Scholars create and perform experiments attempting to answer Buffon's Coin problem. They discover the relationships between geometry and probability, empirical and theoretical probabilities, and area of a circle and square.

Concepts

coins, probability, theoretical probability, experimental probability

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Additional Tags

math

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Instructional Ideas

• Using the same size grid, experiment with different-sized coins to see if the results change
• Using the same size coins, try using different size grids (both larger and smaller boxes) and observe any differences

Classroom Considerations

• Relies on prior knowledge of area formulas, probability, proportion, and simulations

Pros

• Links to online resources for many extension ideas
• Allows for multiple ways to teach the same topic—hands-on, virtual experiment, analysis only, etc.

Cons

• None

Common Core

7.G.B.6 7.SP.A.1 MP2 MP5