Question

Wai tossed a fair coin 9 times with an outcome of H H T T T T H H H, where H means heads and T means tails. What is the probability that the next toss will be T?

1) 0.2
2) 0.4
3) 0.5
4) 1.0

Answer 1

The probability that the next coin toss will result in tails is 0.5, as each toss is an independent event and the coin is fair.

Step-by-step explanation:

The probability of a coin toss resulting in tails does not change regardless of previous outcomes if the coin is fair. Each coin toss is an independent event, and if the coin is fair, both outcomes, heads, and tails, have an equal chance of occurring. Therefore, despite the previous outcomes of H H T T T T H H H, the probability that the next toss will be tails is still 0.5 (or 50%). This unchanging probability, inherent in a fair coin, illustrates the independence of each toss. Despite preceding results, the next outcome's likelihood remains constant, emphasizing the coin's fairness and the consistent 50% probability for either heads or tails in every independent flip.