1 - 0.32 = 0.68

No, a probability cannot be 1.41.4. For any event, 0P(E)10 \le P(E) \le 1. Since 1.4>11.4 > 1, it is not a valid probability.

Common mistake:
Computing the complement as 0.32 subtracted from 100 (percentage confusion) or accepting values above 1 as valid probabilities.
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Exercise 14.1 Q7 • 3 marks

Two dice are thrown together. Find the probability of getting (i) a sum of 7, (ii) a doublet (same number on both dice), (iii) a sum greater than 10.
Hint (Socratic — try this first)
How many total ordered outcomes are there when two dice are thrown, and how do you list the favourable pairs?
Step-by-step solution

When two dice are thrown, the total number of equally likely outcomes =6×6=36= 6 \times 6 = 36.

(i) Sum =7= 7: (1,6),(2,5),(3,4),(4,3),(5,2),(6,1)(1,6),(2,5),(3,4),(4,3),(5,2),(6,1)66 outcomes. P(sum 7)=636=16P(\text{sum }7) = \frac{6}{36} = \frac{1}{6}

(ii) Doublets: (1,1),(2,2),(3,3),(4,4),(5,5),(6,6)(1,1),(2,2),(3,3),(4,4),(5,5),(6,6)66 outcomes. P(doublet)=636=16P(\text{doublet}) = \frac{6}{36} = \frac{1}{6}

(iii) Sum greater than 10 means sum is 11 or 12: (5,6),(6,5),(6,6)(5,6),(6,5),(6,6)33 outcomes. P(sum>10)=336=112P(\text{sum} > 10) = \frac{3}{36} = \frac{1}{12}

Common mistake:
Taking the total number of outcomes as 21 or 12 instead of 36, by ignoring that (a,b) and (b,a) are distinct outcomes.
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Exercise 14.1 Q8 • 2 marks

A box contains cards numbered 3 to 27. A card is drawn at random. Find the probability that the number on the drawn card is (i) an even number, (ii) a prime number less than 20.
Hint (Socratic — try this first)
How many numbers lie from 3 to 27 inclusive, and which of them satisfy each condition?
Step-by-step solution

Numbers from 3 to 27 inclusive: total =273+1=25= 27 - 3 + 1 = 25 cards.

(i) Even numbers from 3 to 27: 4,6,8,10,12,14,16,18,20,22,24,264, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26 — that is 1212 numbers. P(even)=1225P(\text{even}) = \frac{12}{25}

(ii) Prime numbers less than 20 within this range: 3,5,7,11,13,17,193, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19 — that is 77 numbers. P(prime<20)=725P(\text{prime} < 20) = \frac{7}{25}

Common mistake:
Counting the total as 27 - 3 = 24 instead of 25, forgetting to add 1 for inclusive counting.
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Exercise 14.1 Q9 • 3 marks

A circular dartboard of radius 21 cm has a smaller concentric circle of radius 7 cm at its centre. A dart lands at random on the board. Find the probability that it lands inside the smaller circle. (Take π=227\pi = \frac{22}{7}.)
Hint (Socratic — try this first)
In a geometric probability, how is probability related to areas rather than to counting outcomes?
Step-by-step solution

For geometric probability, probability =favourable areatotal area= \dfrac{\text{favourable area}}{\text{total area}}.

Area of larger circle =π(21)2=π×441= \pi (21)^2 = \pi \times 441.

Area of smaller circle =π(7)2=π×49= \pi (7)^2 = \pi \times 49.

P(inside small circle)=π×49π×441=49441=19P(\text{inside small circle}) = \frac{\pi \times 49}{\pi \times 441} = \frac{49}{441} = \frac{1}{9}

Common mistake:
Taking the ratio of the radii (7/21 = 1/3) instead of the ratio of the areas (which involves the squares of the radii).
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Exercise 14.1 Q10 • 3 marks

A lot of 20 bulbs contains 4 defective ones. One bulb is drawn at random. (i) What is the probability that the bulb is defective? (ii) Suppose the bulb drawn is defective and is not replaced; a second bulb is drawn. What is the probability that this second bulb is not defective?
Hint (Socratic — try this first)
After removing one defective bulb without replacement, how do the counts of good bulbs and total bulbs change?
Step-by-step solution

(i) Defective bulbs =4= 4, total =20= 20. P(defective)=420=15P(\text{defective}) = \frac{4}{20} = \frac{1}{5}

(ii) After drawing one defective bulb and not replacing it:

  • Remaining bulbs =201=19= 20 - 1 = 19
  • Non-defective bulbs =204=16= 20 - 4 = 16 (unchanged, since the removed bulb was defective)

P(second not defective)=1619P(\text{second not defective}) = \frac{16}{19}

Common mistake:
Keeping the total as 20 for the second draw, forgetting that one bulb was removed and not replaced.
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Exercise 14.1 Q11 • 2 marks

A child has a die whose six faces show the letters A, B, C, D, E, A. The die is thrown once. Find the probability of getting (i) the letter A, (ii) the letter D.
Hint (Socratic — try this first)
How many faces show the letter A compared to the letter D?
Step-by-step solution

Total faces =6= 6.

(i) The letter A appears on 22 faces. P(A)=26=13P(A) = \frac{2}{6} = \frac{1}{3}

(ii) The letter D appears on 11 face. P(D)=16P(D) = \frac{1}{6}

Common mistake:
Assuming every face shows a different letter and taking P(A) = 1/6, ignoring that A appears twice.
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Exercise 14.1 Q12 • 3 marks

Cards marked with numbers 1 to 100 are placed in a box and mixed thoroughly. One card is drawn at random. Find the probability that the number on the card is (i) a perfect square, (ii) a two-digit number divisible by 5.
Hint (Socratic — try this first)
How many perfect squares fall between 1 and 100, and how do you count multiples of 5 that have exactly two digits?
Step-by-step solution

Total cards =100= 100.

(i) Perfect squares from 1 to 100: 1,4,9,16,25,36,49,64,81,1001, 4, 9, 16, 25, 36, 49, 64, 81, 100 — that is 1010 numbers. P(perfect square)=10100=110P(\text{perfect square}) = \frac{10}{100} = \frac{1}{10}

(ii) Two-digit numbers divisible by 5 are 10,15,20,,9510, 15, 20, \ldots, 95. These form an AP with first term 1010, common difference 55, last term 9595. Number of terms =95105+1=855+1=17+1=18= \dfrac{95 - 10}{5} + 1 = \dfrac{85}{5} + 1 = 17 + 1 = 18. P(two-digit multiple of 5)=18100=950P(\text{two-digit multiple of 5}) = \frac{18}{100} = \frac{9}{50}

Common mistake:
Including 5 or 100 among two-digit multiples of 5, when only 10 to 95 qualify as two-digit numbers.
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FAQs about this chapter

Is experimental probability covered in Class 10?+

The Class 10 NCERT chapter focuses on theoretical (classical) probability. Experimental probability is introduced in earlier classes (Class 9 and below).

All Class 10 Mathematics chapters

  1. 1.Real Numbers
  2. 2.Polynomials
  3. 3.Pair of Linear Equations in Two Variables
  4. 4.Quadratic Equations
  5. 5.Arithmetic Progressions
  6. 6.Triangles
  7. 7.Coordinate Geometry
  8. 8.Introduction to Trigonometry
  9. 9.Some Applications of Trigonometry
  10. 10.Circles
  11. 11.Areas Related to Circles
  12. 12.Surface Areas and Volumes
  13. 13.Statistics
  14. 14.Probability

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