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A coin is tossed 50 times, and the number of times heads comes up is counted. Which of the following statements about the distributions of counts and proportions is FALSE?

User Doug Lampe
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2 Answers

7 votes

Final answer:

To determine the false statement about the distribution of outcomes in a coin toss experiment, we must consider the implications of the law of large numbers on probabilities. Over the long term, the relative frequency of heads in a fair coin toss approaches the theoretical probability of 0.5, but in the short term, the number of heads can deviate from this expectation.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question revolves around the concept of the law of large numbers and its implication on the distribution of outcomes in a coin toss experiment. The statement in question discusses the distribution of counts and proportions when a coin is tossed 50 times and the number of times heads comes up is counted. To identify which statement is false, we need to consider the properties of probability and the expected long-term behavior of the experiment.

According to the law of large numbers, as a fair coin is tossed more and more times, the relative frequency of obtaining heads should approach the theoretical probability of 0.5 or 50%. It is crucial to note that this law describes long-term behavior, meaning that in the short term, the number of heads may deviate from the expected 50%. For instance, if a coin is tossed 50 times, there is no guarantee of getting exactly 25 heads and 25 tails; it might yield a distribution of heads that is more or less than the expected 50%. However, as the number of tosses increases to a large number, the relative frequency will indeed get closer to the theoretical probability.

An incorrect statement (false statement) about the distributions would be something that contradicts this concept. For example, saying that the probability prescribes the exact short-term outcome (e.g., asserting that 25 heads must occur after 50 tosses) would be false, as probability only gives an expectation and not a certainty.

User Dean Coakley
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8 votes

Answer:

based on the fact there are no listed choices, a true statement would be about how the number of times heads came up would be about 50% or 25 times

Step-by-step explanation:

User Tanver Hasan
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