Dice Experiment
Objective
The objective of the “Dice Experiment” is to introduce the students to the statistical software (MINITAB) and allow them to get a feel for writing a technically correct experimental lab report. This experiment is a commonly used example for illustrating the central limit theorem.
Equipment - per group
- One six sided die ($0.30, www.crystalcastle.com )
Procedure
Break up into 2 member groups. Roll the dice 30 times and record the numbers on a data sheet in a column labeled Dice 1. Repeat the dice roll 7 more times for a total of 8 Dice columns (Dice 2 through Dice 8).
Analysis and Discussion
Plot a histogram of the Dice 1 rolls and discuss what type of distribution it looks like and why. Plot a histogram of the sum of Dice 1, Dice 2 and Dice 3 rolls and discuss what type of distribution it looks like and why. Plot a histogram of the sum of all the dice rolls and discuss what type of distribution it looks like and why. What statistical theorem does this experiment illustrate? Explain the theorem.