Exam 19: Investigating Probability
Teacher Licensing Examination Questions
Praxis: A two-sided coin is unfairly weighted so that when it is tossed, the probability that heads will result is twice the probability that tails will result. If the coin is to be tossed three separate times, what is the probability that tails will result on exactly two of the tosses?
A
A student took the letters M, A, T and wrote down the possibilities MAT, MTA, TAM, TMA, ATM, AMT from the given three letters. When the student wrote out the 6 possibilities, he was finding the
D
Explain the connection between tossing coins and Pascal's Triangle.
Tossing coins and Pascal's Triangle are connected through the concept of probability. When you toss a coin, there are two possible outcomes - heads or tails. This can be represented as a binomial distribution, where the coefficients of the expansion of (a+b)^n form Pascal's Triangle.
Pascal's Triangle is a triangular array of numbers in which each number is the sum of the two directly above it. This triangle can be used to calculate the coefficients of the expansion of binomial expressions, such as (a+b)^n.
When you toss a coin multiple times, you can use Pascal's Triangle to calculate the probability of getting a certain number of heads or tails. For example, if you toss a coin 3 times, you can use Pascal's Triangle to find the probabilities of getting 0, 1, 2, or 3 heads.
In this way, tossing coins and Pascal's Triangle are connected through the application of probability and the calculation of binomial coefficients.
TIMSS: In a school there were 1,200 students (boys and girls). A sample of 100 students was selected at random, and 45 boys were found in the sample. Which of these is most likely to be the number of boys in the school?
What is the probability that a day in the month of March has a 2 in it?
In a school with 2,400 students, a random sample of 100 students included 45 boys. Based on this sample, how many boys attend the school?
A bag has 6 green marbles and 3 blue marbles. You pick out a blue marble. If you do not put the marble back, what is the probability of now selecting a green marble?
Children who are susceptible to the gambler's fallacy believe that:
Design an expected value experiment using geometric probability. Explain how your experiment yields the expected value.
Explain the differences between historical and mathematical probability.
Sundaes at an ice cream shop have either vanilla or chocolate ice cream; marshmallow, strawberries, or hot fudge for toppings; and either a cherry or peanuts as a garnish. How many sundae combinations are possible?
NAEP: There are 15 girls and 11 boys in a mathematics class. If a student is selected at random to run an errand, what is the probability that a boy will be selected?
Display the face of a spinner that has the following theoretical probabilities:
1 - 25%
2 - 50%
3 - 12.5%
4 - 12.5%
PISA: A documentary was broadcast about earthquakes and how often they occur. It included a discussion about the predictability of earthquakes. A geologist stated: "In the next twenty years, the chance that an earthquake will occur in Zed City is two out of three." Which of the following best reflects the meaning of the geologist's statement ?
A fair spinner with four colors on its face must have the following be true except:
Design a target that has the following probabilities for hitting various shapes:
Square 20%
Rectangle 10%
Triangle 25%
Background 45%
Probability plays a role in each of the following games except:
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