Suppose you flip 50fair coins.

(a) How many possible outcomes (microstates) are there?

(b) How many ways are there of getting exactly25heads and25tails?

(c) What is the probability of getting exactly 25heads and 25tails?

(d) What is the probability of getting exactly 30heads and 20tails?

(e) What is the probability of getting exactly 40heads and 10 tails?

(f) What is the probability of getting 50heads and no tails?

(g) Plot a graph of the probability of getting n heads, as a function of n.

Short Answer

Expert verified

(a)Possible outcomes (microstates) are there 1.2641×1014microstate,

(b) The ways are there of getting exactly 25heads and25tails are 1.2641×1014microstate

(c)The is the probability of getting exactly 25heads and 25tails are P=0.1123

(d) The probability of getting exactly 30heads and 20tails? P=0.04186

(e) The probability of getting exactly 40heads and 10tails? P=9.1236×106

(f)The probability of getting 50heads and no tails are P=8.882×1016

(e) A graph of the probability of getting n heads, as a function of n.

Step by step solution

01

Step1:Explanation of 50 fair coins (part a b c and d)

(a) we suppose we flip 50coins, n=50. The total number of microstates is:

2n=250=1.1259×1015microstate

(b) The number of microstates receiving 25heads is as follows:

Nn

where n denotes the number of heads and N denotes the number of coins, so:

5025=50!25!(5025)!=1.2641×1014microstate

(c)Regardless of order, the probability of getting the macrostate of heads and tails is:

P=NnTotal number of microstates

P=5025250=0.1123

(d) The probability of getting the macrostate of30heads and 20tails, regardless of order, is:

P=5030250=50!30!(5030)!250=0.04186

02

Step2:Explanation of  50 fair coins(part e f and  g )

(e)The probability of obtaining the macrostate of40heads and10tails, regardless of order, is as follows:

localid="1650287550141" P=5040250=50!40!(5040)!250=9.1236×106

(f) Regardless of order, the probability of receiving the macrostate of50heads and 0tails is:

localid="1650287553981" P=500250=50!0!(500)!250=8.882×1016

(g)The function we need to plot is the number of heads divided by the probability, so is:

localid="1650287557923" P(n)=Ω(50,n)250=50!n!(50n)!250

The table shows the values that we intend to plot where n varies from0to50. I drew the graph in MS Excel, and the image below shows how I generated the data.

03

Step3:Probability of 50 fair coins

04

Step4:find graph

The probability decreases sharply as we move away from the midpoint, with an equal number of heads and tails. This is nicely illustrated by a plot of the probability P(N):

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