Question

Question 25 (i)
Is the following argument correct? Give reasons for your answer.
If two coins are tossed simultaneously there are three possible outcomes – two heads, two tails or one of each. Therefore, for each of these outcomes, the probability is $\frac{1}{3}$.

Answer 1

Incorrect: We can classify the outcomes like this but they are not then, ‘equally likely’. Reason is that ‘one of each’ can result in two ways – from a head on first coin and tail on the second coin or from a tail on the first coin and head on the second coin. This makes it twice as likely as two heads (or two tails).