Is it really a 50/50 chance

[Elton]

Is flipping a coin 50 50?
If the coin is tossed and caught, it has about a 51% chance of landing on the same face it was launched. (If it starts out as heads, there's a 51% chance it will end as heads). If the coin is spun, rather than tossed, it can have a much-larger-than-50% chance of ending with the heavier side down.

 

[chuck ky]

How do you tell which is the heavier side?

 

[Elton]

Good question

 

[vlad]

http://www.animatedimages.org/data/media/710/animated-dice-image-0023.gif
but a coin being flat?
Its 50/50 for each flip; probability does not "accumulate, and the probability is equally likely on each flip. It is randomness.
Each of you do 100 flips and record the results........similar or disimilar outcomes?
(20 flips and getting 20 heads and 0 tails might be possible, but not very probably)

There is a way to predict certain groups of numbers on a roulette wheel, though.

 

[Stoof-tabsallday]

The 50/50 idea is a general statement.
Need more parameters.
How big of a sample size? 20 flips or 1,000,000 flips.
The less the sample size the more off from 50/50.
As the sample size goes up, the equality starts to level out.

 

[slingshot]

This is part of the Gambler's Fallacy- believing that Math really matters!

 

[still looking 52]

Simple logic says it's a 50/50 chance.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

Simple logic says it's a 50/50 chance.

But there are otherwise perfectly-rationale-people who put stock in the odds of the roulette wheel, powerpall, etc.... Thinking there's a "pattern" or eventual odds or whatever, that can be deduced from past spins, past combinations, etc... Amazing what gambling addiction can do to the brain !

 

[HaroldILL.]

Heads is the heavier side so better chance calling heads.

 

[Justme]

What about it landing on edge

 

[hawgdawg]

It would all depend on which side is heavier,,,,on a Kennedy ,,,is a head heavier than an eagle ,,,,or a standing Liberty ,,,the lady is definitely heavier than an eagle,,,,,,,ok ,,,I'm sorry ,,,couldn't resist,,