Mr. Smith have three sons. Mrs. Smith is pregnant and believes she is having another son. Mr. smith disagrees and says that because they have three sons the next child has a greater chance of being a daughter. Who is correct? Explain your answer.
This article should help.
http://www.members.cox.net/dagershaw/lol/Odds.html
I hope this helps a little more. Thanks for asking.
To answer this question, we need to understand the concept of probability.
The probability of having a boy or a girl is generally considered to be 50/50, assuming no factors that would influence the sex of the child like genetic conditions. Each child has an independent probability of being a boy or a girl, regardless of the sex of the previous children.
In this scenario, Mr. Smith's reasoning is incorrect. The fact that they already have three sons does not impact the probability of the next child being a boy or a girl. Each child's gender is determined by independent events, and past events have no effect on future outcomes. Therefore, the chances of their next child being a boy or a girl remain at 50/50, regardless of the sex of their previous children.