Math Problem Statement
Suppose a biased coin comes up heads 40% of the time and tails 60% of the time. What is the probability of getting between 2 and 4 heads in 10 flips?
Solution
We can model this problem using the binomial distribution, as we are dealing with a fixed number of independent trials (coin flips), where each trial has two possible outcomes (heads or tails). The probability of getting heads in flips is given by the binomial probability formula:
Where:
- is the binomial coefficient, representing the number of ways to choose heads out of flips: .
- is the probability of heads (0.40 in this case).
- is the number of flips (10 in this case).
- is the number of heads we want.
You are asked to find the probability of getting between 2 and 4 heads (inclusive), so we need to calculate the probability for and then sum them up.
Step 1: Calculate for
Step 2: Calculate for
Step 3: Calculate for
Step 4: Total Probability
Now, we sum the probabilities for 2, 3, and 4 heads:
Thus, the probability of getting between 2 and 4 heads in 10 flips is approximately 0.586 or 58.6%.
Would you like further details on any step or have any questions?
Here are 5 related questions to extend this topic:
- What is the probability of getting exactly 5 heads in 10 flips?
- How would the probability change if the coin were fair (50% heads and 50% tails)?
- What is the expected number of heads in 10 flips of this biased coin?
- How would you calculate the variance and standard deviation for the number of heads in 10 flips?
- What is the probability of getting at least 7 heads in 10 flips?
Tip: For binomial probabilities, using a scientific calculator or software tools can speed up the process, especially for larger values of and .
Ask a new question for Free
By Image
Drop file here or Click Here to upload
Math Problem Analysis
Mathematical Concepts
Probability
Binomial Distribution
Formulas
P(k heads) = \binom{n}{k} p^k (1-p)^{n-k}
Binomial Coefficient: \binom{n}{k} = \frac{n!}{k!(n-k)!}
Theorems
Binomial Probability Theorem
Suitable Grade Level
Grades 9-12
Related Recommendation
Probability of Getting Heads When Flipping Four Coins
Understanding Coin Flip Outcomes: Probability and Combinatorics of 6 Flips
Probability of Getting Exactly 2 Heads in 4 Coin Flips
Probability Distribution for Number of Heads in Four Coin Tosses
Probability of Getting Exactly 2 Heads in 10 Coin Tosses