I remember doing this in high school, but I can’t remember the methodology.
Let’s say I must do a series of 10 coin flips. There are obviously 2 possibilities each flip. How many total possible outcomes are there over the whole series. (e.g.- Heads the first round, tail, the second, heads, the third, etc.) I could draw this out with a flow chart, but I know there is a simpler mathematical formula to calculate the total possible outcomes.
-ashamed of my lack of math skills.
2 to the power 10 = 1,024
Well, the first thing that sprang to mind for me was a binary number.
So, ten coin flips. Two possibilities per flip. That’s like a 10-bit number. You remember binary, the counting system with numbers like 0100 and 1011 meaning “4” and “11” respectively, right?
Okay. Having worked with computers all our lives, we know that 8 bits is enough for 256 combinations (all possible numbers between 00000000 and 11111111). When we add more bits to that, we double the number of combinations. Which means, 512 combinations at 9 bits, and 1024 combinations at 10 bits.
Or, if you want to go the simple route, 2 possibilities at each of 10 intervals = 2[sup]10[/sup] = 1024.
two to the power of ten was my best guess. Ok. I am not a complete moron.
Thanks!