Probability Ques 49

One Indian and four American men and their wives are to be seated randomly around a circular table. Then, the conditional probability that Indian man is seated adjacent to his wife given that each American man is seated adjacent to his wife, is

(a) $\frac{1}{2}$

(b) $\frac{1}{3}$

(c) $\frac{2}{5}$

(d) $\frac{1}{5}$

(2007, 3M)

Show Answer

Answer:

Correct Answer: 49.(c)

Solution:

Formula:

Conditional probability:

  1. Let $E=$ event when each American man is seated adjacent to his wife

and $A$ =event when Indian man is seated adjacent to his wife

Now,

$ n(A \cap E)=(4 !) \times(2 !)^{5} $

Even when each American man is seated adjacent to his wife.

$ \begin{aligned} & \text { Again, } \quad n(E)=(5 !) \times(2 !)^{4} \\ & \therefore \quad P \frac{A}{E}=\frac{n(A \cap E)}{n(E)}=\frac{(4 !) \times(2 !)^{5}}{(5 !) \times(2 !)^{4}}=\frac{2}{5} \end{aligned} $

Alternate Solution

Fixing four American couples and one Indian man in between any two couples; we have $5$ different ways in which his wife can be seated, of which $2$ cases are favourable.

$\therefore \quad$ Required probability $=\frac{2}{5}$



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