Spinning penny page (as of October 24, 2004)

Spinning penny*: Proportion of heads p =  (??)   Sample data:  Students spun pennies 50 times each.
                                                       Fall 1999 pooled   13 students      p-hat =  321/650 = .4938
                                                      Spring 2001 pooled  15 students      p-hat = 398/750 = .531
                                                           Fall 2001 Math 251   7 students p-hat = 174/350 = .497
                                                          Fall 2001 Math 151   9 students   p-hat = 229/450 =  .509
                                              Pooled all       43 previous      students   p-hat =1122/2150 = .522
Flicked:    Spring 2002 7 students p-hat = 157/350 =  .449
                       Without the "10H" outlier: p-hat = 147/300 =  .49
                   Fall 2002  6 students p-hat = 151/300 =  .503
                   Spring 2003 7 students p-hat = 151/350 = .431
                    Spring 2004 1 student  p-hat =24/50 = .48
                    Fall
2004 5 students  p-hat =123/250= ..49
                  Pooled 26 students  p-hat = 606/1300 = .466         
Twirled: Spring 2002 13 students p-hat = 296/650 =  .455
                   Fall 2002  8 students p-hat = 183/400 =  .458
                  Spring 2003 13 students p-hat = 308/650 = .474
                  Spring 2004 8 students p-hat = 209/400 = 0.523
                  Fall 2004  3 students p-hat = 66/150 =   .44   
         

                  Pooled 45 students  p-hat =  996/2250  =.472 
Both:  Spring 2004 4 students p-hat = 101/200 =.505
           Fall 2004 1 student p-hat = 26/50 = .52
           
Pooled 5 students  p-hat =  127/250  =.508
Other:  2 did only 30, 1 did a nickel.

  Combined flicked & twirled & both  last 5 terms 76 students, p-hat =  1795/3800 =  .472

Sampling variability: Distribution of all individual students' p-hats, Proportion of heads/50
 flicks marked with x, Fall 02+  Spring 03, Spring 04, Fall 04

o
-+-
.20
-+- .22 -+-
.24
-+-
.26
x
-+-
.28
o
-+-
.30
o
o
o
-+-
.32

x
-+-
.34

o
-+-
.36
o
x
o
o
-+-
.38
o
e
o
o
-+-
.40
e
o
o
o
o
x
o
o
-+-
.42
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
-+-
.44
o
x
o
o
x
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
-+-
.46
x
o
x
x
x
o
o
o
-+-
.48

x
x
o
x
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
-+-
.50

e
x
x
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
-+-
.52
e
e
o
x
o
x
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
-+-
.54
o
o
o
o
o
-+-
.56
o
o
o
o
o
-+-
.58
o
-+-
.60
o
o
-+-
.62
o
-+-
.64

-+-
.66
o
.74e
-+-
.68+

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Flicked
:
Fall 02, Spring 03, 7 students, Spring 04, 1 student, Fall 04, 5 students


-+-
.20
-+- .22 -+-
.24
-+-
.26
x
-+-
.28

-+-
.30
-+-
.32

x
-+-
.34


-+-
.36
x
x
-+-
.38

-+-
.40
x
-+-
.42
x
-+-
.44

x
x
-+-
.46
x
x
x

x
-+-
.48
x
x
x
-+-
.50
x
x
-+-
.52
x
x
-+-
.54

-+-
.56

-+-
.58

-+-
.60

-+-
.62

-+-
.64

-+-
.66

-+-
.68

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Twirled:
Fall 02, Spring 03, 13 students, Spring 04, 8 students, Fall 04, 3 students


-+-
.20
-+- .22 -+-
.24
-+-
.26

 -+-
.28
o
-+-
.30
-+-
.32


-+-
.34

o
-+-
.36
o
-+-
.38
o
o

-+-
.40
o
o
o
o
-+-
.42
o
o

o

o
o
-+-
.44
o
o
o
o
o
o
-+-
.46

o
-+-
.48


o
-+-
.50

-+-
.52
o
o
o
-+-
.54
o
o

o

-+-
.56
o
o
-+-
.58
o
-+-
.60
o
-+-
.62

-+-
.64

-+-
.66
o
-+-
.68

Both: Spring 04, 5 students, Fall 04, 1 student

-+-
.20
-+- .22 -+-
.24
-+-
.26

 -+-
.28

-+-
.30
-+-
.32


-+-
.34


-+-
.36

-+-
.38
e
-+-
.40
e
-+-
.42

-+-
.44

-+-
.46

-+-
.48

-+-
.50
e
-+-
.52
e
e

-+-
.54

-+-
.56

-+-
.58

-+-
.60

-+-
.62

-+-
.64

-+-
.66
.74
-+-
.68+


Sievers home  Spinningpenny04.htm 
10/24/04
This page belongs to Sally Sievers who is solely responsible for its content. Please see our statement of responsibility.
*Text answer book says (flicked) spinning pennies often approach 40% heads in the long term.  Not here, yet. Are Wells Women different?!



-+-
.20
-+- .22 -+-
.24
-+-
.26

 -+-
.28

-+-
.30
-+-
.32


-+-
.34


-+-
.36

-+-
.38

-+-
.40

-+-
.42

-+-
.44

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.46

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.48

-+-
.50

-+-
.52

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.54

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.56

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.58

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.60

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.62

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.64

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.66

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.68
xxxxxx xxxxx