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Listed under:  Mathematics  >  Statistics and probability  >  Probability
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Catalyst: Probability and the birthday paradox

Even when a maths problem seems simple – for example, the chance of two people sharing a birthday – the maths can run counter to our human intuition. Mathematician Lily Serna poses a maths problem to the Clovelly Bowling Club: how many people do you need to gather to get a 50 per cent chance of any two people in that group ...

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MathXplosion, Ep 49: The probability of finding matching socks

Check out this probability puzzle that requires you to weigh all the possibilities. Pick the most likely outcome when confronted with a drawer full of loose, unpaired socks! How did Eric come up with a matching pair?

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What Are the Chances?

Do you know what chance is? It's the probability or the likelihood of something happening. Watch this video as Grace explains the probability of picking a red marble out of a bowl. What's the probability of picking a green marble?

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Mixed Up Maths, Ep 9: The giraffe ate it

When something has no chance of happening we say its impossible. Sometimes the chance of something happening is unlikely. Listen to these excuses explaining why the host did not do his homework. Which of his excuses might the teacher think, the chance of this happening is ... 'possible'?

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MathXplosion, Ep 8: Birthday probability

What is the probability there are at least two people in your class who have the same birthday? If you have at least 23 people in your class, the chances are good. Find out the maths behind this theory.

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Catalyst: Magical maths

At first glance, maths and magic might not appear to have much in common, but did you know that you can use maths and logic to come up with solutions to problems that can seem magical? Learn one such maths trick in this video from ABC Catalyst. What is the probability of the letter not being 'e'?

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How to win at rock-paper-scissors

Find out how to win at rock-paper-scissors using game theory. According to this theory, how should you decide on your next move when you play multiple rounds? See if you can apply this theory in multiple rounds of rock-paper-scissors with someone. Did you win? |Why would this theory be useful in economics?

Online

Probability calculations: Year 8 – planning tool

This planning resource for Year 8 is for the topic of Probability calculations. Students are introduced to more complex probability concepts, terminology and visual representations for all combinations of two events. Students learn the language and differences between the connectors: ‘and’, ‘or’(inclusive or exclusive), ...

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Possible outcomes: Year 6 – planning tool

This planning resource for Year 6 is for the topic of Possible outcomes. Students represent the probability of an event occurring on a scale of zero to one as decimals, fractions or percentages.

Downloadable

Back to the books

In this lesson, students will explore how bookmakers set odds, and how these odds are carefully determined in order to guarantee the bookmaker the best chance of making a profit. Students learn how to convert between odds and probabilities and calculate the expected profit or loss based on odds. The lesson is outlined in ...

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Conduct chance experiments: Year 8 – planning tool

This planning resource for Year 8 is for the topic of Conduct chance experiments. Students draw on what they have learnt about probabilities related to compound events and apply this knowledge in a variety of experiments. The use of digital tools and simulations allow for repeated practice of compound events and help to ...

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Come in spinner

Students recognise and describe variations in results and conduct a simple experiment with spinners.

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Work sample Year 8 Mathematics: Random selection

This work sample demonstrates evidence of student learning in relation to aspects of the achievement standards for Year 8 Mathematics. The primary purpose for the work sample is to demonstrate the standard, so the focus is on what is evident in the sample not how it was created. The sample is an authentic representation ...

Online

reSolve: Probability - Rock Paper Scissors

In this sequence of two lessons, students determine their chances of winning the game 'rock paper scissors', then test their chances by playing against another player and in a simulated game. Students look at the psychological aspect of the game and recognise that there is a strategy to increase your chance of winning. ...

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Micro:bit missions: Take a chance on me (Integrating Mathematics): years 6-8

This resource comprises two activities that allow students to explore the concept of chance in Mathematics. Students use computational thinking while using a micro:bit as a digital system to generate and collect data. Students implement programs involving branching and iteration in visual and general-purpose programming languages.

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Statistics games

This resource is a web page containing three dice games to explore chance. Each dice game has simple instructions to play the interactive strategy game. The games provide a useful way to investigate the chance of rolling a particular number after successive trials. This resource is one activity from the NRICH collection.

Online

reSolve: Probability

This sequence of four lessons explores probability in real world situations including advertising, games and population sampling. Students calculate probabilities, represent probabilities as fractions, decimals and percentages, perform chance experiments with small and large sample sizes and graph their results, examine ...

Downloadable

Can you beat the system?

In this lesson, students calculate the average expected value of losses on a roulette wheel over time, and use these values to analyse the cost of gambling on these games. They also study the flaws inherent in betting systems to determine whether these systems are weighted in the favour of game operators making a profit. ...

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Sports betting

In this lesson students will take ownership of a gambling organisation. They will look at long term statistics of various sporting matches to set the initial odds and then monitor live betting to adjust the odds they are offering gamblers, in order to demonstrate how sports betting organisations guarantee they always make ...

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Chances are!

Students calculate the sum of probabilities for a chance experiment and compare frequency predictions with actual data.