Naked Science Forum

On the Lighter Side => That CAN'T be true! => Topic started by: Make it Lady on 04/03/2008 16:02:50

Title: Heads or tails
Post by: Make it Lady on 04/03/2008 16:02:50

I heard on Steve Wrights factoids today (BBC radio 2) that a coin is less likely to land on heads because the heads side is slightly heavier than the tails changing the balance of the coin slightly. This doesn't sound right to me wrighty.

Title: Heads or tails
Post by: DoctorBeaver on 04/03/2008 21:09:07

I've heard that touted before but as far as I'm aware it's wrong.

Title: Heads or tails
Post by: another_someone on 04/03/2008 23:15:43

There is no such thing as being heavier on one side than the other - it is a solid mass, and the sides are just surfaces.

What matters is the relative positions of the centres of drag and centres of mass.  In that sense, one can talk about one side being heavier than the other only by defining a plane that is through the centre of drag, and looking at which half of the coin is heavier, but that is to say the centre of drag is one side or the other of the centre of mass, but you have to first work out where the centre of drag is.

The other issue, as to whether the centre of mass is further to one side or the other of the geometric centre of the coin, only matters if the coin happens to land exactly on its edge, and without any rotational moment.  This scenario, although potentially possible, is likely to be a very rare event, so matters less than the way the coin behave while still in flight.

Title: Heads or tails
Post by: RD on 05/03/2008 13:09:02

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn1748-euro-coin-accused-of-unfair-flipping.html

Title: Heads or tails
Post by: another_someone on 05/03/2008 14:37:12

OK, spinning is totally different than tossing or flipping, since it does not fall through the air, so the aerodynamics play almost no part in it.  On the other hand, how many people spin a coin rather than tossing it?

Title: Heads or tails
Post by: Make it Lady on 05/03/2008 23:28:45

I'm a tosser myself!

Title: Heads or tails
Post by: DoctorBeaver on 06/03/2008 08:29:03

Quote from: Make it  Lady on 05/03/2008 23:28:45

I'm a tosser myself!

(https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbestsmileys.com%2Fsurprised%2F4.gif&hash=3da2bc544cbe2af590cd75ab8b8d2d4b)

Title: Heads or tails
Post by: Make it Lady on 06/03/2008 13:22:12

What?

Title: Heads or tails
Post by: rosalind dna on 06/03/2008 13:28:57

I think that it depends on the height that you throw your coin from
also that has something to do with the way it lands. Heads or Tails.