A fair coin is tossed once. What is the probability that it lands on tails? Give the probability as a fraction out of the two equally likely outcomes.

Explanation

The coin has two equally likely results and tails is one of them, so one favourable outcome is compared with two possible ones, which is written 1/2. Writing 1/1 claims a result that turns up on every toss, and the coin fails to show tails whenever it shows heads; writing 2/1 places the count of outcomes on the wrong side of the fraction, and a comparison of a part with the whole can never come out greater than 1.