Home > INT3 > Chapter 6 > Lesson 6.2.2 > Problem 6-48
A team of eight students has finished an investigation on the many uses of parabolas. They must select a single group member to present their findings to the class. They have only a single coin to make chance selections, but they can flip it as many times as necessary to fairly select a student.
Using a single coin, describe a fair way to select the presenter.
There are a variety of possible methods. Make sure each student has an equally likely chance of being selected.
What is the smallest number of coin tosses needed to select a presenter fairly? Describe the method.
Draw a tree diagram.
How many times does the coin need to be flipped to get a sample space ofequally likely outcomes? Two of the group members realize they will not be in class the day of the presentation because they are playing in a baseball tournament. Can a presenter still be chosen fairly with a single coin? Explain why or why not?
Yes. Explanations/methods will vary.