Lesson 1

Explore

 

In golf, getting a hole in one is every golfer's dream. In Focus did you go to the Internet and find odds of getting a hole in one? Odds are another way to discuss the probability of an event. In Discover you calculated the theoretical probability and the experimental probability of winning a game. These probabilities can also be described using odds. In the next Try This activity, you will examine the relationship between probability and odds.

 

Try This 2

 

Suppose you are watching a game show on TV. Five green doors are shown. Contestants on the show get to choose a door and potentially win a prize. Prizes can be found behind two of the five doors.

1. Determine the probability of winning a prize.
2. Determine the probability of not winning a prize.
3. Add the probability of winning and not winning a prize. What do you notice?
4. The answers for questions 1 and 2 could be used to calculate the odds of winning and the odds of not winning. Use the following formula to write the odds as a fraction.
   
   
    
   
5. Write the odds of winning as a ratio.
   
   
    

   odds in favour of A = number of outcomes for A : number of outcomes against A

6. Write the odds against winning as a ratio.

Save your responses in your course folder.

 

Share 2

 

With a partner or in a group, discuss the following questions based on your responses to Try This 2.

1.  
   1. How does the probability of winning a prize compare to the odds of winning a prize?
   2. What similarities and differences do you notice between expressing the probability and the odds for an event?
2. What do you notice about the odds for winning versus the odds against winning? What relationship do you see?

If required, save a record of your discussion in your course folder.