High School

Kimbo will toss a coin in the air 350 times. What is the best prediction for the number of times it will land on tails?

A. Exactly 175 times
B. Exactly 170 times
C. Close to 170 times but probably not exactly 170 times
D. Close to 175 times but probably not exactly 175 times

Answer :

To find the best prediction for the number of tails when the coin is tossed, we use the concept of expected value. Here are the steps:

1. We know that Kimbo tosses the coin a total of
[tex]$$N = 350$$[/tex]
times.

2. For a fair coin, the probability of getting tails on any single toss is
[tex]$$p = 0.5.$$[/tex]

3. The expected number of tails, which is the best prediction, is calculated by multiplying the number of tosses by the probability of tails:
[tex]$$\text{Expected Tails} = N \times p = 350 \times 0.5 = 175.$$[/tex]

Thus, the best prediction for the number of times the coin will land on tails is exactly
[tex]$$175.$$[/tex]

Therefore, the correct answer is:

A. Exactly 175 times.