Math Problem Statement

An unbiased coin is tossed 3 times. What is the probability of obtaining two heads (exactly)? Small step for 2 marks in exam

Solution

To calculate the probability of obtaining exactly two heads when tossing an unbiased coin three times, follow these steps:

Step 1: Identify all possible outcomes

When you toss a coin 3 times, each toss has 2 possible outcomes: heads (H) or tails (T). Therefore, the total number of possible outcomes for 3 tosses is: 23=82^3 = 8 The possible outcomes are: {HHH,HHT,HTH,HTT,THH,THT,TTH,TTT}\{HHH, HHT, HTH, HTT, THH, THT, TTH, TTT\}

Step 2: Count favorable outcomes

We are interested in the outcomes with exactly 2 heads. The favorable outcomes are: {HHT,HTH,THH}\{HHT, HTH, THH\} So, there are 3 favorable outcomes.

Step 3: Calculate the probability

The probability of obtaining exactly 2 heads is the ratio of favorable outcomes to total outcomes: P(exactly 2 heads)=Number of favorable outcomesTotal number of outcomes=38P(\text{exactly 2 heads}) = \frac{\text{Number of favorable outcomes}}{\text{Total number of outcomes}} = \frac{3}{8}

Final Answer:

The probability of obtaining exactly two heads when an unbiased coin is tossed 3 times is: 38\frac{3}{8}


Would you like further clarification or more details on probability questions?

Here are some related questions to explore:

  1. What is the probability of obtaining no heads in 3 tosses?
  2. How do you calculate the probability of getting exactly 1 head?
  3. What is the probability of obtaining 3 heads in 3 tosses?
  4. How can you generalize this problem for nn tosses?
  5. What is the formula for the probability of obtaining exactly kk heads in nn tosses?

Tip: Remember, for binomial probability, the formula is: P(k heads)=(nk)(12)nP(k \text{ heads}) = \binom{n}{k} \left(\frac{1}{2}\right)^n Where (nk)\binom{n}{k} is the binomial coefficient!

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Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Probability
Binomial Distribution

Formulas

P(k heads) = (n choose k) * (1/2)^n

Theorems

Binomial probability theorem

Suitable Grade Level

Grades 7-9