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Coin Tossing Investigation I

Collect experimental data:

  1. Two students in a class were preparing to play a game that required taking turns. They decided to flip a coin ten times to decide who would go first. After five flips, all of which had turned up "heads", one student said, "The next one is bound to be tails." What do you think? Make a prediction.

  2. Talk with your partner(s) about what the expected probability should be for tossing either a head or a tail. Write down your prediction for the number of heads and tails that would occur if you flip a coin ten times. Explain your prediction.

  3. Toss a penny ten times. Record your data in a spreadsheet for the 10 tosses. Refer to Technical Hints on how to design a spreadsheet.

  4. Based on the evidence you collected, calculate the experimental probability of a head or tail being tossed. Refer to Technical Hints to see how to find experimental probability using the spreadsheet. Express your answer as a percentage.

  5. Answer question 1 in the Analysis.

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