On Spinning and Toppling Coins -- Did Martin Gardner Change His Mind?
Source
G4G15
Title
On Spinning and Toppling Coins -- Did Martin Gardner Change His Mind?
Contributor
Jim Weinrich
Subject
Magic,Rec Math,MG Legacy,Science
Description
When you spin a penny on a smooth tabletop and let it fall heads or tails, is there a bias toward one side? Or is it a 50/50 expectation? Martin Gardner claimed over the years that there is a heads bias, or a tails bias, but didn't explain why he changed his mind. He consistently maintained that there was probably a slight bevel to the edges of pennies minted in the U.S. I've tested hundreds of pennies for such a bias and have surprising results to share.
Identifier
G15-055-1
Collection
Citation
“On Spinning and Toppling Coins -- Did Martin Gardner Change His Mind?,” G4G Gift Exchange Archive, accessed June 16, 2025, https://g4gexchangearchive.omeka.net/items/show/1703.
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