Buffon's Needle An Analysis and Simulation

If you dropped a needle on a lined sheet of paper what is the probability that the needle will cross one of the lines on the page?  Surprise your class with how calculating this probability can approximate pi. This question is known as Buffon’s needle problem. This instructional activity walks you through the math used for the calculation, but possibly more approachable for the young mathematician is the applet that simulates the needle drop.