What Is the Probability of Getting 53 Sundays in a Leap Year?

Learn how to calculate the probability of having 53 Sundays in a leap year with 366 days and two extra days.

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The probability of getting 53 Sundays in a leap year is approximately 2/7. A leap year has 366 days, which means 52 weeks and 2 extra days. The extra days could be (Sunday, Monday), (Monday, Tuesday), (Tuesday, Wednesday), (Wednesday, Thursday), (Thursday, Friday), (Friday, Saturday), or (Saturday, Sunday). Two out of these seven combinations include a Sunday, resulting in a 2/7 probability.

FAQs & Answers

  1. Why can there be 53 Sundays in a leap year? A leap year has 366 days, which equals 52 full weeks plus 2 extra days. If one of these two extra days is Sunday or the combination spans Sunday, there can be 53 Sundays in that year.
  2. How do you calculate the probability of 53 Sundays in a leap year? Since the two extra days in a leap year can occur in 7 possible combinations, and 2 of these include a Sunday, the probability is 2 out of 7, or approximately 2/7.
  3. Can 53 Sundays occur in a non-leap (common) year? Yes, a common year has 365 days (52 weeks and 1 extra day). If that extra day is Sunday, there can be 53 Sundays in a common year, with a probability of 1/7.