A family has 2 children. What is the probability that both children are boys?

A family has 2 children. What is the probability that both children are boys?

Correct Answer: 1/4

Step 1: Understand that there are 2 children in the family.
Step 2: Recognize that each child can either be a boy (B) or a girl (G).
Step 3: List all possible combinations of the two children: BB (both boys), BG (boy and girl), GB (girl and boy), GG (both girls).
Step 4: Count the total number of combinations. There are 4 combinations: BB, BG, GB, GG.
Step 5: Identify how many of these combinations have both children as boys. There is only 1 combination: BB.
Step 6: Calculate the probability by dividing the number of favorable outcomes (1) by the total number of outcomes (4).
Step 7: The probability that both children are boys is 1/4.

Probability – Understanding the likelihood of an event occurring based on possible outcomes.
Combinatorics – The study of counting, arrangements, and combinations of objects.