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Babies Assume that babies born are equally likely to be boys (B) or girls (G). Assume a woman has 6 children, none of whom are twins. Which sequence is more likely? Explain. Sequence A: GGGGGG Sequence B: GGGBBB

Short Answer

Expert verified
Neither sequence A (6 girls) nor sequence B (3 girls and 3 boys, regardless of order) is more likely. Both have a probability of \(\frac{1}{64}\).

Step by step solution

01

Determine the probability of a single event

Since the problem states that babies born are equally likely to be boys (B) or girls (G), the probability of a single event (either a boy or girl) is \(\frac{1}{2}\)
02

Determine the probability for each sequence

As these are independent events, the probability of a specific sequence occurring is the probability of each single event, all multiplied together. For sequence A (6 girls): \(\frac{1}{2^6} = \frac{1}{64}\). For sequence B (3 girls and 3 boys, regardless of order): \(\frac{1}{2^6} = \frac{1}{64}\)
03

Compare the probabilities

The probability for sequence A and sequence B are both \(\frac{1}{64}\). Therefore, neither sequence is more likely than the other.

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Key Concepts

These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.

Independent Events
Understanding independent events is crucial when dealing with probability problems like the one involving sequences of baby genders. An independent event means that the outcome of one event does not affect the outcome of another. In this exercise, each child's gender is an independent event because whether one child is a boy or a girl does not influence the gender of the next child.

When events are independent, you calculate the probability of a sequence by multiplying the probabilities of each individual event. In our case, the probability of any child being a boy or a girl is \( \frac{1}{2} \), and this fact remains constant for each child born. This independence makes it straightforward to analyze and compare sequences, as was done in the solution where each sequence had the same probability. This demonstrates that despite the order or combination, as long as each event is independent, the likelihood of any specific sequence remains the same.
Sample Space
The sample space in probability refers to all possible outcomes of an experiment. When calculating probabilities, it's essential to understand the sample space to determine the likelihood of certain events. In our exercise, the sample space consists of every possible sequence of boys and girls over six births.

Given that each child can either be a boy or a girl, the sample space is a collection of all possible combinations of "B" and "G" across six positions. There are \( 2^6 = 64 \) possible sequences in this sample space, as each child represents two options (boy or girl), and there are six children. This total number of outcomes helps us understand that specific sequences such as "GGGGGG" or "GGGBBB" are just two out of these 64 possibilities, highlighting the need to account for the entirety of the sample space when calculating probabilities.
Event Sequence
Event sequences are about the order and combination of outcomes, which in this exercise relate to the gender sequence of the six children. Each outcome must be clear and defined to understand its probability. It's critical because every unique sequence, however simple or complex, has the same probability when events are independent.

The sequence of an event in probability is typically calculated by considering the independent probability of each constituent event. For example, for both sequence A "GGGGGG" and sequence B "GGGBBB", the likelihood of getting each exact configuration is the same, given each child's gender emerges with a probability of \( \frac{1}{2} \). Therefore, the sequences have equal probabilities of \( \frac{1}{64} \) whether they are all girls or mixed genders. Understanding this principle helps dispel the common misconception that certain sequences might be more natural or expected to occur than others when in fact, they all share the same probability of occurrence.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

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