If you toss a coin twice, what is the probability that both flips result in heads?

Question Analysis

This question is about calculating probabilities in a basic probability scenario involving a fair coin toss. The candidate needs to understand that each coin flip is an independent event and that the probability of getting heads on a single flip is known. The task is to find the combined probability of both events (tosses) resulting in heads.

Answer

To solve this problem, we need to calculate the probability of getting heads on both coin tosses.

1. Probability of heads on one flip: Since a fair coin has two sides, the probability of getting heads on a single flip is (\frac{1}{2}).

2. Probability of heads on two consecutive flips: Both flips are independent events, so we multiply the probability of getting heads on the first flip by the probability of getting heads on the second flip.

   [
   \text{Probability of heads on both flips} = \frac{1}{2} \times \frac{1}{2} = \frac{1}{4}
   ]

Thus, the probability that both flips result in heads is (\frac{1}{4}) or 0.25.