Experimental probability

Find out about the lottery that is played in a far-away land. What is the chance of winning?

This article, for students and teachers, is mainly about probability, the mathematical way of looking at random chance and is a shorter version of Taking Chances Extended.

You'll need to work in a group for this problem. The idea is to decide, as a group, whether you agree or disagree with each statement.

You and I play a game involving successive throws of a fair coin. Suppose I pick HH and you pick TH. The coin is thrown repeatedly until we see either two heads in a row (I win) or a tail followed by a head (you win). What is the probability that you win?

Can you generate a set of random results? Can you fool the random simulator?

A gambler bets half the money in his pocket on the toss of a coin, winning an equal amount for a head and losing his money if the result is a tail. After 2n plays he has won exactly n times. Has he more money than he started with?

A counter is placed in the bottom right hand corner of a grid. You toss a coin and move the star according to the following rules: ... What is the probability that you end up in the top left-hand corner of the grid?

Which of these ideas about randomness are actually correct?

In this game you throw two dice and find their total, then move the appropriate counter to the right. Which counter reaches the purple box first?