Math Problem Statement

Probability of selecting 4 female committee out of 19 men and 11 women

Solution

To find the probability of selecting a committee of 4 females from a group consisting of 19 men and 11 women, we can use combinatorics.

Step-by-Step Solution

  1. Total population:

    • Men: 19
    • Women: 11
    • Total: 19 + 11 = 30 people
  2. Choosing 4 females from 11 women: This is a combination problem, and the formula for combinations is: (nr)=n!r!(nr)!\binom{n}{r} = \frac{n!}{r!(n-r)!} where nn is the total number of elements and rr is the number of elements chosen.

    So, the number of ways to choose 4 women from 11 women is: (114)=11!4!(114)!=11×10×9×84×3×2×1=330\binom{11}{4} = \frac{11!}{4!(11-4)!} = \frac{11 \times 10 \times 9 \times 8}{4 \times 3 \times 2 \times 1} = 330

  3. Choosing the rest (0 men from 19): Since we are only selecting women and no men, we need to calculate the number of ways to choose 0 men from 19 men: (190)=1\binom{19}{0} = 1

  4. Total number of ways to select any 4 people from 30 people: (304)=30×29×28×274×3×2×1=27,405\binom{30}{4} = \frac{30 \times 29 \times 28 \times 27}{4 \times 3 \times 2 \times 1} = 27,405

  5. Probability: The probability is the ratio of favorable outcomes (selecting 4 women) to the total outcomes (selecting any 4 people): P(4 women)=(114)×(190)(304)=330×127,405=33027,4050.01204P(\text{4 women}) = \frac{\binom{11}{4} \times \binom{19}{0}}{\binom{30}{4}} = \frac{330 \times 1}{27,405} = \frac{330}{27,405} \approx 0.01204

Thus, the probability of selecting a committee of 4 females is approximately 0.01204 or 1.204%.


Would you like more details or have any questions about this problem?

Here are some related questions for further exploration:

  1. What is the probability of selecting 3 females and 1 male?
  2. How does the probability change if there are 15 men and 15 women?
  3. What is the probability of selecting at least 1 female?
  4. How would the result change if we select a committee of 5 instead of 4?
  5. How many different committees of 4 people can be formed from the group?

Tip: In probability problems involving selection, combinations are often used to find the total possible outcomes without worrying about the order.

Ask a new question for Free

By Image

Drop file here or Click Here to upload

Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Probability
Combinatorics

Formulas

Combination formula: C(n, r) = n! / (r!(n-r)!)
Probability formula: P(event) = favorable outcomes / total outcomes

Theorems

Basic Probability Theorem
Combination Theorem

Suitable Grade Level

Grades 10-12