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Catalyst: Probability and the birthday paradox

Video Catalyst: Probability and the birthday paradox

TLF ID M025435

Even when a maths problem seems simple – for example, the chance of two people sharing a birthday – the maths can run counter to our human intuition. Mathematician Lily Serna poses a maths problem to the Clovelly Bowling Club: how many people do you need to gather to get a 50 per cent chance of any two people in that group sharing the same birthday? Can you test this solution in your classroom?

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Educational details

Year level

6; 7

Topics Mathematics Sampling (Statistics) Probability Experiments Expected frequency Relative frequency
Learning area
  • Mathematics

Other details

Contributors
  • Contributor
  • Name: Australian Broadcasting Corporation
  • Organization: Australian Broadcasting Corporation
  • Description: Creator
  • URL: http://www.abc.net.au
  • Name: Education Services Australia
  • Organization: Education Services Australia
  • Description: Data manager
  • Address: VIC, AUSTRALIA
  • URL: http://www.esa.edu.au/
  • Publisher
  • Name: Australian Broadcasting Corporation
  • Organization: Australian Broadcasting Corporation
  • Description: Publisher
  • URL: http://www.abc.net.au
  • Resource metadata contributed by
  • Name: Education Services Australia Ltd
  • Organisation: Education Services Australia Ltd
  • Address: AUSTRALIA
  • URL: www.esa.edu.au
Access profile
  • Generic
Learning Resource Type
  • Video
Rights
  • Metadata © Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Education Services Australia Ltd 2012 (except where otherwise indicated). Digital content © Australian Broadcasting Corporation 2012 (except where otherwise indicated).