answersLogoWhite

0


Best Answer

For this answer we must leave Answers.com and travel through another dimension -- a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind. A journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of imagination. That's a signpost up ahead: your next stop: the Twilight Zone!

The episode was called "A Penny for Your Thoughts" (Season 2, episode 25 staring Dick York)

The Opening narration of that episode goes as follows:

Mr. Hector B. Poole, resident of The Twilight Zone. Flip a coin and keep flipping it. What are the odds? Half the time it will come up heads, half the time tails. But in one freakish chance in a million, it'll land on its edge. Mr. Hector B. Poole, a bright human coin, on his way to the bank.

The man flips a coin, it lands on edge, and he discovers that he's mysteriously become telepathic. At the end of the episode, he knocks the coin over and the telepathy goes away.

In reality, mathematicians have tried to figure this out as have physicists. The answer depends on the exact size and width of the edge of the penny, and many other factors. One this is for sure, Rod Serling was not far off when he guessed one in a million.

Nickels have a larger chance of landing on their edge since they have a larger edge and probability of an American nickel landing on edge is approximately 1 in 6000 tosses by one source. The work is not all shown and I don't believe it has been duplicated.

So I don't think there is an exact answer to your question, but the probability certainly is somewhere between 0 and a number very close to 0. It is statistically insignificant.

I now return you to an area we call Answers. com|WikiAnswers.

User Avatar

Wiki User

14y ago
This answer is:
User Avatar

Add your answer:

Earn +20 pts
Q: Can a coin land an its side?
Write your answer...
Submit
Still have questions?
magnify glass
imp
Related questions

How do you get a coin to land on its side?

You don't. MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!


How high are the chances to play and win a coin toss?

The chances if someone winning a coin toss are 50/50. Depending on which side of the coin one chooses such as head, when the coin is tossed there is a 50 percent chance that the coin will land on either heads or tails.


If a coin is flipped 7 times what is the probability of landing on all tails?

each time you flip the coin, probability to end on either side is 50% (or 0.5) (we disregard landing on the side). So, to land on the same side 7 times, it is: 0.5^7


If a coin is flip 9 times and get all H What is the probability of an H on next flip?

The probability of the coin landing "head" side up is 50/50, meaning it could land "head" side up or "tail" side up. The odds of any single coin flip are always the same, no matter what happened on the previous tosses -- provided the coin is not a "double-head" (or "double-tail") "trick" coin


Classical decision making model?

The simplest model is a two-sided coin. Try mapping a decision to each side of the coin, then give the coin a light toss. The coin will land on one of its two sides. Thus, choosing one of the decisions.


What is the probability that a coin will turn up heads?

ignoring the minute chance that it will land on it's side as well as assuming that the air resistance due to the different patterns in the coin is negligible the chance of a coin landing heads is 50%


Which side of a coin is classed as the front?

The Front of a coin is the heads side Known as the obverse. The Back of a coin is the tails side "reverse".


When was The Other Side of the Coin created?

The Other Side of the Coin was created in 1999.


When you toss a coin what is the probability it will land on heads?

the probability is actually not quite even. It would actually land heads 495 out of 1000 times because the heads side is slightly heavier


If a coin has been tossed three times and it has landed on heads what are the chances that it will be tails on the next toss?

The odds that a tossed coin will land tails side down remain one in two no matter how many times the coin has previously been tossed.


What is the technical name for the heads side of a coin?

The technical name for the heads side of a coin in obverse, and the tails side is called reverse The technical name for the heads side of a coin in obverse, and the tails side is called reverse


What side is heads of a coin?

The side with a head on it.