Instructions:

For your initial post you will make up a problem similar to the above example.  NOTE:   Do not solve your own problem.(Remember that your problem must satisfy all the qualities of a binomial experiment – see above).  Then you will answer 2 classmates problems showing your work using Excel.  

The binomial distribution has five characteristics:

Sample Binomial Experiment – this would be in your initial post:   

A couple has 8 children (n = 8 trials).  We will assume that the probability of having a boy (arbitrarily defined as a “success”) is p = 0.5.  

a) Determine the probability the couple has exactly 5 boys.

b) Determine the probability that they have more than 5 boys.

c) Determine the probability that they have at most 5 boys.

Solution – this would be in your response post:

a) exactly 5 boys.  Type this into Excel:  =binom.dist(5,8,.5,False)  Answer:  .21875    

The probability of having exactly 5 boys is 0.22

b) More than 5 boys:  =1-binom.dist(5,8,.5,True)  

The probability of having more than 5 boys is .144531

c) at most 5 boys:  =binom.dist(5,8,.5,True)

The probability of having at most 5 boys is .855469