Question

The sample space listing the eight simple events that are possible when a couple has three children is {bbb, bbg, bgb, bgg, gbb,

Answer 1

Answer:

bbbb,

bbbg, bbgb, bgbb, gbbb,

bbgg, bgbg, bggb, gbgb, gbbg, ggbb,

bggg, gbgg, ggbg, gggb,

gggg

Step-by-step explanation:

3 children: bbb, bbg, bgb, gbb, bgg, gbg, ggb, ggg

4 children: bbbb, bbbg, bbgb, bgbb, gbbb, bbgg, bgbg, bggb, gbgb, ggbb, bggg, gbgg, ggbg, gggb, gggg

You need to take a methodological approach;

The 2 easiest are the possibility of all boys and all girls;

Then consider 3 boys and 1 girl:

bbbg, bbgb, bgbb, gbbb

Then 2 boys and 2 girls:

bbgg, bgbg, bggb, gbgb, gbbg, ggbb

Lastly, 1 boy and 3 girls:

bggg, gbgg, ggbg, gggb

In total, there are 16 possibilities

P.S. interesting to note is that the number of possibilities here follows the pattern of Pascal's triangle:

       1

     1   1

   1  2  1

 1  3  3  1

1  4  6  4  1

The last row is relevant here;

There is 1 possibility where there are 4 boys;

There are 4 possibilities (in terms of the order of birth) where there are 3 boys and 1 girl;

There are 6 possibilities where there are 2 boys and 2 girls

There are 4 possibilities where there is 1 boy and 3 girls;

There is 1 possibility where there are 4 girls;

The pattern ∴ is 1 4 6 4 1, as the 5th row of Pascal's triangle reads;

If your talking about 3 children, it would match the 4th row of Pascal's triangle;

So, 1 possibility of 3 boys;

3 possibilities of 2 boys and 1 girl;

3 possibilities of 1 boy and 2 girls;

And 1 possibility of 3 girls;

If your talking about 10 children, it would match the 11th row of Pascal's triangle.

(Maths can be so cool XD)