Brown and Blue Eyed Children

By: Kalani and Madison

Our topic was assigned by Mrs. Lewis and we were given having 2 blue/brown
eyed children from Bb and Bb parents. The capital B means brown eyes which is
dominant over the recessive gene for blue eyes b.

B b

B BB Bb

b Bb bb

Our sample space included one child with blue eyes and another child with blue
eyes, one child with blue eyes and one child with brown eyes, and one child with brown
eyes with another brown eyed child. Our first event A was a brown eyed child. In order
to calculate the probability, we drew a punnett square with the parents’ genes. Since
there were three boxes that contained the brown eye dominant gene, there is ¾ chance,
or 75%, that the first child would have brown eyes. The Ac, which is the opposite
outcome of event A, is that the child does not have brown eyes and there is a ¼ or 25%
chance that the child does not have brown eyes. In order to get this value, we could
either look at the punnett square or subtract 75 from 100 since the P(A) and P(Ac)
values add up to 100%.
The next event that we calculated was event B. For this event, we decided that it
would symbolize a child having blue eyes. We did the same processes as before where
we looked at the punnett square and found that there was a 25% chance that a child
would be born with blue eyes. All of the values for event B are the opposite of the
values for event A since we only had two options. So, the B c value is 75% and it means
that there is a ¾ chance that the child born will not have blue eyes.
For two events to be independent of each other means that the probability of one
event to occur does not affect the probability of the other event occurring. To be
dependent, the outcome of the first event affects the outcome of the second event. Our
topic on getting a child born with brown eyes or a child born with blue eyes is
independent because the parents genes are the same and one child does not affect the
second child. In order to calculate the probability of having the first born child with brown
eyes and the second born child with blue eyes, we looked on the flowchart given to us
and followed the P(A and B) to the independent event equation which is P(A)*P(B). So,
we took the probability of having a brown eyed child (75%) and the probability of having
a blue eyed child (25%) and multiplied them. This gave us an answer of 18.75% which
means that their is an 18.75% that the first child will have brown eyes and the second
child will have blue eyes.
On the other side of the flowchart is P(A or B). To determine which equation to
use on this side, we had to determine if our events were mutually exclusive. We came
to the conclusion that they are mutually exclusive which means that they cannot occur
together. So, a person having both brown and blue eyes is not possible unless there is
some sort of mutation but we are assuming that there is no mutation option. The
probability of a child having either brown or blue eyes is 100% since we added both
probabilities. What this means is that there is a 100% chance that the parents will have
a child with either blue or brown eyes.
There are multiple ways to calculate not just probabilities, but also arrangements
of different events. One example includes the multiplication rule of counting which is
described as if there are m ways to choose one event and n ways to choose another
event, there are m times n ways to choose both. This rule can be used to find the total
number of outcomes from two events. An example of how this can be used is say that
you go to the pet store and there are 5 different cats, 3 different dogs, and 8 different
types of fish. You are allowed to pick one of each animal. In order to come up with all of
the different possibilities to match up a dog, cat, and a fish, we will multiply the amount
of each animal by the next. So, we will do 5x3x8. This gives us an answer of 120. What
this means is that are 120 different options of how someone could pick 1 dog, 1 cat, and
1 fish.
A permutation classifies the number of ways to arrange a set of numbers in a
specific order. Unlike a combination, the order does matter in a permutation and can be
used to figure out the amount of ways to group numbers such as in unlocking a lock
with a combination. In this example, the order the numbers go in matters so it is a
permutation. To calculate a permutation, you can either use a calculator or the formula
(nPr = n! / (n-r)!). One example of this could include, how many ways can 1st, 2nd, and
3rd place medals be awarded among 8 contestants? In order to solve this, we have to
determine how many spots can be filled which is 3. In the first spot, we have 8
contestants to choose from so we put 8 first. In the second spot, we have 7 to choose
from since we lost one person to the first spot. That means that we have 6 people to
choose from in the third spot. So, we do 8x7x6, giving us an answer of 336. There are
336 different ways that we could hand out the medals among 8 contestants.
Like I stated before, a combination is used when the order of things does not
matter. In order to calculate a combination, we can use the calculator or the equation
(nCr = n!/ r! X (n-r)!). An example of a combination is a coach picking 3 swimmers out of
5 to swim at the meet. In this case, order does not matter because the coach only wants
3 people to swim and it does not matter if they are good or not. In order to figure this
out, we plugged it into the calculator to give us 10. What this means is that there are 10
different ways that the coach can pick 3 out of the 5 swimmers to swim.
 In conclusion, we found that there was more of a likelihood that the parents
would have a brown eyed child, but having a blue eyed is not impossible. We also
determined that there was a small chance that the parents would get both (one brown
eyed and one blue eyed).

Sample Space: blue and blue, blue and brown, brown and brown
Simple Event A:
a. A = Brown eyed child
b. Find P(A)=75%
c. What does P(A) tell you? There is a 75% chance that the first child will have
brown eyes.
d. Ac = Not having brown eyes
e. Find P(Ac)=25%
f. What is true about P(A) and P(Ac)? Both probabilities add up to 100%

Simple Event B:
a. B = Blue eyed child
b. Find P(B)=25%
c. What does P(B) tell you? This tells us that there is a 25% chance that the second
child will have blue eyes.
d. Bc = Not having blue eyes
e. Find P(Bc)=75%
f. What is true about P(B) and P(Bc)? Both probabilities add up to 100%

A and B as a Compound Event:

a. What does it mean for 2 events to be independent? Dependent? For events to
be independent means that the probability of one event to occur does not affect
the probability of the other event occurring. To be dependent, the outcome of the
first event affects the outcome of the second event.
b. Are your two events independent or dependent of each other? Independent
c. How do you know? The first child having either brown or blue eyes does not
affect the eye color of the second child.
d. Find P(A and B) 18.75%
e. How did you decide which probability formula to use? We knew our events were
independent so we used the flow chart and chose the independent equation.
f. What does this value mean in terms of your original scenario? There is an
18.75% chance that the first child will have brown eyes and the second child will
have blue eyes.

A or B as a Compound Event:
 a. What does it mean for 2 events to be mutually exclusive? Two events are
mutually exclusive if they cannot occur together.
b. Are your two events mutually exclusive? Yes it is mutually exclusive
c. How do you know? One child cannot have one brown and one blue eye.
d. Find P(A or B) 100%
e. How did you decide which probability formula to use? We knew that our events
were mutually exclusive so used the flow chart and chose the mutually exclusive
equation.
f. What does this value mean in terms of your original scenario? There is a 100%
chance that the child will either have brown or blue eyes.

3. The Multiplication Rule of Counting

a. What is it? The Multiplication Rule of Counting is described as if there are m
ways to choose one event and n ways to choose another event, there are m
times n ways to choose both.
b. What is it used for? It can be used to find the total number of outcomes from two
events.
c. Provide an example of how it might be used, complete with an explanation and
solution.

a. Permutation
i. What is it? A permutation is the number of ways to arrange a set of
numbers
ii. What makes it different from a combination? The order matters with
permutations
iii. What is it used for? Permutations are used for lists where order matters,
such as handing out medals or figuring out a lock combination.
iv. What are the different methods for calculating it? Permutations can be
calculated by using the formula (nPr = n! / (n-r)!) or typing into a
calculator.
v. Provide an example of how it might be used, complete with an
explanation, and formulas, and a solution.

a. Combination
i. What is it? A combination is a way to calculate events where the order
does not matter.
ii. What makes it different from a permutation? A combination is different
from a permutation because the order of the numbers doesn’t matter,
where it does matter for a permutation.
iii. What is it used for? Combinations are used for lists where the order
doesn’t matter, such as how many ways a seating chart can be set up in
a classroom.
iv. What are the different methods for calculating it? Combinations can either
be calculated by using the formula (nCr = n! / r! X (n-r)!) or by typing into a
calculator.
v. Provide an example of how it might be used, complete with an
explanation, and formulas, and a solution