Probability Technology and Simulations

The questions on a multiple choice test each have 6 answer choices. Which model can be used to simulate randomly selecting the correct answer on a 20 question multiple choice test?

• rolling a six-sided number cube 6 times

• rolling a six-sided number cube 20 times

• spinning a spinner with 4 equal sized sections 4 times

• choosing 1 marble in a bag of 20 different colored marbles

A teacher wants to randomly choose 4 students to answer a series of questions. If there are 20 students in the classroom, describe a model that the teacher could use to simulate choosing these 4 students.

• rolling a number cube 20 times

• spinning a spinner with 20 sections 4 times

• flipping a coin 20 times

• rolling a number cube and flipping a coin 20 times

A cereal company is placing one of 6 different tickets into its boxes of cereal. If each ticket is equally likely to appear in a box of cereal, which model could be used to simulate the tickets you would find in 50 boxes of cereal?

• a coin that is flipped 50 times

• a spinner that has 4 sections that is spun 50 times

• a number cube that is rolled 50 times

• a coin is flipped and a number cube is rolled 50 times 

How could you simulate randomly choosing a place for lunch out of 6 different restaurants?

• flip a coin

• roll a die

• spin a 4-sided spinner

• flip 2 coins

Layla has 2 pairs of shoes and 6 pairs of socks. If each pair of socks and each pair of shoes is equally like to be chosen, which is the best simulation to show the probability of choosing any given combination?

• roll a die and flip a coin

• roll a die two times

• flip a coin 6 times

• flip a coin 2 times

Which is the best way to simulate choosing one student out of 12 to be the class president?

• roll a die and flip a coin

• roll a die

• spin a spinner with 4 sections

• flip a coin

How could you simulate randomly choosing a shirt to wear out of 8 different choices?

• flip three coins

• roll a die

• spin a 5-sided spinner and flip a coin

• roll two dice

A town has 10,000 two-child families. Design a simulation to estimate the percentage of two-child families with two girls. Choose the right simulation tool.

• The simulation tool could be a coin.

• The simulation tool could be a 6 sided dice.

• The simulation tool could be a bag of marbles.

A class quiz has 5 True/False questions. The correct answers are T, T, F, F, and T, in that order. Brandon answered the questions randomly and is now wondering if he will pass the quiz. He needs to have at least 3 correct answers. Brandon used a calculator to generate random numbers from 1 to 100. He let odd numbers stand for True and even numbers stand for False. He recorded the results in the table. What is the experimental probability that John passed the quiz? Use the chart to answer the question.

• 1/4

• 1/3

• 1/2

• 1

A way to model random events, so that outcomes closely match real-world outcomes is called a(n) ________________.