Question

PLEASE HELP!!!!!

Identify the probability of getting heads and then getting tails, when a coin is tossed twice.

Please explain how you'd solve this problem.


Thanks! =)

Answer 1

probability of getting head in first toss is 0.5
probability of getting tail in second toss is 0.5

so Identify the probability of getting head and then getting tail is
0.5 x 0.5 = 0.25

Answer 2

the answer would be 1. you have half the chance the first toss and half the chance the second toss. half and half equal 1

Answer 3

Well, I did think that, but I did remember that this would probably be dependent probability, right? If that were so, wouldn't you have (1/2) a chance for the first toss, but then a 1/4 chance for the second toss (because your second toss could have TH, TT, HT, HH)? So, if you multiplied (1/2)(1/4), you'd get (1/8) - is this correct?

Answer 4

Well, I did think that, but I did remember that this would probably be dependent probability, right? If that were so, wouldn't you have (1/2) a chance for the first toss, but then a 1/4 chance for the second toss (because your second toss could have TH, TT, HT, HH)? So, if you multiplied (1/2)(1/4), you'd get (1/8) - is this correct?

Answer 5

the first toss has no influence on the second toss.. so they are independent

another way to solve the exercise is by considering all the possible cases which are {HH,HT,TH,TT}
so we have 4 possible outcomes and we need probability of HT
thus here it is 1/4

Answer 6

Wait a second, though - the problem says "getting heads and then getting tails." The "then getting" part sounds like it's dependent. I'm confused - why would it be independent?

Answer 7

Wait a second, though - the problem says "getting heads and then getting tails." The "then getting" part sounds like it's dependent. I'm confused - why would it be independent?

Answer 8

the "then" here has an influence on the order of heads and tails.. it means that head is first and then tail
so we can choose only HT
if "then" was not found we could choose HT and TH
so this part has influence only on order but it doesnt make the tosses dependent

Answer 9

Okay, thank you! :)

Answer 10

glad to help :)