THE SPINNER PROBLEM
The Barker Brothers Toy Company needs your help in designing their
latest new game. Here's how it looks:
First player's spinner |
Second player's spinner |
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![](../../images/SPINNER.GIF) |
![](../../images/SPIN2.GIF) |
Spinner Game Rules:
- Each player spins a spinner
- The player with the higher number on his or her spinner wins
- You may use any of the numbers
0, 2, 4, 6, 8, or 9
- You may use 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 spaces on your spinner
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Your job is to design the second player's spinner. Your spinner
should be "fair". This means that the player using your spinner has
an equal chance of winning as the player using the other spinner.
Here's how you decide if your spinner is fair: Suppose you chose to
put the numbers 0, 2, and 4 on your spinner, like this:
The possible scores against the
other spinner's scores is this:
![](../../images/SPIN4.GIF)
There are 3 x 4 = 12 possible combinations of your spinner's score against
the other spinner's score, and your spinner only wins 3 of the 12
combinations. So your player will probably lose. It isn't fair!!.
Design one where your spinner wins exactly half of the time. This makes
it fair.
Your response should be on the "GAME PROBLEM
RESPONSE" page:
- Part 1: Restate the problem in your own words.
- Part 2: Investigate the problem, drawing
as many spinners as you can on the back of this page
that fit the rules. Label the first spinner 'A', the second one 'B', and
so on. Next to the spinner, write "FAIR" if you think it is fair or
"UNFAIR" if not. Write sentences comparing them. Which would be more fun
to play?
- Part 3: Conclusion, stating your best spinner. Explain why it is
fair.
YOU HAVE 30 MINUTES TO COMPLETE THIS TASK
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