Probability

Project: Birthday Survey

Directions: This activity can be found on page 229 in your textbook. To complete the activity you will need grid paper.

  1. Survey a group of 24 people in your school regarding the date of their birth (month and day - not year). Tally the results.

    # Name Birth Month and Day
    1.
    2.
    3.
    4.
    5.
    6.
    7.
    8.
    9.
    10.
    11.
    12.
    13.
    14.
    15.
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    17.
    18.
    19.
    20.
    21.
    22.
    23.
    24.

  2. Organize your findings in a chart or graph. Does your group contain a shared birthday?

  3. Now combine your results with another of your classmates to form a group of 2 (a total of 48 birthdays). Does your group's graph differ from your individual graph? Explain how.

  4. Now you will examine the likelihood of finding two or more Presidents of the United States who share a common birthday.

    How many presidents are included in your list? According to the graph shown below, what is the probability of finding a common birthday? Organize your list to determine if there are any shared Presidential birthdays. Do your findings agree or disagree with the percentages in the table?

    Shared Birthdays Graph