Isn't this assuming that 6 tosses means 6 or more? What if the SEVENTH (or
more) toss(es) are heads? You must then discount the previous result.

('Thou shalt count to 6 - and 6 will be the count, 7 is too many, and eight
is
way out of it...etc.etc.)

Surely you have to calculate based on the first 6 tosses are heads, and the
seventh must be a tail, or alternatively from any given toss being a tail,
the
subsequent 6 being heads, then a tail, unless the 6th head is also the 20th
toss.

I'm sure someone can figure it out!



> ----------
> From:         Tracy Pierce[SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent:         Tuesday, February 29, 2000 4:12 PM
> To:   [log in to unmask]
> Subject:      Re: OT RE: Probability question
>
> Back to QCTerm, Wirt.  The answer is 15 times .5**6, or .234375.
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Gary Jackson [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> > Sent: Tuesday, February 29, 2000 2:03 PM
> > To: [log in to unmask]
> > Subject: OT RE: Probability question
> >
> >
> > The one thing that I do know is that the probability of Wirt
> > knowing the
> > answer is 100%.
> >
> > G
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: VANCE,JEFF (HP-Cupertino,ex1) [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> > Sent: Tuesday, February 29, 2000 1:17 PM
> > To: [log in to unmask]
> > Subject: OT: Probability question
> >
> >
> > Hi all,
> >
> > (This is way off topic so please delete it now if you are not
> > interested)
> >
> > My wife just took a biology test where one of the questions was:
> >    "What is the probability of tossing 6 heads in a row out of 20 coin
> > tosses?"
> >
> > I believe that the number of tosses (20) doesn't matter.
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Jeff
> >
>