An unbiased coin is tossed five times. The outcome of each toss is either a head or a tail. The probability of getting at least one head is A. $$\frac{1}{{32}}$$ B. $$\frac{{13}}{{32}}$$ C. $$\frac{{16}}{{32}}$$ D. $$\frac{{31}}{{32}}$$

$$ rac{1}{{32}}$$
$$ rac{{13}}{{32}}$$
$$ rac{{16}}{{32}}$$
$$ rac{{31}}{{32}}$$

The correct answer is $\boxed{\frac{{16}}{{32}}}$.

The probability of getting at least one head is the complement of the probability of getting no heads. The probability of getting no heads is the probability of getting tails all five times. This is $\frac{1}{2}\times\frac{1}{2}\times\frac{1}{2}\times\frac{1}{2}\times\frac{1}{2} = \frac{1}{32}$. Therefore, the probability of getting at least one head is $1 – \frac{1}{32} = \boxed{\frac{{16}}{{32}}}$.

Each option can be explained as follows:

  • Option A: $\frac{1}{{32}}$ is the probability of getting all tails. This is a very unlikely event, so it is not the correct answer.
  • Option B: $\frac{{13}}{{32}}$ is the probability of getting exactly one head. This is possible, but it is not as likely as getting at least one head. Therefore, it is not the correct answer.
  • Option C: $\frac{{16}}{{32}}$ is the probability of getting at least one head. This is the correct answer.
  • Option D: $\frac{{31}}{{32}}$ is the probability of getting all heads. This is a very unlikely event, so it is not the correct answer.