Last visit was: 24 Apr 2024, 06:15 It is currently 24 Apr 2024, 06:15

Close

GRE Prep Club Daily Prep

Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.

Customized
for You

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Track
Your Progress

every week, we’ll send you an estimated GRE score based on your performance

Practice
Pays

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.

Close

Request Expert Reply

Confirm Cancel
Verbal Expert
Joined: 18 Apr 2015
Posts: 28623
Own Kudos [?]: 33105 [3]
Given Kudos: 25173
Send PM
avatar
Intern
Intern
Joined: 14 Mar 2020
Posts: 41
Own Kudos [?]: 25 [0]
Given Kudos: 0
Send PM
avatar
Intern
Intern
Joined: 14 Mar 2020
Posts: 41
Own Kudos [?]: 25 [0]
Given Kudos: 0
Send PM
Moderator
Moderator
Joined: 02 Jan 2020
Status:GRE Quant Tutor
Posts: 1085
Own Kudos [?]: 883 [1]
Given Kudos: 9
Location: India
Concentration: General Management
Schools: XLRI Jamshedpur, India - Class of 2014
GMAT 1: 700 Q51 V31
GPA: 2.8
WE:Engineering (Computer Software)
Send PM
Re: A fair coin is tossed six times. What is the probability tha [#permalink]
1
We are given that A fair coin is tossed six times and we need to find What is the probability that the result will be exactly three heads and three tails

Now there are six places to fill as shown below

_ _ _ _ _ _

We need to get 3 Heads and 3 Tails.
Now lets find out the slots out of these 6 in which 3 heads will go.

We can find that using 6C3 = \(\frac{6!}{3!*(6-3)!}\) = \(\frac{6!}{3!*3!}\) = \(\frac{6*5*4*3*2*1}{3*2*1*3*2*1}\) = 20 ways

Now, in the remaining slots we will have Tails. So we can get 3H and 3T in 20 ways

WE know that probability of getting a head, P(H), = Probability of getting a Tail, P(T) = \(\frac{1}{2}\)

=> Probability of getting 3H and 3T = Number of ways * P(H) * P(H) * P(H) * P(T) * P(T) * P(T) = 20 * \(\frac{1}{2} * \frac{1}{2} * \frac{1}{2} * \frac{1}{2} * \frac{1}{2} * \frac{1}{2}\) = \(\frac{5}{16}\)

So, Answer will be C
Hope it helps!

Watch the following video to learn How to Solve Probability with Coin Toss Problems

Retired Moderator
Joined: 09 Nov 2021
Status:GRE Tutor London and Online
Affiliations: Private GMAT/GRE Tutor London
Posts: 76
Own Kudos [?]: 85 [1]
Given Kudos: 6
Send PM
A fair coin is tossed six times. What is the probability tha [#permalink]
1
This is an example of what I call number of distributions * probability/distribution:

The number of distributions, or ways to organize, three Hs and three Ts (HHHTTT, HHTHTT, etc.) is the factorial of the total number of terms (6) divided by the factorial of each of the sets of repeated terms (3 Hs and 3 Ts, naturally).

6!/(3!3!) = 20

The probability/distribution is a sample-case probability for ONE of these (not that it matters since the coin toss will always produce a probability of 1/2 per toss):

H H H T T T ==> (1/2)(1/2)(1/2)(1/2)(1/2)(1/2) = (1/2)^6 = 1/64

So that means that...

number of distributions * probability/distribution = 20*1/64 = 20/64 = 5/16.

Answer C.

If you're interested in more on this technique, I've written an extensive article about it here: https://privategmattutor.london/gmat-probability-number-of-distributions-x-probability-per-distribution/
Prep Club for GRE Bot
[#permalink]
Moderators:
Moderator
1085 posts
GRE Instructor
218 posts

Powered by phpBB © phpBB Group | Emoji artwork provided by EmojiOne