Question 54142
There's a couple of ways of doing this:
The multiplication rule:
Multiply the probabilty of having a boy and a boy and a boy and a boy.
{{{P=(1/2)(1/2)(1/2)(1/2)=1/16=.0625}}}
You can also raise the probability to the power of 4.
{{{P=(1/2)^4}}}
{{{P=1/16=.0625}}}
If you aren't to that point in your book, P=(#of ways to have 4 boys)/(# of ways to have children)
There is 1 way to have 0 boys: (GGGG)
There are 4 ways to have 1 boys: (BGGG),(GBGG),(GGBG),(GGGB)
There are 6 ways to have 2 boys: (BBGG),(GBBG),(GGBB),(BGBG),(GBGB),(BGGB)
There are 4 ways to have 3 boys: (BBBG),(BBGB),(BGBB),(GBBB)
There is 1 way to have 4 boys:(BBBB)
There is 1 way to have 4 boys and 16 ways to have 4 children:
{{{highlight(P=1/16=.0625)}}}
Happy Calculating!!!