How Do You Solve Basic Probability Problems Involving A Coin Flip?
This is Article 1 in a series of stand-alone articles on basic probability. A common topic in introductory probability is solving problems involving coin flips. This article shows you the steps for solving the most common types of basic questions on this subject. First, note that the problem will likely make reference to a “fair” coin. All this means is that we’re not dealing with a “trick” coin, such as one which has been weighted to land on a certain side more often than it would have. Second, problems such as this never involve any type of silliness, such as the coin landing on its edge. Sometimes students try to lobby to have a question deemed null-and-void because of some far-fetched scenario. Don’t bring anything into the equation such as wind-resistance, or whether Lincoln’s head weighs more than his tail, or any such thing. We’re dealing with 50/50 here. Teachers really get upset with talk of anything else. With all that said, here is a very common question: “A fair coin lands
