Math Problem Statement

What is the probability of rolling a sum of 7 or 11 with two fair dice?

Solution

To calculate the probability of rolling a sum of 7 or 11 with two fair dice, let’s analyze each case separately.

  1. Possible sums of 7:

    • There are six pairs of dice that yield a sum of 7:
      • (1, 6), (2, 5), (3, 4), (4, 3), (5, 2), and (6, 1).
    • This gives a total of 6 outcomes where the sum is 7.
  2. Possible sums of 11:

    • There are two pairs of dice that yield a sum of 11:
      • (5, 6) and (6, 5).
    • This gives a total of 2 outcomes where the sum is 11.
  3. Total successful outcomes for a sum of 7 or 11:

    • There are 6+2=86 + 2 = 8 successful outcomes that yield a sum of either 7 or 11.
  4. Total possible outcomes with two dice:

    • Since each die has 6 faces, there are 6×6=366 \times 6 = 36 total possible outcomes when rolling two dice.
  5. Probability calculation:

    • The probability of rolling a sum of 7 or 11 is the ratio of successful outcomes to total outcomes: 836=29\frac{8}{36} = \frac{2}{9}

So, the probability of rolling a sum of 7 or 11 with two fair dice is 29\frac{2}{9}, or approximately 0.2222 (22.22%).

Would you like more details or have any questions?


  1. What is the probability of rolling a sum of 2 or 12 with two dice?
  2. How many ways can you roll a sum of 6 with two dice?
  3. What is the probability of rolling an even sum with two dice?
  4. How would the probability change if we used three dice to get a sum of 7 or 11?
  5. How is the probability affected if the dice are not fair?

Tip: When calculating probabilities with dice, list all combinations to ensure accuracy, especially for sums involving fewer outcomes.

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Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Probability
Combinatorics
Sample Space Analysis

Formulas

Probability = (Number of Favorable Outcomes) / (Total Possible Outcomes)

Theorems

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Suitable Grade Level

Grades 6-8