Make-a-Deal

Name: Date: Period:

Science Simulations, Technology Simulations, Engineering Simulations, Mathematics Simulations

Lesson 2: Tossing Coins

Many things in life are determined by the simple flip of a coin. In football, a coin toss determines which team receives the football first. In some political races that end in a tied vote, a coin toss is used to select the winner. Can you predict the mathematics behind the simple coin toss?

Doing the science

Imagine that you flip three fair coins. There are eight possible results ranging from HHH to TTT. Copy the figure below onto a sheet of paper and record the rest of the possible coin flip results in the figure.

Do You Understand?

If you are told that the first coin is a Head, what is the probability that the second coin is also a Head?

If you are told that the first coin is a Head, what is the probability that at least one other coin is a Head?

What is the probability of the result being exactly two heads?

What is the probability of the result being at least two heads?

If you are told that one coin shows a Head, what is the probability that at one other coin shows a head?