If a penny is tossed four times and comes up heads all three times, the probability of heads on the fourth trial is
A) zero
B) 0.0625
C) 0.5000
D) larger than the probability of tails

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The probability of getting heads on any one toss of a fair coin is 0.5 (assuming a fair coin). Each toss is independent of the others, so the fact that the coin came up heads on the first three tosses has no effect on the probability of getting heads on the fourth toss. Therefore, the probability of getting heads on the fourth toss is still 0.5, or 50%, which corresponds to answer choice C.

If a Penny Is Tossed Four Times and Comes Up