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Maths Question 8 – JEE-MAIN 2026

A man throws a fair coin repeatedly. He gets 10 points for each head he throws and 5 points for each tail he throws. If the probability that he gets exactly 30 points is mn, gcd(m,n)=1, then m+n is equal to :

Determine all possible non-negative integer pairs of (Heads, Tails) that sum up to exactly 30 points, given the point values for each outcome.

Step 1: Determine Combinations of Heads and Tails✦ Active

Let H be the number of heads and T be the number of tails. The points obtained are 10H+5T. We are given that the total points are 30. So, 10H+5T=30. Dividing by 5, we get 2H+T=6. We need to find non-negative integer solutions for (H,T):

H=0T=6(N=6 throws) H=1T=4(N=5 throws) H=2T=2(N=4 throws) H=3T=0(N=3 throws)
Step 2: Calculate Probability for Each Combination○ Expand

For a fair coin, the probability of a head is P(H)=1/2 and a tail is P(T)=1/2. The probability of getting H heads in N throws is (NH)(12)N.

P(H=0,T=6)=(60)(12)6=1164=164 P(H=1,T=4)=(51)(12)5=5132=532 P(H=2,T=2)=(42)(12)4=6116=616 P(H=3,T=0)=(33)(12)3=118=18
💡 Teacher's Secret Hint

Remember that the number of throws N changes for each combination of heads and tails.

Step 3: Sum Probabilities and Find m+n○ Expand

The total probability of getting exactly 30 points is the sum of these individual probabilities:

P=164+532+616+18 P=164+1064+2464+864 P=1+10+24+864=4364

We have mn=4364. Since 43 is a prime number and 64 is 26, their greatest common divisor is gcd(43,64)=1. Thus, m=43 and n=64. The required value is m+n:

m+n=43+64=107
💡 Teacher's Secret Hint

Always simplify the fraction to its lowest terms before identifying m and n to ensure gcd(m,n)=1.

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