Final answer:
The probability that Brad will finish in second place in the race is 1/3, based on the number of equally likely outcomes for positions in the race.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question asks about the probability of Brad finishing in second place in a race with two other participants, where the chances are equal for each participant to win. Since the events are equally likely, we can calculate the probabilities using simple combinatorial methods.
For Brad to finish second, one of the other two runners must finish first, and the remaining runner must finish third. There are two possible scenarios where Brad can finish second: either Jen finishes first and David third, or David finishes first and Jen third. Since the first place can be taken by any one of the three participants and second and third places are consequently decided, there are 3 factorial (3!) or 3 x 2 x 1 = 6 total possible ways the race can end.
To find the probability that Brad finishes second, we divide the number of favorable outcomes for Brad finishing second by the total number of outcomes. Since there are 2 favorable outcomes for Brad to finish second and 6 total possible outcomes for the race, the probability is 2/6, which simplifies to 1/3. Therefore, the probability that Brad will finish in second place is 1/3.