Plinko Probability

Plinko Probability Screenshot
  • Probability
  • Statistics
  • Histograms
Flash Logo Original Sim and Translations

Topics

  • Probability
  • Statistics
  • Histograms

Description

Drop balls through a triangular grid of pegs and see them accumulate in containers. Switch to a histogram view and compare the distribution of balls to an ideal binomial distribution. Adjust the binary probability and develop your knowledge of statistics!

Sample Learning Goals

  • Predict the bin where a single ball might fall
  • Repeat trials of 100 balls and compare the outcomes
  • Count the number of balls in a bin and relate that to the probability of falling in that bin
  • Compare and interpret empirical and theoretical statistics
  • Apply the plinko simulation as a model to other scenarios where there are weighted statistics

Standards Alignment

Common Core - Math

6.SP.A.2
Understand that a set of data collected to answer a statistical question has a distribution which can be described by its center, spread, and overall shape.
6.SP.B.4
Display numerical data in plots on a number line, including dot plots, histograms, and box plots.
6.SP.B.5c
Giving quantitative measures of center (median and/or mean) and variability (interquartile range and/or mean absolute deviation), as well as describing any overall pattern and any striking deviations from the overall pattern with reference to the context in which the data were gathered.
7.SP.C.5
Understand that the probability of a chance event is a number between 0 and 1 that expresses the likelihood of the event occurring. Larger numbers indicate greater likelihood. A probability near 0 indicates an unlikely event, a probability around 1/2 indicates an event that is neither unlikely nor likely, and a probability near 1 indicates a likely event.
7.SP.C.6
Approximate the probability of a chance event by collecting data on the chance process that produces it and observing its long-run relative frequency, and predict the approximate relative frequency given the probability. For example, when rolling a number cube 600 times, predict that a 3 or 6 would be rolled roughly 200 times, but probably not exactly 200 times.
HSS-IC.A.2
Decide if a specified model is consistent with results from a given data-generating process, e.g., using simulation. For example, a model says a spinning coin falls heads up with probability 0.5. Would a result of 5 tails in a row cause you to question the model?
HSS-ID.A.1
Represent data with plots on the real number line (dot plots, histograms, and box plots).
HSS-ID.A.2
Use statistics appropriate to the shape of the data distribution to compare center (median, mean) and spread (interquartile range, standard deviation) of two or more different data sets.
Version 1.1.18

Teacher Tips

Download teacher tips PDF Overview of sim controls, model simplifications, and insights into student thinking ( PDF ).

Teacher-Submitted Activities

Displaying, Analyzing, and Summarizing Data A gold star indicates high-quality, inquiry-based activities that follow the PhET design guidelines. This contribution was designed by PhET. Jeffrey Bush MS Guided Mathematics
What are the chances? A gold star indicates high-quality, inquiry-based activities that follow the PhET design guidelines. This contribution was designed by PhET. Susan Miller MS
HS
Guided Mathematics
How do PhET simulations fit in my middle school program? This contribution was designed by PhET. Sarah Borenstein MS Other Physics
Biology
Chemistry
Earth Science
Alignment of PhET sims with NGSS This contribution was designed by PhET. Trish Loeblein updated by Diana López HS
MS
Other Earth Science
Chemistry
Physics
Biology
Middle School Math Sim Alignment This contribution was designed by PhET. Amanda McGarry MS Other Mathematics
Plinko Probability for Long-Run Frequencies Kelly Findley MS Guided Mathematics
Preguntas de razonamiento para todas las simulaciones HTML5 A gold star indicates high-quality, inquiry-based activities that follow the PhET design guidelines. This contribution was designed by PhET. Diana López MS
HS
UG-Adv
Grad
UG-Intro
K-5
Discuss
HW
Chemistry
Mathematics
Astronomy
Physics
SECUNDARIA: Alineación PhET con programas de la SEP México (2011 y 2017) This contribution was designed by PhET. Diana López MS
HS
Other Physics
Mathematics
Biology
Chemistry
PREPARATORIA: Alineación de PhET con programas de la DGB México (2017) This contribution was designed by PhET. Diana López UG-Intro
HS
Other Physics
Mathematics
Chemistry
PRIMARIA: Alineación con programas de la SEP México (2011 y 2017) This contribution was designed by PhET. Diana López MS
K-5
Lab
HW
Discuss
Demo
Guided
Astronomy
Chemistry
Physics
Mathematics
Quais são as possibilidades? Dina Séfora Santana Menezes Lima e Maria Cleide da Silva Barroso K-5 Lab Mathematics
Atividade com objeto de aprendizagem do Phet Renato Tavarez HS Guided Mathematics

Language Download or Run Tips
Albanian All shqip Run now Probabiliteti Plinko
Basque All Euskara Run now Plinko Probabilitatea
Bosnian All Bosanski Run now Plinko vjerovatnoća
Chinese (Simplified) All 中文 (中国) Run now 二项分布弹珠台几率
Chinese (Traditional) All 中文 (台灣) Run now Plinko Probability_二項分佈彈珠台機率
Danish All Dansk Run now Plinko-sandsynlighed
Dutch All Nederlands Run now Galtonbord - waarschijnlijkheid
French All français Run now Probabilité avec un plinko
German All Deutsch Run now Plinko Nagelbrett
Greek All Ελληνικά Run now Πιθανότητες Pinko
Hebrew All עברית Run now הסתברות פלינקו
Hindi All हिंदी Run now प्लिंको संभाव्यता 
Hungarian All magyar Run now Galton-deszka
Italian All italiano Run now Probabilità
Japanese All 日本語 Run now 確率分布を作る
Kazakh All Kazakh Run now Ықтималдықтар теориясы элеменеттері
Korean All 한국어 Run now 플린코 확률
Latvian All Latviešu Run now Plinko varbūtība
Marathi All मराठी Run now प्लिन्को संभाव्यता
Mongolian All Монгол (Монгол) Run now Plinko магадлалын түгэлт
Norwegian Bokmal All Norsk bokmål Run now Plinko sannsynlighet
Persian All فارسی Run now احتمال پلینکو
Polish All polski Run now Deska Galtona
Portuguese (Brazil) All português (Brasil) Run now Probabilidade Plinko Download teacher tips PDF
Russian All русский Run now Элементы теории вероятности
Serbian All Српски Run now Расподела вероватноће (Галтонова кутија)
Slovak All Slovenčina Run now Pravdepodobnosť
Spanish All español Run now Probabilidad Plinko Download teacher tips PDF
Spanish (Mexico) All español (México) Run now Probabilidad Plinko Download teacher tips PDF
Spanish (Peru) All español (Perú) Run now Probabilidad Plinko
Swedish All svenska Run now Plinko-sannolikhet
Vietnamese All Tiếng Việt Run now Xác suất Plinko

HTML5 sims can run on iPads and Chromebooks, as well as PC, Mac, and Linux systems.

iPad:
iOS 12+ Safari
iPad compatible sims

Android:
Not officially supported. If you are using the HTML5 sims on Android, we recommend using the latest version of Google Chrome.

Chromebook:
Latest version of Google Chrome
The HTML5 and Flash PhET sims are supported on all Chromebooks.
Chromebook compatible sims

Windows Systems:
Microsoft Edge, latest version of Firefox, latest version of Google Chrome.

Macintosh Systems:
macOS 10.9.5+, Safari 9+, latest version of Chrome.

Linux Systems:
Not officially supported. Please contact phethelp@colorado.edu with troubleshooting issues.

Design Team Third-party Libraries Thanks To
  • Martin Veillette (developer)
  • Denzell Barnett (developer)
  • Chris Malley (developer)
  • Guillermo Ramos-Macias (developer)
  • Amanda McGarry (lead designer)
  • Michael Dubson (original designer)
  • Karina K. Hensberry
  • Trish Loeblein
  • Ariel Paul
  • Kathy Perkins
  • almond-0.2.9.js
  • base64-js-1.2.0.js
  • FileSaver-b8054a2.js
  • font-awesome-4.5.0
  • game-up-camera-1.0.0.js
  • himalaya-0.2.7.js
  • jama-1.0.2
  • jquery-2.1.0.js
  • lodash-4.17.4.js
  • pegjs-0.7.0.js
  • seedrandom-2.4.2.js
  • text-2.0.12.js
  • TextEncoderLite-3c9f6f0.js