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-   -   Probability of Winning the Lottery (https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/showthread.php?t=267241)

  • Oct 8, 2008, 01:35 AM
    tck44
    Probability of Winning the Lottery
    Hi folks,

    I'm running through a practice exam for a Stats midterm I have next week. There is one question in particular where I'm not sure how to get to the answer provided:

    "In an instant lottery, your chances of winning are 0.2. If you play the lottery five times and outcomes are independent, the probability that you win at least one time is..."

    The answer given is 0.6723.

    Can anyone help me wrap my brain around this one? Not sure how to get to that particular solution.
  • Oct 8, 2008, 02:07 AM
    tck44
    Never mind.. I figured it out. :)

    For each play, you either win or you don't. These are, of course, Bernoulli trials, so we can apply the binomial probability formula.

    I'm embarrassed not to have realized that before, but we'll chalk it up to the late hour. :)
  • Oct 8, 2008, 07:38 AM
    Unknown008

    Correct! The easiest way is to subtract the case when you lost all five times from 1.

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