Which of the following is a proper way to describe the probability of flipping heads on a fair coin?

• A. The probability is $2$.
• B. The probability is $\frac{1}{2}$.
• C. The probability is $0$.
• D. The probability is $1$.

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand that the probability of an event is a number between 0 and 1, inclusive, where 0 means the event never happens and 1 means the event always happens.
2. Step 2: Recognize that a fair coin has two equally likely outcomes: heads or tails.
3. Step 3: Calculate the probability of flipping heads by dividing the number of favorable outcomes (1 for heads) by the total number of possible outcomes (2 for heads or tails). This is expressed as \(\frac{1}{2}\).
4. Step 4: Note that the probability cannot be 2 because probabilities cannot exceed 1, and it cannot be 0 or 1 because the coin is fair and both outcomes are possible.
5. Step 5: Conclude that the proper way to describe the probability of flipping heads on a fair coin is \(\frac{1}{2}\).