Coin flipping, also known as coin tossing or "heads or tails," is a method of using a coin to make a decision or choose between two alternatives. The coin is flipped into the air, spinning, and when it lands, the side facing up is either heads (often the side with a portrait or face) or tails (the opposite side). This process has two possible outcomes and is typically used to resolve disputes or make decisions fairly by chance.
The probability of landing heads or tails in a fair coin flip is 50/50, meaning each outcome has an equal chance. Multiple flips are independent events, so previous results do not affect the next outcome. Over many flips, results tend to approach an equal distribution of heads and tails.
Coin flipping has historical roots dating back to the Romans, who called it "navia aut caput" (ship or head), referencing the symbols on their coins. It also has variants including flipping multiple coins or performing multiple tosses to choose among more than two options.
In summary, "heads or tails" is a simple game of chance using a coin flip to randomly determine one of two possible outcomes with equal probability.
