Question

Given family with three children,find the probability of the event the oldest are boys,given that the birth order alternates between girls and boys

Answer 1

The probability that the oldest children are boys, given that the birth order alternates between girls and boys, is 1/4.

Step-by-step explanation:

To find the probability that the oldest children are boys, given that the birth order alternates between girls and boys, we need to consider the possible combinations of genders in the family. Since the birth order alternates, the family can have either a boy or a girl as the oldest child. Let's call a girl 'G' and a boy 'B' for simplicity.

There are two possible combinations where the oldest children are boys:

1. BBG (Boy, Boy, Girl)
2. BGB (Boy, Girl, Boy)

Out of a total of 8 possible combinations (2 for each child), only 2 have the oldest children as boys. Therefore, the probability is 2/8 or 1/4.