David Little
Mathematics Department
Penn State University
Eberly College of Science
University Park, PA 16802
Office: 403 McAllister
Phone: (814) 865-3329
Fax: (814) 865-3735
e-mail:dlittle@psu.edu

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Plinko and the Geometric Distribution
A Bernoulli trial is an experiment that results in a success with probability p and a failure with probability 1-p. A random variable is said to have a Geometric Distribution if it is the number of trials needed to record the first success in repeated Bernoulli trials.

In the Applet below, we have represented repeated independent Bernoulli trials by a single ball falling through an array of pins. Each time a ball falls onto a pin, it will bounce to the left (i.e., a success) with probability p or to the right (i.e., a failure) with probability 1-p. After the ball falls through the array, it lands in a bin labeled by the corresponding number of trials.

Click on a bin to see its corresponding total and probability. Alternatively, use the left and right arrow buttons to scroll through the bins. Also displayed is a confidence interval centered on the theoretical expected bin. Bins that are included in this confidence interval are highlighted in green.


© 2013 David P. Little
Download this applet for off-line viewing (includes source code)