Question

You toss a coin and randomly select a number from 0 to 9. What is the probability of getting tails and selecting a 1?

Answer 1

The probability of landing on tails and selecting the `1` is `1/20` when expressed in fraction form. As a decimal, it is `0.05`, and as a percent it is `5%`.

Explanation:

In this compound probability situation, you find the probability of the two independent events and multiply them.

A coin has two possible outcomes: heads or tails. Therefore the probability of landing on tails is `1/2`.

Considering the numbers from `0` to `9`, inclusive, there are a total of `10` possible outcomes. Therefore the probability of selecting the number `1` is `1/10`.

So the probability of the two events happening together is:

`1/2(1/10)= 1/20 = 0.05 = 5%`

As a fraction, the probability is `1/20`. As a decimal, the probability is `0.05`. As a percent, the probability is `5%`.

If the answer form is not specified in the directions, it is customary to give the probability in fraction form.