Unit 8, Lesson 11
Probabilities in Games
Geometry
11.1
Activity
Rock, Paper, Scissors
There is a classic game called “Rock, Paper, Scissors.” Two people play by counting to 3 together, then making a hand gesture to resemble paper (hand flat, palm down), rock (fist), or scissors (two fingers extended).
- When paper and rock are shown, paper wins the round.
- When paper and scissors are shown, scissors wins the round.
- When rock and scissors are shown, rock wins the round.
- When both players show the same thing, the round is a tie.
Find a partner, and play the game with that partner 10 times in a row. Record the number of times you have played the game, the name of your opponent, what each person shows in each round, and who is the winner. After playing 10 games, find a new partner, play the game 10 times with this new partner, and record the results. Continue until your teacher tells you to stop.
Is the event “win the round” dependent on another event? Explain your reasoning.
Choose an event that you think might influence the probability of winning, then analyze the data using probability to determine whether the event you chose to study is independent of winning. Provide evidence to support your claim.