What is the probability of flipping a fair coin and landing heads?

• A. 0.25 or 25%
• B. 0.5 or 50%
• C. 1 or 100%
• D. 0 or 0%

Answer: (B)

When flipping a fair coin, there are two possible outcomes: heads or tails. Each outcome has an equal chance of occurring since the coin is fair, meaning neither side is weighted or biased.

The probability of an event is calculated as the number of favorable outcomes divided by the total number of possible outcomes. In this case, landing on heads is one favorable outcome, and the total number of possible outcomes (heads and tails) is two.

Mathematically, the probability can be expressed as:

Probability of heads = Number of favorable outcomes / Total number of possible outcomes = 1 / 2 = 0.5

As a percentage, this probability equals 50%. Thus, the probability of flipping a fair coin and landing heads is correctly identified as 0.5 or 50%.