Bean machine
From Free net encyclopedia
Image:Quincunx (Galton Box) - Galton's 1889 diagram.png
The bean machine, also known as the quincunx or Galton box, is a device invented by Sir Francis Galton to demonstrate the law of error and the normal distribution.
The machine consists of a vertical board with interleaved rows of pins. Balls are dropped from the top, and bounce randomly left and right as they hit the pins. Eventually, they are collected into one-ball-wide bins at the bottom. The height of ball columns in the bins approximates a bell curve.
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See also
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External links
- A simulation, with explanations http://www.ms.uky.edu/~mai/java/stat/GaltonMachine.html
- Another simulation, from John Carroll University http://www.jcu.edu/math/isep/Quincunx/Quincunx.htmlde:Galtonbrett