Math with Bad DrawingsCartoon Archive

Choose a Random Number

April 5, 2022From the book Math Games with Bad Drawings

Ask people for a random digit and far more of them pick 7 than chance would predict. The 7 thinks it's so random; the other digits disagree.

Transcript

[Title] "Responses to 'Choose a Random Number'" [A bar chart of digits 0–9 against the actual chance level; 7 towers over the rest] 7: "LoOK! i'M So rANdoM!" 1: "You keep saying that. It feels highly nonrandom."

Use this cartoon

Free for classrooms, worksheets, slides and other non-commercial use under CC BY-NC 4.0, with credit to Ben Orlin.

Cartoon by Ben Orlin, Math with Bad Drawings. https://cartoons.mathwithbaddrawings.com/2022-04-05-choose-a-random-number/ (CC BY-NC 4.0)
Topics
Probability › RandomnessStatistics › Data Displays › Bar Graphs
Level
Middle SchoolHigh School
Themes
Common MistakesVisual Explanations