PASCAL’S TRIANGLE AND PROBABILITY

For each machineries given below, the ball left For n cups, the probability for each cup is
up to the bottom goes to right or left side with shown below.
the same probability.
1st 2nd 3rd (n–1) n th
cup cup cup ............. th
cup cup

n–1 n–1 n–1 n–1 n–1

0 1 2 n–2 n–1
n–1 n–1 n–1 n–1 n–1
2 2 2 2 2

1st cup 2nd cup

1 1 1, 1
2 2
nd
2 row of
Figure 1. (2 cups)
Pascal’s
triangle

Final Goal
ceran matematİk yayınları

For 100 cups, find the probability of this ball fall

into the 4th cup.

1st cup 2nd cup 3rd cup

Solution

1 2 1 1, 2, 1 n – 1 = 99, n = 100
4 4 4
rd
Probability is,
3 row of
Figure 2. (3 cups) 99
Pascal’s
3
triangle
99
2

1st 2nd 3rd 4th

cup cup cup cup

1 3 3 1 1, 3, 3, 1
8 8 8 8

Figure 3. (4 cups) 4 th row of

Pascal’s
triangle