a coin is tossed 5 times what are the odds against the coin showing heads all 5 times

1 answer

To find the odds against the coin showing heads all 5 times, we need to determine the probability of getting heads in a single toss and then calculate the odds.

The probability of getting heads in a single toss is 1/2 (assuming a fair coin).

The probability of getting heads in all 5 tosses can be calculated by raising the probability of getting heads in a single toss to the power of the number of tosses: (1/2)^5 = 1/32.

Now, let's calculate the odds against this outcome. Odds are determined by dividing the probability of the event not happening by the probability of the event happening.

The probability of the coin NOT showing heads all 5 times is 1 - 1/32 = 31/32.

Therefore, the odds against the coin showing heads all 5 times are 31 to 1.