Problem of the Week - Upper Elementary - April 4, 2021 to April 10, 2021

Upper Elementary: 

Question: The probability that a saber-toothed tiger catches its prey is 3 out of 4. If a saber-toothed tiger has caught the past 3 rhinos it chased after, what is the probability that it will catch the next rhino it chases? 

Answer: 3 out of 4

Solution: The probability that the saber-toothed tiger catches the next rhino is still 3 out of 4. The first three catches don’t affect whether or not the saber-toothed tiger catches the next rhino, just like the probability of a flipped penny landing on heads isn’t affected by the penny landing on tails three times in a row.