Q: What is higher: the probability of rolling a sum of 8 when two dice are rolled or when 3 dice are rolled?
A: Let’s start with the first part… What is the probability of rolling an 8 when two dice are rolled? Well, when you roll two dice there are 36 possible outcomes (6 outcomes on 1 die * 6 outcomes on the other die = 36 possible outcome).
Now, how many of these outcomes equal 8? The pairs that are possible on two dice that make 8 are:
(2, 6) and (6, 2)
(3, 5) and (5, 3)
(4, 4)
So, there are 5 possible ways to get an “8”. The probability of rolling an 8 on two dice is 5/36.
Now, let’s consider rolling 3 dice. There are 6 * 6 * 6 = 216 possible outcomes from 3 dice. How many of these outcomes make “8”? For fun, I am going to list each permutation followed by each combination (the same numbers, just scrambled):
(1, 1, 6) and (1, 6, 1) & (6, 1, 1)
(1, 2, 5) and (1, 5, 2) & (2, 5, 1) & (2, 1, 5) & (5, 1, 2) & (5, 2, 1)
(1, 3, 4) and (1, 4, 3) & (3, 1, 4) & (3, 4, 1) & (4, 1, 3) & (4, 3, 1)
(2, 2, 4) and (2, 4, 2) & (4, 2, 2)
(2, 3, 3) and (2, 3, 2) & (3, 2, 2)
Note: It is very important to do this systematically so that you don’t repeat any accidentally AND so you don’t forget any. Can you follow the way I did it?
Now, count them all up… There are 21 possible ways to roll an “8”. Therefore, the probability of rolling an 8 on three dice is 21/216.
Now compare? Who is larger? 21/216 or 5/8….? WAAA… 5/8 is MUCH larger.
Therefore, it is much more likely to roll an 8 on two dice than it is to roll an 8 on three dice!
thanks stacey, i got it now!!
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