MCQMediumJEE 2025Conditional Probability & Bayes Theorem

JEE Mathematics 2025 Question with Solution

Bag B1B_1 contains 66 white and 44 blue balls, Bag B2B_2 contains 44 white and 66 blue balls, and Bag B3B_3 contains 55 white and 55 blue balls. One of the bags is selected at random and a ball is drawn from it. If the ball is white, then the probability that the ball is drawn from Bag B2B_2 is:

  • A

    13\frac{1}{3}

  • B

    23\frac{2}{3}

  • C

    415\frac{4}{15}

  • D

    25\frac{2}{5}

Answer

Correct answer:C

Step-by-step solution

Standard Method

Given: Three bags are available, and one bag is chosen at random. The compositions are: B1B_1 has 66 white and 44 blue balls, B2B_2 has 44 white and 66 blue balls, and B3B_3 has 55 white and 55 blue balls.

Find: The conditional probability that the white ball was drawn from Bag B2B_2.

Let

A1=ball drawn from Bag B1,A2=ball drawn from Bag B2,A3=ball drawn from Bag B3,W=white ball drawnA_1 = \text{ball drawn from Bag } B_1, \quad A_2 = \text{ball drawn from Bag } B_2, \quad A_3 = \text{ball drawn from Bag } B_3, \quad W = \text{white ball drawn}

We need to find P(A2W)P(A_2 \mid W).

Since each bag is equally likely to be selected,

P(A1)=P(A2)=P(A3)=13P(A_1) = P(A_2) = P(A_3) = \frac{1}{3}

The probability of drawing a white ball from each bag is

P(WA1)=610=35P(W \mid A_1) = \frac{6}{10} = \frac{3}{5} P(WA2)=410=25P(W \mid A_2) = \frac{4}{10} = \frac{2}{5} P(WA3)=510=12P(W \mid A_3) = \frac{5}{10} = \frac{1}{2}

Using the law of total probability,

P(W)=P(WA1)P(A1)+P(WA2)P(A2)+P(WA3)P(A3)P(W) = P(W \mid A_1)P(A_1) + P(W \mid A_2)P(A_2) + P(W \mid A_3)P(A_3)

So,

P(W)=3513+2513+1213P(W) = \frac{3}{5} \cdot \frac{1}{3} + \frac{2}{5} \cdot \frac{1}{3} + \frac{1}{2} \cdot \frac{1}{3} P(W)=15+215+16P(W) = \frac{1}{5} + \frac{2}{15} + \frac{1}{6}

Taking the common denominator 3030,

15=630,215=430,16=530\frac{1}{5} = \frac{6}{30}, \quad \frac{2}{15} = \frac{4}{30}, \quad \frac{1}{6} = \frac{5}{30}

Therefore,

P(W)=630+430+530=1530=12P(W) = \frac{6}{30} + \frac{4}{30} + \frac{5}{30} = \frac{15}{30} = \frac{1}{2}

Now apply Bayes' theorem:

P(A2W)=P(WA2)P(A2)P(W)P(A_2 \mid W) = \frac{P(W \mid A_2)P(A_2)}{P(W)}

Substituting the values,

P(A2W)=251312P(A_2 \mid W) = \frac{\frac{2}{5} \cdot \frac{1}{3}}{\frac{1}{2}} P(A2W)=21512=2152=415P(A_2 \mid W) = \frac{\frac{2}{15}}{\frac{1}{2}} = \frac{2}{15} \cdot 2 = \frac{4}{15}

Therefore, the probability that the white ball is drawn from Bag B2B_2 is 415\frac{4}{15}. The correct option is C.

Bayes Theorem with Event Notation

Given: A bag is chosen uniformly from B1,B2,B3B_1, B_2, B_3 and then one ball is drawn. A white ball is observed.

Find: The probability that the chosen bag was B2B_2.

Use Bayes' theorem for conditional probability:

P(B2W)=P(WB2)P(B2)P(W)P(B_2 \mid W) = \frac{P(W \mid B_2)P(B_2)}{P(W)}

First compute the needed probabilities:

P(B1)=P(B2)=P(B3)=13P(B_1) = P(B_2) = P(B_3) = \frac{1}{3} P(WB1)=610=35,P(WB2)=410=25,P(WB3)=510=12P(W \mid B_1) = \frac{6}{10} = \frac{3}{5}, \quad P(W \mid B_2) = \frac{4}{10} = \frac{2}{5}, \quad P(W \mid B_3) = \frac{5}{10} = \frac{1}{2}

Now find the total probability of getting a white ball:

P(W)=P(B1)P(WB1)+P(B2)P(WB2)+P(B3)P(WB3)P(W) = P(B_1)P(W \mid B_1) + P(B_2)P(W \mid B_2) + P(B_3)P(W \mid B_3) P(W)=1335+1325+1312P(W) = \frac{1}{3} \cdot \frac{3}{5} + \frac{1}{3} \cdot \frac{2}{5} + \frac{1}{3} \cdot \frac{1}{2} P(W)=15+215+16=6+4+530=1530=12P(W) = \frac{1}{5} + \frac{2}{15} + \frac{1}{6} = \frac{6+4+5}{30} = \frac{15}{30} = \frac{1}{2}

Finally,

P(B2W)=251312=2152=415P(B_2 \mid W) = \frac{\frac{2}{5} \cdot \frac{1}{3}}{\frac{1}{2}} = \frac{2}{15} \cdot 2 = \frac{4}{15}

Hence, the required probability is 415\frac{4}{15}.

Common mistakes

  • A common mistake is to use only P(WB2)=25P(W \mid B_2) = \frac{2}{5} as the answer. This is wrong because the question asks for P(B2W)P(B_2 \mid W), which is a reverse conditional probability. Use Bayes' theorem to reverse the condition.

  • Students often forget to compute the total probability P(W)P(W) using all three bags. This is incorrect because a white ball could come from B1B_1, B2B_2, or B3B_3. Include contributions from every possible bag in the denominator.

  • Another mistake is assuming unequal bag-selection probabilities even though the bag is selected at random. Here each bag has probability 13\frac{1}{3}. Start by assigning equal prior probabilities before applying Bayes' theorem.

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