Question
In a high school basketball game, a player on the home team makes two free throws. One student asks the student next to her what he thinks the probability of hitting two free throws in a row is. The student replies, "The probability of him making a free throw is probably about .6, so hitting two free throws is probably about 1.2." Why can this immediately be dismissed as incorrect?
A. The final number, 1.2, is a fraction, which can never represent a probability.
B. The probability of making a free throw can never be .6.
C. The probability of an event happening twice in a row can never be equal.
D. The final number is greater than 1, which is not a valid probability.
A. The final number, 1.2, is a fraction, which can never represent a probability.
B. The probability of making a free throw can never be .6.
C. The probability of an event happening twice in a row can never be equal.
D. The final number is greater than 1, which is not a valid probability.
Answers
D, If the events are independent, the probability of both/all events occurring is determined by multiplying the probabilities of the individual events.